Staff

Elizabeth Rand

Vice President of Operations, Elizabeth Rand, has been with EXPLORE for 16 years and assists in the designing of itineraries and coordinates every facet of the itinerary for EXPLORE's clients. Over the years she has developed an extensive knowledge of the best luxury lodges and most classic safari operators throughout Southern and East Africa.

Elizabeth travels each year to Africa to deepen her knowledge, experience the service at the lodges, and understanding of EXPLORE destinations. With EXPLORE she has traveled to Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Tanzania, Mali, West Africa, Morocco, Uganda and Ethiopia. You can rely on Elizabeth to help you plan every detail of your trip.

Prior to working with EXPLORE, Elizabeth worked for a large travel agency in Boston, Massachusetts, for seven years, where she coordinated custom tours throughout the US and Europe. Elizabeth's interests outside of EXPLORE are skiing, horseback riding, biking and hiking.

Elise Day

As the Educational Programs Director for EXPLORE, Elise is in charge of developing and implementing educational group programming. She holds a bachelors degree in French and International Politics and Business from the University of Puget Sound, and has a strong travel background.

Before joining EXPLORE, Elise worked with both the Department of State and the Department of Commerce at the American embassies in Paris and Reykjavik, Iceland. She also spent a year teaching English to primary school students in Epinal, France. Her experience in the tourism industry includes jobs as a tour guide in the American Southwest and as a ski instructor and supervisor at Steamboat Ski Resort.

Elise's travels have taken her throughout Europe and to South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Australia, Tahiti, Mexico, Canada and the Bahamas. Her interests beyond Africa and traveling include skiing, hiking, snowshoeing and being in the outdoors as much as possible.

Steve Grace

As a Custom Travel Specialist, Steve shares his enthusiasm for the diverse cultures and wild nature of Africa with EXPLORE clients. He has traveled widely in Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Uganda.

Before joining EXPLORE, Steve developed Mandarin language immersion programs, and he designed and led cultural tours in China, New Zealand, Fiji, Guatemala, Italy, Ireland and the UK.

In the spring of 2011, Steve leapt at the opportunity to return to Africa to join a Global Livingston Institute trip led by Jamie Van Leeuwen, Senior Advisor to Colorado Governor Hickenlooper.  This time he went as a writer trying to understand the continent’s crushing poverty. Steve has written a series of 6 articles on this experience called "Unclear in Africa".  The first 3 are available to read online:  Part 1  |  Part 2  |  Part 3  |  Part 4  |

Steve’s personal adventures have included mountaineering in Argentina, trekking in Kashmir, trail running in Tibet, scuba diving in Thailand, backpacking through Vietnam, and sea kayaking among Indonesian islands. He is the author of several books, including a collaborative project with the Library of Congress (Colorado: Mapping the Centennial State through History); a work of narrative nonfiction about China (Shanghai: Life, Love and Infrastructure in China’s City of the Future); and a forthcoming book about water issues in the western United States. He spends his free time snowboarding, fly fishing and mountain biking in the Rockies.

Katie McDonough

Katie has extensive experience on the ground in Africa, having worked for Explore, Inc. as a custom travel specialist and most recently as a community development volunteer for Explore's community development projects in Zambia’s Lower Zambezi region. Her experience in Latin America is also extensive- she has lived and worked in Peru, Panama, and Cuba, and has designed educational and travel programs for both adults and students throughout the region.

Katie McElhinney holds a Master of Arts degree in International Education from the SIT Graduate Institute. Her education and professional experience have given her a strong understanding of the design and delivery of outbound mobility programs. She currently works with Explore in developing educational travel programs in Africa for young and old alike, as well as developing custom itineraries for Explore clients.

Ngozi Asinga

Ngozi is the African Heritage Programs Co-ordinator. Born in Zambia, Ngozi was educated in the US and currently resides in Atlanta with her family. She comes to us with an interesting background, combining strong business skills with those of a professional athlete. Ngozi is excited about using her personal experiences to bridge the gap between the African Diaspora and the African Continent.

Ngozi is a Two-Time Olympic Athlete in Track and Field. She was the first woman to represent Zambia at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and the 1996 Atlanta Games. She was also privileged to be the Zambian Flag Bearer at the 1992 Opening Ceremony.

Ngozi holds a Bachelor's degree in Sociology/Anthropology from Principia College in Elsah, Illinois, and an MBA from Samford Univeristy in Birmingham, Alabama. Outside EXPLORE, Ngozi's interests include running, travelling and hiking.