This is OGHQ
From journalists to artists, accountants to mountain trekkers, our crew is unified by our love for experiencing everything this world has to offer. Together we’ve covered continents, reached epic peaks and lived far off the grid. We’re here to help you experience the world the OG way.
Ben Sampson-Coburn
Managing Director, Programs
It didn’t take long for Ben to figure out that he suffered from an acute case of wanderlust. On one fateful day, a commute home from school turned into a multi-year backpacking trip that eventually landed him in Latin America. After a brief stint as a freelance journalist, Ben was both incensed and inspired by what he saw and returned to school at the University of Toronto to complete degrees in Latin American Studies and International Development while living out of a backpack in Argentina, Ghana, Guatemala, and Kenya. The experience taught Ben the value of learning by doing and now after 10 years as Program Leader, Regional Director and Board Member, Ben continues to explore the world as Operation Groundswell’s Managing Director. When he’s not at his desk, you can find Ben scaling a wall or hitting some sort of ball.
Get in touch: [email protected].
Lauren Chu
Communications Director
Despite studying engineering, Lauren much prefers valleys and mountains over valves and mechanics. She has hiked thousands of kilometres around the world, once planted 7000 trees in a day, cycled the length of Vietnam from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, and has been on a 500km hike through the Appalachian Wilderness. In the summer you can find her on canoe trips or hike & bike adventures; in the winter, playing shinny on outdoor rinks or flying down a mountain on a snowboard. Lauren is keen to marry a passion for education with a love of travel with OG!
Get in touch: [email protected].
Erwin Chayax
Regional Coordinator, Guatemala
Erwin is originally from to the Northmost area of Guatemala, Petén. 13 years ago, he moved to the shores of Lago Atitlan in San Juan La Laguna, Guatemala to get into community-based tourism and hasn’t looked back since! He graduated from San Carlos University as an Administrator of Tourist Resources, and loves sharing his knowledge of Mayan Culture with people from all over the world. Alongside his work with OG’s Hub sharing stories with and caring for visiting backpacktivists, Erwin is a passionate coffee farmer and accomplished gardener. With OG, Erwin loves learning about environmental justice, preserving Mayan culture and history, and helping people both locally and globally.
Get in touch: [email protected]
Our Crew Gets Around
83
Countries explored
26
Programs led
11
Backpacks broken in
25
Collective years working at OG
Meet Our Advisors
Alan Levine
Founder of ICOMM
Alan is an entrepreneur, leader, experienced CEO, and winner of multiple awards including “best 50 companies” and “Entrepreneur of the Year”. Co-founder of a leading North American consumer information company, Alan also served an unprecedented 2-year term as Chairman of the Canadian Marketing Association. Alan’s consulting career includes buy-side due diligence, business strategy, Executive Coach, and two years as CEO of Infersystems, a mathematical technology company focused on “big data”. Beyond that, Alan is a passionate urban farmer, travel adventurer, reader, music lover, and fitness enthusiast.
Eyal Rosenblum
COO at Neighbourhood Capital
Eyal was Operation Groundswell’s fearless Executive Director from 2012 to 2019. A compassionate leader with over ten years of experiential education development under his belt, Eyal found a home at OG after planning the inaugural Middle East program in 2008. Eyal was also on the founding team for the Young Social Entrepreneurs of Canada, which became the first and largest organization in Canada to promote and support socially enterprising youth in achieving their goals. Eyal received a certificate in Non-Profit Management from the Schulich School of Business, and was awarded the Social Economy Scholarship Award for his contribution to the social economy.
Claire Ferguson
Consultant at Look Good Feel Better
Claire is a facilitator, leader, coach and project manager with 5+ years experience in non-for-profit leadership and 7+ years in the education sector. With a Masters in Political Science, a BA in International Development, and 10 years of international travel and work experience, she has an incredible ability to bring together diverse teams and connect with all kinds of people. Claire’s OG story started in 2014 as a Program Leader in India. From 2015-2019 she served as OG’s Programs Director, guiding OG through its most rapid and extensive growth. Claire loves bring her travels to the kitchen, where she can often be found recreating delicious dishes from around the world!
Work With Us
Want to work with our tight-knit team of backpacktivists behind the scenes and make some magic? If you’re passionate about travel, social justice, and laughing (a lot), you might be a great fit for us!