they came from 20+ years leading fundraising and strategy teams at international nonprofits, where I helped build entirely new lines of business, sustained the operations that kept critical programs running, and drove the strategic thinking that helped organizations grow into new opportunities. At the core of that work — and now this one — are the same three skills: connecting ideas and people, strategic thinking, and creative problem-solving. That's exactly what it takes to build a trip that fits you perfectly and execute it flawlessly, not just book one that looks good on paper.

Fluent in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, with conversational Isi-Zulu — because real connection starts with being able to actually talk to the people you meet.

But the skills I bring to your itinerary didn't come only from travel — 

My last name, Lane, comes from a long line of traveling merchants in England — turns out wanderlust runs in the family. Mine showed up early: at four years old, one ride at Disney World was enough to convince me the world was bigger than my Michigan hometown, and I've spent the decades since finding out exactly how big.

My curiosity for the world took me through study abroad programs across the Czech Republic, Hungary, Belgium, and the Caribbean while at Michigan State University — and from there, into years actually living and working in Costa Rica and South Africa, not just visiting. Since then, I've traveled to 45+ countries, solo and alongside my husband Gilbert, always looking for what's real rather than what's on a postcard. For the past five years, that curiosity has had a second purpose: traveling specifically for Heather Lane Adventures, to personally vet the destinations my clients are heading to and build the kind of long-standing relationships with local guides, properties, and partners that don't come from a brochure.

My Story

 Founder, Heather Lane Adventures