JORGE IGNACIO ANHALZER PRESIDENT
Mountaineer and expeditioner with over 10 years of experience. Certified as: NOLS Instructor (National Outdoor Leadership School), WEMT (Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician), LNT (Leave No Trace) Master Educator. Bachelor of Sports Management from Bond University. Jorge is one of our Senior Instructors, when he is not in the field teaching with Kingue, he’s enjoying life on a dairy farm.
joaquin serrano Director
joaquin_serrano@kingue-edu.org
Adventurer, tree huger, and certified in Lean & Six Sigma (supply chain management). Industrial engineer from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. At the moment finalizing his Masters in Sustainability and Responsibility from Ashridge Business School in England. Joaquín is the mind behind the business development of the school, ensuring processes and curriculum include strong sustainability components. When not working, Joaquín is out enjoying wilderness.
Anna Santoleri
Program director & Global outreach
Outdoor educator and classroom teacher with over 10 years of experience working with youth. NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) Instructor and Program Supervisor, Founder and Director of Revision Education, Massachusetts and California licensed middle and high school English and History teacher, WFR (Wilderness First Responder), and LNT (Leave No Trace) Master Educator. M.Ed. from Harvard Graduate School of Education and B.A. in History and Literature from Harvard College. When Anna is not in the wilderness, she loves gardening, cooking, climbing, running, and reading.
Anna Nicole Arteaga
VP of Sales & Field Photographer
Anna Nicole's life-changing 12-day expedition in the Llanganates with Kingue in January 2021 followed her role in Sales at Lindblad Expeditions in NYC. She holds a Bachelor's in Tourism, Hospitality, and Event Management from Indiana University and certifications as a Leave No Trace Master Educator, AIARE 1 Avalanche Training, PADI Open Water Diver, and Wilderness First Aid from Kingue Adventure School. Anna loves hiking, backpacking, speed flying, and mountain biking. As a professional photographer and videographer, she documents Kingue's diverse outdoor education programs, as well as glacier retreat in the Ecuadorian Andes with Paisajes Efímeros.
Felipe Munchmeyer
FIELD INSTRUCTOR
Adventure racer and expeditioner with 10 years of experience. Certified as: NOLS Instructor (National Outdoor Leadership School), WFR (Wilderness First Responder), LNT (Leave No Trace) Master Educator. Bachelor of Sustainable Tourism and Ecology from Universidad San Francisco de Quito. Felipe is one of our Senior Instructors, when he is not working you’ll find him running in the mountains, training for his next adventure race.
Paula munchmeyer FIELD INSTRUCTOR
Passionate for people’s physical and emotional wellbeing, Paula has worked as a clinical psychologist and personal trainer for the past five years. Her life has revolved around nature and the knowledge that the amazingly rich world of the outdoors offers every single day. Working as an outdoor educator, Paula always strives to transmit everything that nature has taught her throughout her life, from how to interact with Mother Nature to the essential habits that we should have every day to leave a trace that is more environmentally friendly to nature and the other species we coexist with. One of her purposes is to raise awareness about the connection that human beings have with nature and help regain the value of this interaction through, for example, experiential education. In her free time, Paula has immersed herself in the world of adventure, mountaineering, exploring, and biking. She believes that the magic of existence lies in the constant connection of our inner self with the outer world of nature.
damaris jaramillo FIELD INSTRUCTOR
Professional rock climber with more than 13 years of experience. She loves expeditions and big wall climbing. She was part of the Ecuadorian sport climbing team for several years. She is certified as a NOLS instructor in rock climbing and hiking, certified as a WFR and Leave No Trace Master Educator. Bachelor of Business Management from Universidad San Francisco de Quito. When Damaris is not in the field, you can finding her on a slack-line or doing yoga.
José Ricardo Jijón FIELD INSTRUCTOR
Outdoor educator since 2010, Jose has been exploring Ecuador and some places around the world through his mountain bike. Former mountain bike and adventure racer, now mountain bike, horseback riding, and hiking guide. He is also a high rope course instructor. Loves to learn and share his knowledge about plants and medicinal herbs. Jose is a bike instructor at his own bike academy, where he transmits the love of nature and outdoors activities to young generations. WFR (Wilderness First Responder) certified and CPR rescue. Lately he has been working in an organic farm growing his own food and providing fresh vegetables to his local community.
santiago espinosa FIELD INSTRUCTOR
Santiago has traveled extensively in 5 continents chasing adventures and perfect climbs. He graduated with an adventure guiding and management degree from Thompson Rivers University in BC, Canada. He is also WFR certified, ASEGUIM mountain guide and lead instructor for the Colorado Outward Bound School. When he is not hanging on the ropes, you can usually find him with camera-on-hand hunting for good light.
Clau vazquez FIELD INSTRUCTOR
Adventure and nature lover, mountaineer and anthropologist. Clau is fascinated with Ecuador and its multiple outdoor possibilities to enjoy, with great experience in management and pedagogy in groups of adolescents and children. She is a former graduate in tourism as a professional tour guide and engineer. Certified in WAFA (Wilderness Advanced First Aid) and CPR rescue. When she is not in the field or leading groups as a tour guide, you will find her riding around on her bicycle.
Tomás espinosa FIELD INSTRUCTOR
Curious explorer, from animals, to plants, insects, places, and people, Tomás wants to see all of Ecuador! He has been working as a guide in Ecuador for 16 years, but has been exploring Ecuador his whole life. From hiking, fishing, tree climbing, horseback riding, mountaineering, kayaking, bird watching, and mountain biking. Working in all regions (Amazon, Galapagos, Andes, Pacific, and Cloud Forest) as an outdoor educator, trying to show the real values of the nature. Certified as a National guide in Ecuador, WFR, Peztl Rope Access, and Swift Water Rescue. When not working in the field, he organizes multisport adventure races. On his free time, he will do similar activities, but at his own rhythm.
Eduardo centeno Field instructor
Mountaineer and expeditioner with more than 7 years of experience. Certified as WFR (Wilderness First Responder + RCP) and LNT (Leave No Trace). Eduardo began his initial training as a professional mountain guide with the Association of Mountain and Trekking Guides of Bolivia. He is one of our Senior Instructors, when he is not in the field teaching with Kingue, he is exploring nature, climbing mountains or paragliding.
Mafer Cevallos FIELD INSTRUCTOR
Outdoor and Environmental Educator with more than 8 years of experience teaching in the outdoors for International NGO’s. Adventure seeker, global nomad, and passionate about environmental conservation and agriculture. Certified as: NOLS Instructor (Backpacking and Rock Climbing), WFR, and Leave No Trace Master Educator. Double Bachelor in Environmental Science and Geography from San Francisco State University in California. She has experience working in experiential education with a variety of projects, managing groups from different ages and backgrounds. When she is not working, you can find her making organic soaps, urban farming, or rock climbing and bike packing somewhere in the world.