Dolores Semeraro interviews Iris Serbanescu - the founder of wmnsWORK - her journey from risk management to tourism, highlighting her 12-year career in marketing and partnerships. How she founded wmnsWORK, an award-winning tourism accelerator for women entrepreneurs, during the pandemic, emphasizing the importance of systemic change, noting that while 60% of the travel workforce is female, only 8% hold executive positions. wmnsWORK has supported 60 entrepreneurs over three years, focusing on intuition, networking, and mentorship. wmnsWORK is a 12-week virtual, equity free accelerator program designed specifically to support women and non-binary tourism entrepreneurs during the most critical part of their business journey – the early stages. About Iris: wmnsWORK was founded in 2022 by Iris Serbanescu, who has spent her decade-long career in the tourism industry consulting with and working alongside entrepreneurial ventures in tourism’s adventure, luxury and tech sectors. Prior to this launch, Iris led partnerships at TourRadar, an online marketplace for multi-day tour operators, and was the manager of trade development at travel consultancy Bannikin before that. About this episode: Starting wmnsWORK During the Pandemic How the idea came from her desire to support the industry in building back better and her own lived experience in the industry with the resilience and innovation in mind emphasizing the importance of building businesses with intention and aligning them with personal capacity to avoid burnout. Current State of Women in Travel and Tourism Based on whether women in tourism are building, thriving, or just getting by, Iris expresses optimism, noting the rapid changes in gender equality and the increasing support for women-led ventures, discussing the emphasis on following capacity rather than growth at all costs, addressing the issue of burnout among women. Choices and Future Impact The increasing collaboration and gender equity policies being implemented in organizations around the world, the disparity in leadership roles in the travel industry, with women making up 60% of the workforce but holding less than 8% of executive positions. Women-Led Businesses and Their Impact The impact of women-led businesses in the travel industry, noting their alignment with sustainable development goals and regenerative practices as well as the importance of collaboration over competition and the symbiotic relationship between women and nature Host of Truth Behind Travel Podcast, Dolores Semeraro is a sought-after international tourism keynote speaker and sustainable tourism marketing professional. Dolores actively works in the tourism and travel conference space as a keynote speaker and moderator, gracing the stages of international tourism summits and trade shows. As a professional keynote speaker, Dolores’ speaking topics encompass sustainability in tourism, digital marketing and how to identify today’s traveler’s needs through technology and innovation. 5 years ago, Dolores launched her podcast show named ‘Truth Behind Travel Podcast’ where she regularly interviews tourism and travel industry leaders and representatives on how to rebuild the future of travel. www.doloressemeraro.com dolores@doloressemeraro.com Instagram @dolores_semeraro LinkedIn @dolores.sem
