Kenichi co-founded Venture Republic with Kei in 2001 and currently serves as COO. After the sale of comparison shopping division of VR to Yahoo! Japan in 2013, he also served as CEO of a Yahoo! Japan’s group company. Kenichi received a BA of Spanish Language from Tokyo University of Foreign Studies and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Kenichi’s preferred vacation type is taking scenic RV trips.

A distinguished engineer from India, Venkat, was among the early employees at Affle. This company was formed in 2006. It has grown considerably and is now publicly listed. Venkat went on to co-found another company, Flocations, a Singapore-based start-up that not only helped travelers search for travel packages online but also compare them for the most value-for-money selection. Venture Republic, Inc. acquired Flocations which was rebranded as Trip101, with Venkat continuing his leadership role as a co-founder.

Venkat has been a member of prestigious organizations like Young Indians and TiE. He also contributes to open-source projects and is passionate about natural health science. To relax and maintain balance, Venkat practices and teaches yoga.

Shaw Chian, with a background in product development, co-founded Flocations with Venkat. Once Flocations was acquired by Venture Republic Inc (VR), Shaw became the co-founder of Trip101, an English travel content subsidiary of VR.

Diya joined Trip101 in 2017 as the Content & Community manager and has been instrumental in managing and scaling the publication, building a strong community of writers and editors from all across the globe and handling multiple content teams. She herself handpicked and trained some of the best talents of Trip101 and created a team of 15+ editors from scratch.

As a senior manager now, she plays a pivotal role in steering the editorial direction, streamlining editorial process, monitoring quality of the website while continuing to lead the in-house team of editors and writers. While she has always possessed a strong editorial background with meticulous attention to detail, her time at Trip101 helped her sharpen her strategic thinking, analytical skills and an understanding of audience engagement, which in turn have helped build our article portfolio reflecting brand voice and driving audience growth.

Prior to her leadership role at Trip101, her earlier experience in project management and content editing at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) India had helped put in place a set of skills related to team and project management, communication, and time management, making her a well-rounded content professional. Diya has also dabbled in content writing and her work has been featured in some well-known travel and lifestyle publications such as AllIndonesiaTravels and ShopBack (and Trip101!).

A spontaneous trip-planner, Diya's travels have taken her to about 14 countries, including Japan (twice), South Africa, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Amsterdam, Indonesia, Vietnam and Cambodia but she hopes to chase her dream - of chasing the Northern Lights - very soon!

Jing Wen is a Junior Content Manager at Trip101 Pte Ltd, where she oversees the Chinese editorial team by developing content strategies for emerging travel niches and she contributes to the English side by managing the social media initiatives.

She started her journey at Trip101 as an Editorial Intern, where she learnt about the nuances of travel writing and editorial tasks, which helped her build a strong foundation in the content space. During her subsequent internship at Tender Leaves Language and Translation Services, she translated and marketed Chinese literature to English-speaking audiences.

Jing Wen graduated from Fudan University in Shanghai, China, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chinese language and literature. Living and studying abroad gave her a chance to learn about many cultures. With a strong global perspective shaped by these experiences, Jing Wen wants to deliver travel content that both inspires and informs.

Lara Razo is a Manila-based Junior Content Manager with a degree in Creative Writing from Ateneo de Manila University. In 2019, she joined Trip101 as a Content Editor before advancing in her role to Senior Editor where she refined the training process for new editors. As a Junior Content Manager now, she was involved in developing Trip101's writing course on Skillshare and played a key role in the early stages of the company's partnerships with freelance tour guides from around the world.

Aside from managing various projects on the editorial team, she also handles the publication of authentic travel content. Her passion for storytelling and travel has led her to contribute her own stories on the platform, from detailed itineraries to accommodation recommendations. Lara has explored many countries across Europe and Asia, her top three (so far!) being Taiwan, Turkey, and France—and she has many more travel plans ahead of her.

Ananya is a Junior Content Manager at Trip101. She is always on the lookout for the best travel stories and thinking of ways to tell them. She's previously worked in the book publishing industry, serving as a commissioning editor at organizations such as Penguin Random House and Oxford University Press.

Based out of New Delhi, India, she loves exploring tombs, ruins, and nature trails. When not out and about, you'll find her buried in a book.

Hanako started out as a Content & Community Manager and co-managed the editorial team to build a strong community of global writers and an impressive portfolio of travel articles. Later, as Content and Partnerships Manager, she identified promising new partners and onboarded them successfully, which drove traffic and bookings significantly. And lastly, as Senior Manager, she led a team to conduct regular reviews on older articles to remove outdated information and ensure they’re up-to-date. She made managing multiple projects and cross-functional teams look easy, while hitting her KPIs on time.

An excellent manager with a keen sense of intuition and tact for handling remote team members, she also possessed strong analytical skills that enabled her to interpret travel trends and effectively optimize the articles.

Prior to Trip101, Hanako's role as Head of Content at A Better Florist further enhanced her understanding of content creation and marketing strategy.

A keen traveler, Hanako is now settled in the UK with her lovely daughter and husband, and still nurtures a soft spot for Indian sweets and movies.

Quan Mei built and grew her content team to improve the quality of travel articles. Under her management, her team followed our editorial guidelines to handpick listings for articles by considering factors such as host reputation and status, recent guest reviews, location, property type, pricing, availability, design, and amenities.

Quan Mei led the social media team to engage and inspire followers through story-telling content and strategy on Trip101's social media platforms. She also single-handedly headed sponsored projects and campaigns from proposals, to planning, execution, monitoring, and reporting, with the aim of empowering travel partners to reach their desired target market through Trip101's media, social media, and pool of travel influencers.

She graduated from National University of Singapore with a degree in Bachelor of Arts in Communications and News Media. Before joining Trip101, Quan Mei was the Assistant Marketing Manager at SoBigDigital and she also freelanced as a Transcriptionist for Chinese language at Mediacorp Pte Ltd.

A Content Strategist, Marta’s expertise lies in understanding the needs of target audiences and developing relevant content strategies.

Marta played a pivotal role in shaping this company's content roadmap. She successfully helped build the writers’ community, interacting with them closely and helping them deliver high-quality content. Her leadership in the content projects further highlighted her ability to deliver high-impact campaigns.

Prior to Trip101, Marta’s time with Hopena Sdn Bhd as a Senior Client Partner helped hone her client relationship management and strategic planning skills. Her experience at Qloudwerks Solutions Sdn Bhd broadened her skillset encompassing marketing strategy, brand development, and team leadership.

Marta is a strategic thinker with a passion for digital content strategies.

An experienced Content Marketer, Karen is passionate about storytelling and cross-cultural exploration (she pursued the FEALAC Scholarship and immersed herself in the fascinating world of Spanish language and Latin American culture!). She’s also a certified ESL Language Instructor from University of Cambridge.

At Trip101, she was pivotal in building a team of global writers from scratch and nurturing long-standing relationships with them. She designed and implemented content strategies to scale publication and also grew the website readership through social media and marketing initiatives.

Before Trip101, she had sharpened her editorial and writing skills at Way OnNet Group, where she led various editorial projects, including book production and web content development. And before that, her career included an interesting mix across diverse industries like travel, finance and feng shui.

An experienced Content Marketer, Karen is passionate about storytelling and cross-cultural exploration. Her career has been a dynamic journey across diverse industries, including travel, corporate social media, and feng shui. She’s also a certified ESL Language Instructor from University of Cambridge.

Karen’s keen interest in travel has led her to work closely with tour guides, exploring the unknown facets of destinations, including Singapore.

Feby Thomas is Senior Editor at Trip101. His love of stories led him through the rigors of academia, legal writing, and all the way to travel writing at Trip101, where he’s been working since 2021.

Feby did his Bachelor’s in English Literature and History and went on to take a Master’s in English, affording him impressive language skills and knowledge of diverse cultural practices, a formidable combination that allows him an edge in content strategy.

His time at Trip101 has seen his involvement in diverse and important projects. He was instrumental in streamlining editorial and optimization processes to drive traffic. He also spearheaded the company’s social media community projects and managed communications with Trip101’s writers.

Before starting at Trip101, Feby worked with the Legal Collective of Students’ Rights as an Editor where he supervised and published promotional content. He had a brief stint in the edutainment industry at eZishya where he created scripts for and presented video content. His adaptability, diverse experiences, and sense of discernment made for a talented content specialist.

He occasionally writes for Trip101 but much of his creative output is in poetry, which he usually keeps to himself. Through the years he has stayed in numerous cities, including Mumbai, Hyderabad, Muscat, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, and Delhi, and his nomadic lifestyle sustains his passion for the travel industry. He spends his evenings at home or the library, and his weekends are spent cuddling up with a good book, gaming, or searching for beautiful hardbounds in second-hand bookstores.

Shalmolee is a Content Editor at Trip101 with an immense love for the English language and its nuances. She's been in love with English ever since she was a toddler watching her father teach the language to his students. Shalmolee always produced the most creative essays in school, much to her father's pride. She still tries to add a creative touch to her writing. She has been in the content industry since 2019, after graduating from Jadavpur University with a Master's in International Relations.

Shalmolee has great attention to detail, even the tiniest typo can't escape her eyes! She diligently works on perfecting content by checking for grammatical errors, plagiarism, writing style issues, and more. She believes good content should be precise, crisp, and suitable for all kinds of readers.

Before Trip101, Shalmolee worked at Lexiconn Content as a Content Associate on a long-term project for Zee (India), where she created metadata for TV shows and edited content created by junior writers. She also had a short stint as a freelance academic writer at the beginning of her career. She switched to travel editing in February 2022 to pursue her love and passion for traveling.

Aside from English, Shalmolee is enchanted by the beautiful French language and has completed the B1 level certification in French from Alliance Française du Bengale. She dreams of wearing the cutest outfit and sipping coffee at a quaint cafe in a French village someday!

Bianca graduated from the University of the Philippines Diliman with a degree in Creative Writing. A love for words and writing has led her to a career in content editing. As an editor for Trip101, she’s worked with writers from all over the world to craft engaging articles that spark wanderlust and trained fellow editors to do the same.

More recently, she worked with Trip101’s tour guides to help connect travelers with experienced guides, turning wanderlust into reality. Bianca interacted with the guides directly, encouraging them to share rare finds and facts and helping to enhance our articles and website with truly relevant and authentic content.

Before Trip101, Bianca worked as an editor for the Philippine branch of Lexcode, a South Korea-based company with international partners. Her projects included everything from editing song lyrics to managing large-scale machine translation projects. Her passion for writing also resulted in her work getting featured in Korea Tourism Organization and Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

When she’s not working, Bianca enjoys reading fantasy or watching movies. She’s also a big fan of cooking shows but has yet to master the skill herself.

Shrimayee is a content professional with extensive experience in writing and editing content on a wide variety of topics. At Trip101, she handles the creation of various travel articles, speaks to tour guides across the globe about the unique features of their cities, and ensures articles are optimized for maximum reach.

Before joining Trip101, she spent three years freelancing as a writer for popular travel publications such as Travel + Leisure India and Discover India. Her work has also appeared in leading Indian media outlets, including Sunday Standard and The New Indian Express. As an editor, she gained experience from her internship at Penguin Random House, India, and from her freelance work for a local publishing house.

Shrimayee has a never ending curiosity about the world and aims to craft stories that will stay with readers long after they’ve finished reading.