Helping an elderly neighbour by mowing their lawn. Volunteering at the local food bank. Answering a call for monetary donations when a disaster strikes. These things all have the obvious in common: The giving of your time, talent and/or treasure to help someone else or your community. And the feel-good effect of your efforts.
This is philanthropy at its most basic level and something that anyone can do in their own unique way. For many businesses, philanthropy plays an integral role in their day-to-day operations. Whether scheduling regular opportunities for their employees, designating certain projects or revenue to support one or more organizations, and other reasons.
According to Greg Mercer, Founder and CEO of Jungle Scout, “Every business will have a variety of ways to develop a charitable mission. Whether you are trying to raise money for a good cause, do something positive for the environment or support local communities, no act of kindness is too small. … A cynic might presume that the only reason to shout about your philanthropic mission is for some good publicity. While this is undeniably a benefit, it should come more as a side effect. If you’re serious about your charitable mission, the most beneficial thing you can do to get people involved, raise more funds and spread kindness is to shout about it.”
For MyTravelBiz™ (MTB), the reason is simple: To create positive change in the lives of countless human beings on a global scale through travel.
Build it so Others Will Thrive
Founded in 2017, MyTravelBiz became the first Direct Selling company with its marketing plan built on blockchain. By fusing this powerful technology with travel and Direct Selling, the company has revolutionized the travel industry and created a global community of Entrepreneurs.
From the very beginning MyTravelBiz set as part of their vision and mission to utilize the power of philanthropy to change people’s lives while meeting the needs and demands inherent in the travel industry.
“We didn’t want to just talk about the importance of philanthropy, but make it a fundamental principle of how we operate the company,” said Geraldine Aquino, MyTravelBiz Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, along with Atif Kamran .“Charitable works and giving from the heart naturally inspire others to live in a more kind and thoughtful manner. And having traveled extensively we knew that our efforts would make a difference, both locally and globally.”
Therefore, it was only natural that the company would put its money where its mouth is—literally—to support the TravelCoin® Foundation (TCF) by becoming a Corporate Sponsor.
Also founded in 2017, the TravelCoin Foundation is a not-for-profit community interest company (CIC) registered in the United Kingdom. The objectives of the Company are to carry on activities which benefit the community. And, in particular, to develop software and commission research on how Digital Currency and Blockchain technology can improve the travel experience for travellers while impacting the global economy as a whole. This will help communities make informed decisions based on the knowledge gained about Digital Currency and Blockchain.
“The tourism and travel industry is one of the world’s largest with a direct, indirect and induced global economic contribution of almost $7.6 trillion in 2016 and with a continued rise expected year-over-year,” said Kate Guimbellot, Executive Director of the TravelCoin Foundation. “Finding solutions to issues currently faced in this industry, including floating exchange rates systems, multiple loyalty point systems that do not talk to each other, ripple effect schedule disruptions, and economies in perpetual flux will sharply change the experience of a growing consumer base. It is from this need that the Foundation was born.”
In August 2017, the TravelCoin Foundation announced its Initial Coin Offering (ICO)—TravelCoin®. In September of that year, it launched its first tranche release of 50 million coins in conjunction with the TravelCoin® Wallet, a secure digital wallet used to store, send and receive TravelCoin.
There are several significant things that set the Foundation’s ICO apart from Traditional ICOs.
In a Traditional ICO, the initial offer period lasts only a few weeks and is closely monitored by qualified subscribers with typically a wealth of knowledge and experience in the digital currency and/or tech industries. Consequently, the coins are snapped up very quickly, leaving the masses—those generally new to or with a more fundamental knowledge of digital currency and ICOs—out in the cold.
The TravelCoin Foundation ICO, on the other hand, has an extended fundraising period and a per Subscriber cap set at $500, which significantly levels the Subscriber playing field. As a result of this very mindfully considered and implemented structure, during the very early phase of the launch considerable interest in TravelCoin grew from travelers in Asia Pacific, South East Asia, West Asia, Euro Asia, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Africa, North America, South America and The Caribbean.
One of the main Foundation goals is to gather 1 million Subscribers by December 2019, and they are more than well on their way.
“We have always been very careful about the Sponsors we consider because our mission and vision to create an easier and more equitable experience for travellers worldwide is paramount to us,” Guimbellot explained. “So, when we saw how MyTravelBiz and Atif and Geraldine’s visions and goals were also to create a strong community of travellers, and to help them change their lives while they are part of changing the world, our working together was a natural and heartfelt fit.”
Another solid link in the relationship is that both MyTravelBiz and the Foundation are built on Blockchain technology, which works like a digital ledger where information is permanently stored across a network of computers and safely encoded in real time. That means that everyone—from the MyTravelBiz Entrepreneurs [at the time of this publication] representing over 40 countries, to the thousands of global TravelCoin Subscribers—have the assurance that their funds and any other important documentation are transferred safely to their intended destination or recipient without fear of compromise.
Changing People’s Lives – One Journey at a Time
We love this quote by Saint Augustine:
“The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.”
It speaks to the heart of travel – unlocking a world of possibilities. As today’s technologies continue to advance, visually connecting the global community in dramatic new ways, many people have been inspired to broaden their travel horizons.
Both MyTravel Biz and the TravelCoin Foundation are achieving this by changing people’s lives and meeting the needs and demands inherent in the travel industry.
“We believe travel can help us understand other cultures and perspectives; become more tolerant; live in less fear of our differences; overcome prejudices and misconceptions and bring the world closer together,” Aquino said.
To that Kamran added, “Financial profit is important in any business, but it is through philanthropy—ours and those that we inspire to follow our lead—that we measure our true success.”
For more information about MyTravelBiz™ (MTB), see the company website at https://corporate.MyTravelBiz.com.
To learn more about the TravelCoin® Foundation, go to https://www.TravelCoin.org.
