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THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE JOURNEY

Meet the Founders

Three adventurers. 300+ countries between them. One obsession: showing you a world most people never find on a map.

Jason Wang, Co-Founder of Waypoint Journeys

Jason Wang

Co-Founder

Jason is a former Silicon Valley tech executive and entrepreneur who traded boardrooms for borders in 2016, embarking on an ambitious quest to visit every country on Earth while conquering the Seven Summits. His journey bridges the worlds of high-tech innovation and high-altitude adventure, taking him from startup exits to some of the planet's most remote corners. After nearly a decade of extraordinary expeditions, including standing at the South Pole, witnessing the thundering Great Migration across the African savanna, and camping among the otherworldly dragon blood trees of Yemen's Socotra archipelago, Jason has transformed from corporate leader to global wanderer. Most recently, he immersed himself in the spiritual energy of India's Kumbh Mela, joining 450 million pilgrims in the world's largest religious gathering. Drawing from his wealth of experience pushing both professional and geographical boundaries, Jason now focuses on helping others break free from conventional travel paradigms. He guides aspiring adventurers in crafting journeys that venture beyond typical tourist circuits, sharing insights gained from his own path from tech innovator to world explorer.

Favorite Travel Moment

"Riding on top of an iron ore train for 22 consecutive hours across the Sahara Desert in Mauritania. No seats, no shade, no regrets."

Chad Zhang, Co-Founder of Waypoint Journeys

Chad Zhang

Co-Founder

Chad's career reads like a choose-your-own-adventure book: investment banking, big tech, and now a university professor teaching graduate students. Between semesters, he's visited over 100 countries in pursuit of the world's quiet kindnesses and hidden corners. He's trekked the lesser-known Bumdra trail to Bhutan's Tiger's Nest, wandered the surreal, empty boulevards of Ashgabat at midnight, and blazed unnamed trails through Utah's canyon country in a Jeep Wrangler. His conviction: off-the-beaten-path travel shouldn't require roughing it, and luxury shouldn't mean sterile. At Waypoint, he's working to make that real for anyone willing to go.

Favorite Travel Moment

"Standing at the edge of the Door to Hell in Turkmenistan. A 230-foot-wide crater that's been burning since 1971, in the middle of absolutely nowhere. You feel the heat on your face from 30 feet away."

Michael Du, Co-Founder of Waypoint Journeys

Michael Du

Co-Founder

Michael has been in motion since he was 18. Raised by parents whose own journeys spanned five continents, he grew up understanding that the best way to learn a place is to live in it. He's worked abroad, learned languages the hard way, and made a habit of following curiosity over comfort. He's floated through the otherworldly stilt village of Ganvie in Benin, scaled the towering Khongor Sand Dunes in Mongolia's Gobi Desert, and traced ancient trade routes through the Saharan oases of Algeria. For Michael, travel isn't a vacation. It's how he makes sense of the world. At Waypoint, he's the one making sure every expedition delivers on that feeling.

Favorite Travel Moment

"Three nights camping in rural Niger to witness the Guerewol festival. Wodaabe men in full face paint competing in a beauty contest judged by young women. Nothing I've seen anywhere else comes close."

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