JoAnna Haugen
Writer · Speaker · Consultant
Stand Up, Speak Up
My passion for public speaking goes back 25+ years. While my friends spent Saturday mornings sleeping in, I spent the weekends during my teenage years at public speaking competitions, which yielded dozens of awards and several scholarships.
My love for public speaking continues today, and I've been fortunate to roll that passion into my career. Whether speaking to audiences from the stage, in workshop settings, or on podcasts or radio shows, my goal is to encourage listeners to question what they think they know, engage deeply, and feel energized to continue the conversation — ready to take action long after my words have faded away.
Sample Themes and Topics:
Regenerative travel practices and approach
Responsible storytelling practices
Responsible travel writing and content creation
Enhancing trip experiences with storytelling
Communicating about sustainability and complex issues in tourism
Solutions-centric storytelling
Tourism as a tool to elevate local communities and marginalized people
Working with travel media
Expatriate / international living experiences
You and Your Audience Can Expect:
Customization based on audience needs and skill capacity
Transparency about global challenges and problems with a solutions focus
Case studies and concrete examples
An empowering, hopeful environment
Revelations of hidden potential, ideation, and "aha" moments
Accessible language and approach
Opportunities for reflection and action
Encouragement to challenge the status quo
Professionalism, clear communication, and reliability throughout the entire process
Prior Speaking Engagements Include:
Experience in Every Scenario:
Keynote presentations:
Main stage speeches for inspiration and ideation
Interactive workshops:
Strategic guided support with two-way discussion and reflection
Virtual gatherings:
Take presentations online using platforms like Zoom
Plenaries or breakouts:
Smaller groups with targeted case studies, tips, and action
Panels or roundtable talks:
Structured or ad hoc conversations with two or more people
Podcasts:
Audio or video interviews recorded virtually or in-studio
Souss Massa Days
"JoAnna Haugen is a thoughtful and provocative speaker with a deep understanding of tourism from a variety of perspectives. We invited JoAnna to provide a plenary session at the Purposeful Travel Summit in the hope that she would get people thinking and rethinking the way they support travel. She certainly did. Her presentation on decolonizing tourism was a summit favourite. JoAnna is an engaging speaker sure to 'shake some trees'."
Joe Pavelka, PhD
Event Programmer, Purposeful Travel Summit
"JoAnna was a standout speaker at our Travel Innovation Summit, where she contributed to a panel focused on supporting women+ in travel. Her commentary was well-prepared and engaging, and she brought insightful nuances to the discussion. JoAnna was a pleasure to collaborate with throughout the entire event process and her insights greatly enriched our discussions and attendee experience. We would love to work with her again!"
Morgan Mostrom
WeTravel Community Manager, Travel Innovation Summit
"JoAnna Haugen brought exceptional depth and clarity to the Souss Massa Days panel on marketing and attractiveness. Her ability to challenge assumptions while offering tangible insights into authenticity and storytelling left a lasting impression on both professionals and institutions in attendance. Her perspective on staying true to a destination’s identity while communicating with purpose resonated strongly with our audience."
Yahya El Abbassi
Event Organizer, Souss Massa Days