Inspiring Conversations with Michael Bustamante of En Route Earth

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Bustamante.

Michael, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin? 
I come from humble beginnings, truly. I grew up in a small town, a one-hour drive from the United States-Mexico border. Growing up, my working-class family spoke a mishmash of English and Spanish, or Spanglish. My dad was a mechanic at a car dealership, and my mom earned her nursing certificate from a local community college. Despite our financial limitations, my parents prioritized family road trips across the American Southwest and Southern United States. Transformative experiences, like visits to the historic French Quarter in New Orleans or the Great Smoky Mountains, sparked my passion for travel and cross-cultural exchange. Over the years, my passion propelled me to become first in my family to graduate from a four-year university, attend graduate school, and even board an airplane! 

Since, I have gained more than ten years of dynamic experience working at non-profit and community-based organizations, government offices, and institutions of higher education. Academically, I possess a master’s degree in cross-cultural studies, a Master of Public Administration degree, and certificates in mediation, women’s studies, international studies, and diversity and inclusion. Beyond my professional and academic endeavors, a few of my international experiences include presenting at the Harvard World Model United Nations Conference in Holland, studying intercultural communication in Costa Rica, and securing a Saudi Arabian Exchange Fellowship. 

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As a business founder, Cleveland has been incredibly impactful to my challenging business journey, and I am grateful for the support it has offered. Since moving to the city, a couple of years ago, I have been fortunate to have participated in the Northeast Ohio SEAChange Program, as well as named a finalist in the “Accelerate: Citizens Make Change” pitch competition. Additionally, I was deemed a Richard W. Pogue Fellow and Global Ambassador by the Cleveland Council on World Affairs and one of the “100+ Latinos Cleveland Must Know” by AmMore Consulting. Most recently, I was a recipient of the Notable in Education Leadership award by Crain’s Cleveland Business. 

With support from the Hispanic Business Center, I recently launched En Route Earth, an education and training agency that guides destination marketing and management organizations with strategizing diversity, equity, and inclusion. I look forward to making my business a reality and continuing to socially impact my community, city, Northeast Ohio, the country, and eventually the world. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about En Route Earth, LLC?
En Route Earth envisions a world that is inclusive of all travelers across all destinations. 

To achieve this vision, En Route Earth guides destination marketing and management organizations (DMO), along with travel partners, with operationalizing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). 

DMOs are unique in the travel and tourism industries as they are deeply involved in the economic, governmental, cultural, social, as well as marketing, and community engagement aspects of a destination. To be effective, DMOs must engage, partner, and work across a variety of travel partners and tourism stakeholders. 

As an education and training agency, we recognize that successful DEI instruction and implementation is a journey. As such, our approach is designed with your destination organization’s size, scope, and strategy in mind. We offer the following solutions: training and workshops, speaking engagements, and individual coaching, and organizational consulting. 

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
The natural, evergreen connection between travel and DEI is sure to grow over the next decade. From evolving traveler demographics to shifting organizational priorities, DEI is the future of tourism. Ultimately, destination organizations that fully integrate DEI and foster inclusivity within their organizations, across travel partners, and throughout their communities will become the destination of choice for all travelers. 

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @enrouteearth
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelbus/