Marleen profile - our team

Marleen Lammers

Managing Director

Marleen (pronounced ‘Marlane’ – sensitive subject) started her career as a broadcasting journalist in the Netherlands, but was drawn to African adventure and moved to Zambia a decade ago. For several years, she developed and managed community and conservation volunteer projects in Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, before moving into communications and marketing. She then moved onto managing fundraising and communications for Greenpop, a Cape Town-based environmental nonprofit, before starting Penda. Marleen is a keen photographer and passionate about the potential it has to inspire and drive positive change. She’s also a writer and has recently published her first children’s book.

Yayun Lai Penda team profile

Yayun Lai

Marketing & Fundraising Intern

Yayun joined us remotely from Italy as a marketing and fundraising intern. She’s from China, but currently studying for her Masters degree at Bocconi University in Milan, focusing on sustainability and non-profit. Joining Penda gives her a unique opportunity to dive into the potential of being a marketer and fundraiser in the non-profit field. As a day-dreamer and part-time traveler keen to connect with the world through exploration, she is passionate about the positive impact photography can make.

Talitha profile - our team

Talitha van der Waerden

Logistics & Bookings Manager

Talitha has a hugely varied CV; she’s worked as a tour leader in the Middle East, as a communications consultant, and a project manager developing recruitment and change management campaigns for big multinationals. In 2012, Talitha came to Cape Town on a sabbatical and never left. She took a break from her career in the Netherlands to travel, explore new places and use her skills for a good cause during a work placement with Greenpop. Three months turned into six, and eventually into a job coordinating events and experiences. Apart from being part of the Penda team, Talitha also runs Roots Interns, a company that places international interns with nonprofits and social enterprises around Africa.

Greg profile pic - our team

Greg Bows

Co-Founder & Director

Greg has worked in African tourism and development for over a decade. Originally from the UK, Greg spent the past fifteen years in Africa, where he worked as a wildlife researcher and bush guide before co-founding and managing a number of tourism companies, including Africa & You, an award-winning tour operator, and African Impact, Africa’s leading voluntourims organisation. Greg also co-founded the African Impact Foundation, a conservation and community nonprofit. Greg has seen first-hand how travel has the potential to not only provide amazing experiences, but to also be a force of good. A few years ago, he won the IHIF Young Leader Award, which recognised his contributions to the travel industry. Greg recently co-founded Cultivate, a nonprofit supporting agricultural entrepreneurs in Africa.

Penda photo

Carrie Luetzow

Director

Carrie is an avid traveler, photographer, and postcard writer. She has a background in finance and is based in Seattle, but travels as often as she can and has visited over 80 countries. When she first visited Sabi Sands Game Reserve in South Africa in 2011, she fell in love with African wildlife and realized the importance of protecting these vulnerable animals. Carrie strongly believes in the story a photograph can tell and how those reverberate throughout the world.