April 8, 2019

Kennedy Leavens (MPA ’12) wins 2019 World Travel & Tourism Council Award

Executive Director of Awamaki and Evans School alum, Kennedy Leavens (MPA ’12), was awarded the 2019 World Travel & Tourism Council’s Tourism for Tomorrow Social Impact Award for her organization’s work creating economic opportunities for women in Peru’s remote Quechua communities.

Leavens founded Awamaki with the belief that income in the hands of women is the best way to lift communities out of poverty. Located in the Sacred Valley of the Incas of Peru, Awamaki works with Andean woman’s artisan cooperatives to develop their technical and administrative skills and connect them to an international marketplace.

The Awards, now in their 15th year, took place at a special ceremony during the WTTC Global Summit in Seville, Spain, to celebrate inspirational, world-changing tourism initiatives from around the globe. The 2019 WTTC Tourism for Tomorrow Award Winners are highly commended and recognized for business practices of the highest standards that balance the needs of ‘people, planet and profits’ within the Travel & Tourism sector. Read the full news release here.

Congratulations Kennedy!