Jean Zunkel was only 13 when she knew that she wanted to see the world. So far she has made it to 195 countries, and as co-owner of BJ Adventures travel, she is constantly adding to that list.

A graduate of Stephens College, Jean went on to have a career that spans merchandising, owning a British motorcar dealership in Luxembourg, creating a color and trend forecasting company for the textile industry, and of course, travel. After cofounding BJ Adventures in 1989, her other company, the Zunkel Design Group (formerly Butler Zunkel, which she had founded with a fellow Stephens alum for design and marketing in the housewares and home furnishings textile industry) was closed and Jean joined Franco Manufacturing and worked for Franco for 20 years, overseeing bedding production around the world, and later as a consultant for another home furnishing manufacturer.

After following work and family to live in numerous cities and countries on three continents, Jean now calls Lamy, New Mexico and Stanford, South Africa home. She has always been involved with the places she has landed, and in New Mexico has done that by volunteering countless hours to the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market and her local Water Board. She also helped develop a unique travel called “Passport to Folk Art” that takes travelers to folk artists home countries while raising funds and awareness for the Santa Fe nonprofit.

Jean’s influence on BJ Adventures can be seen in the all of the ways that the company approaches travel. Because of her, you know your journey will be highly personal, highly meaningful (and often a little different than what everyone else is doing), and an excellent, engaging experience for everyone involved.

Learn more about Jean by listening to this podcast: