You're invited to 'The Femme Circle'
In a nod to the iconic "Vicious Circle" that sat at the Algonquin Hotel's historic Round Table, you're invited to 'the Femme Circle' this April
Welcome to Wanderess, a free and sporadic travel & lifestyle newsletter brought to you by the founder of Unearth Women. In this newsletter, a new Woman to Watch interview plus an invitation to a special event. If you’ve found your way here but are not yet subscribed, here, let me help you with that:
Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking at an International Women’s Day event hosted by the company, Travelier. During the discussion, I was asked about the importance of encouraging travelers to support women-owned businesses and why it matters. While Unearth Women often shares stories dedicated to pointing travelers toward women-owned places, it had admittedly been a minute since I considered the “why” behind that mission.
Did you know that women entrepreneurs are more likely to reinvest in their families and local communities, leading to greater social and economic impact? By choosing to shop at that woman-owned store or stay at that woman-run hotel or dine at that restaurant helmed by an all-women team, you, as a traveler, are not only positively impacting a local economy, but are promoting gender equality in the process.
We often forget that we, as travelers, have power regardless of our following or influence. We each have power in how and where we spend our money, for example. We can choose to shop at stores selling mass-produced tchotchkes, or we can support the handcrafted work of a local female artist. We each have power in how we share our travels, too. We can choose to amplify unethical animal tourism, such as riding elephants in Thailand, or we can highlight that fantastic woman-led walking tour instead, run by that independently owned and operated tour company. While it may not seem like it, our choices—and who we share those choices with—can create waves of influence in how others move through the world, even if it’s just our friends and family.
I want to think that Unearth Women helps travelers both consider their power and share a way to enjoy a destination not at the detriment of its environment and economy but at its benefit.
This is all to say that supporting women is crucial, and considering how we travel is important, which is why I was so excited to come across Greether. This tech-based platform, founded by Vanessa Karel, is not only woman-founded but has a mission that connects women traveling to verified local female guides—known as “Greeters”—to promote safer and more enriching travel experiences at their destination.
In other words, your local Greeter can take you beyond tourist attractions to help you connect to a place in a more meaningful and positive way. Operating in over 1,000 cities across 100 countries, Greether is all about empowering women who travel and local women with a passion for sharing their destinations. In the latest Woman to Watch interview on Unearth Women, Greether’s founder, Vanessa Karel, shares the story behind her company and how it impacts travelers. You can read it here:
If you’re in New York City, mark your calendar for April 22nd.
New York’s historic Algonquin Hotel is home to the iconic Round Table, where an informal group of writers, editors, critics, and actors regularly met in the 1920s for lunch. Nicknamed the "Vicious Circle," these creatives would talk about everything from prose to politics. Known for their sharp wit and literary influence, its most notable women were poet and critic Dorothy Parker, novelist and playwright Edna Ferber, and fierce women's rights advocate Ruth Hale.
The Algonquin Hotel Presents: The Femme Circle
In a nod to the Round Table’s Vicious Circle, the Algonquin Hotel presents: The Femme Circle, which invites inspiring women across industries to gather at the very same Round Table for a candid discussion about today's media landscape.
This first event will focus on women in media, bringing together editors and writers from different genres, as they discuss the shifting media landscape, the importance of telling women's stories, and the stories behind their own impressive careers.
Meet the Panelists
Join me for a riveting Round Table discussion on today's media landscape and women's place in it, where I’ll be joined by some of the city’s top editors and writers, including:
AFAR's Editorial Director, Billie Cohen.
Freelance Journalist and former Editor-in-Chief of Full Time Travel, Esme Benjamin, whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Wired, New York Magazine, and more.
Author of This Might Be Too Personal (St. Martin's Griffin, 2022), New York Magazine contributor, and The Cut Columnist, Alyssa Shelasky.
ELLE's Staff Culture Writer, Lauren Puckett-Pope.
What I’m Watching: I was wary of jumping on board The Studio bandwagon, but after watching the first two episodes of the new Apple TV show by Seth Rogen and his collaborators, I’m totally hooked. Rogen stars as the newly appointed top dog of a major movie studio and finds himself battling between the side of himself that reveres cinema and the side of him beholden to corporate demands like pushing out another cringeworthy blockbuster film. The show is funny, fast-paced, and a true ode to the battle between creativity and profitability, which I imagine any creative can relate to.
What I’m Reading: I came across this trailer for the upcoming UK film, The Salt Path, which had me crying like a baby. If you haven’t seen it, the film is inspired by the book of the same name, written by Raynor Winn, which follows the story of a middle-aged couple who lose everything and find themselves suddenly both homeless and grappling with a devastating medical diagnosis. With nowhere to go and nothing to do, the pair begins walking the rugged English coast with nothing but their backpacks and a tent. I’m reading the book (in preparation for the film) and it’s a story of timeless love, enduring resilience, and inspiring perseverance that reminds me of Cheryl Strayed’s Wild. I highly recommend it.
My travel memoir: Call You When I Land | My travel book: Wanderess