Rick Thomas

board chair 

International travel and experience have always played an influential role in Rick’s life. As a native of Southern California, his love of travel was born from the back seat view of a Plymouth Fury station wagon on multiple camping trips into the Mexican countryside. International travel was further inspired by a transformative experience in a Peace Corps family program. By his tenth birthday, Rick had lived in South America and Africa, as well as visiting multiple countries in between.

Rick’s desire for travel continued during college and after, frequenting Asia, Europe, and the Caribbean countries on business and pleasure. His passion for travel and love of diverse culture and experiences has since passed on to his children, encouraging their own travel experiences to broaden their life perspectives.

Rick has equally had a diverse career in engineering, business consulting and wealth management. He is the Principal Business Advisor at First Generation Advisors and Principal Investment Advisor at First Generation Financial. Rick resides in SW Washington along with his wife and they are blessed to have their adult children close by. In between his travels, he can be found stalking the local rivers for steelhead or seeking a new trail to hike in the Columbia River Gorge.

Joe Wagner

treasurer

Joe Wagner has long called the Pacific Northwest home. Joe was born in Beaverton, Oregon and as a child he enjoyed occasional family getaways to the Oregon coast and forested campgrounds. Though he daydreamed of venturing further from home, traveling abroad wasn’t an option growing up. Still, Joe transported himself daily to other parts of the world through music and writing from his SE Portland home.

Joe’s curiosity about the world and its people led him to study history at the University of Oregon. Shortly after earning a BA in History, Joe saved his money and took his first trip overseas, traveling for three months in Thailand, Malaysia, and Sumatra. It was during this transformative journey that Joe developed a sense of connection to, and feeling of agency within the greater world.

In the 20 years since that inaugural overseas trip, Joe has been working with product design teams to create software that enables individuals and teams to accomplish more in their day-to-day work. This line of work has enabled him to travel far and wide to collaborate with coworkers and to learn about the unique needs of his customers. Whether working directly with clients, helping startups mature and grow, or driving the redesign of cumbersome products in large companies, Joe’s motivation remains the same: using his curiosity about others and their life experiences to create products that empower them to be their best.

Today Joe lives in NE Portland with his two hilarious daughters and rather cute 10-pound schnoodle.

Delia Grenville

Bio coming soon!

Ethan Knight

Founder emeritus

Ethan is the founder and Executive Director of the American Gap Association - a nonprofit standards, equity, and resource hub recognized by the US Department of Justice, for Gap Years.  Ethan is also the founder of Carpe Diem International Education and its sister nonprofit, Carpe Mundi. He has been working in the International Education sphere for the past 15 years, and worked with more than 3,000 domestic students on their journeys. He is also a Gap Year taker who, at the age of 19, traveled to India, Nepal and Tibet for 7 months... much to his mother's initial chagrin (his mother is proud now though, oft he time he took and the impact it's had on his life). 

Ethan has been invited to speak at the City of Portland's Tri-County Diversity Conference; is a founding Board Member of the Wayfinding Academy (a two-year college in Portland); has been a guest speaker in the UK and Canada, and at more than 30 conferences around the country. He holds certificates from the ManKind Project and Byron Katie, and has received formal training in Drs. Gay and Kathlyn Hendricks and Gary Zukov's works. He is a graduate of Willamette University in Portland, Oregon, with a degree in English and Philosophy. 

Peyton nguyen

Peyton Nguyen is a dedicated Health and Human Services Professional with a fervent commitment to public health, diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism. Throughout her career, Peyton has demonstrated a passion for serving diverse communities and addressing disparities in healthcare access and outcomes.

As a Carpe Mundi alumna who evolved directly from the organization's transformative international travel experiences, Peyton brings a unique lens to the Carpe Mundi Board of Directors. Her firsthand experience as a recipient of Carpe Mundi's support has imbued her with a profound understanding of the impact that such opportunities can have on historically underserved students. Through her own journey abroad, Peyton gained invaluable insights into global citizenship and cultural diversity, fostering a deep appreciation for the interconnectedness of our world. Her perspective as a global citizen, shaped by her experiences as both a beneficiary and an advocate for inclusive travel opportunities, informs her commitment to ensuring that Carpe Mundi continues to empower students from diverse backgrounds to broaden their horizons and become global leaders.

Jeremy Townley

International travel has played a central role in Jeremy’s life. He studied abroad in France as an undergraduate, then won a Fulbright Fellowship after graduating and returned to France. He also earned degrees from universities in Canada and the UK, and he spent time on a writing fellowship in Spain. Jeremy has studied French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and Cantonese, and he has traveled to almost thirty countries, including Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Polynesia, Macau, Mexico, Morocco, and Peru.

Raised and educated in a working-class community, Jeremy has grappled with some of the barriers that underrepresented students, including low-income first-generation students, confront in higher education. It can be daunting to navigate unfamiliar institutional settings, understand cultural and academic expectations, and acquire the languages of power, both literal and figurative, that many other students take for granted.

A longtime university professor, Jeremy has extensive knowledge of higher education, and he is strongly committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and social justice. He directs the Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies and teaches in the Honors College at Oregon State University.

Arturo Vasquez Antunez

Familia has played a pivotal role in Arturo’s life. It was his family that always encouraged him to seek adventures, embrace diverse flavors, explore captivating sights, and cultivate new ideas. Rooted in the family was kindness for all but also a commitment to advocating for the underrepresented. Arturo’s passion for travel and connecting with people stems from Home.

Growing up between Central Florida and Central Mexico, Arturo has been fortunate to enjoy two distinct yet culturally intertwined worlds. The United States offered exciting opportunities and the richness of a cultural melting pot, where Mexico nurtured Arturo with vibrant colors and an innate sense of warmth and comunidad.

Through his travels, Arturo has sought inspiration and personal growth through the unique perspectives and experiences each journey has to offer. In joining Carpe Mundi’s board of directors, Arturo is dedicated to fostering a spirit of adventure and creating a more inclusive and diverse travel community.

Arturo has learned that every person and place has a unique story. He recognizes that often, one of the most gratifying aspects of travel is the simple act of listening.

Chelsea Wilcox

Travel and cultural exchange are central to Chelsea’s life, both personally and professionally. In 2009, she participated in an experiential gap semester program through Carpe Diem (a partner of Carpe Mundi), traveling to Fiji, New Zealand, and Australia. This experience ignited her passion for innovative travel. Chelsea has since studied abroad in South Africa, lived and worked in Mexico, and undertaken two solo backpacking trips through Asia and Central & South America. These diverse experiences have deepened her appreciation for the transformative power of travel.

As a manager at NW Portland Hostel, Chelsea connects Portland’s local community with travelers from around the world, believing strongly in the value of cultural exchange and the importance of stepping out of one’s comfort zone.

With travels to over 40 countries across six continents and Antarctica planned for fall 2024, Chelsea is dedicated to helping others grow and discover themselves through meaningful travel. On the Carpe Mundi board, she is excited to contribute to the event committee, drawing on her prior experience with nonprofit organizations and gala events.