Harvard MBA leaves Wall Street to launch CUBA CANDELA, a Cuba travel business
Meet Chad Olin, Founder and CEO of CUBA CANDELA, a company that is changing American perceptions and creating meaningful experiences on the island of Cuba with private custom tours for individuals (couples and families).
Chad Olin | Havana, Cuba | 2017 || Photo by Danielle Levitt
In the company’s founding story, Olin reveals the deeply personal journey of leaving his private equity career in New York City to launch an experiential travel company in Cuba. In search of personal growth and fulfillment, Olin quits his job and follows his passion for travel. On a quest for “dense experiences,” he is transformed during a profound months-long backpacking adventure in Asia.
A unique moment in history presents itself while Olin is attending Harvard Business School—President Obama announces the normalization of diplomatic relations with Cuba. And with that, everything changed. During the subsequent summer spent on the island, Olin is inspired by meaningful encounters with the Cuban people. He connects with the island’s spirit of hospitality and is forever changed by the country’s warmth, cultural vibrancy, creativity, resilience and sense of community.
Shaped by the transformative power of travel and compelled to share authentic experiences with others, Olin launches CUBA CANDELA. The path is paved with herculean obstacles. Despite many challenges, Olin is propelled forward by a deep trust and rooted sense of purpose in showing the world there is more that unites us than divides us.
Read Olin’s story here: cubacandela.com/chad-olin-founders-story
About CUBA CANDELA
CUBA CANDELA delivers impactful and authentic luxury experiences on the island of Cuba, through a socially conscious model that is respectful and sustainable to local communities. Through the company’s work with private sector Cuban entrepreneurs, its custom tours for individuals (couples and families) are authorized under the “support for the Cuban people” travel license and are fully compliant with the new Cuba travel policy announced by the Trump administration on June 4, 2019.
The millennial-founded company deeply values the transformative power of travel and purpose-driven entrepreneurship. Beyond providing the exceptional service and amenities associated with luxury travel, CUBACANDELA provides clients with truly unique and enriching immersive experiences that foster cultural understanding.
CUBA CANDELA specializes in private luxury travel, delivering a full suite of services including travel documents, luxury accommodations and exclusive experiences. https://www.cubacandela.com/
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