Laura Grier has been called the Indiana Jones of Adventure Travel Photography and is a recent addition to the Discovery Channel UK’s “20 Richest People in the World List”, people who are rich in life experiences that is. Living abroad from a young age, it is no surprise that Laura turned her life of travel, adventure, and exploration into a profession. As a photojournalist for the past 18 years, Laura has photographed on all 7 continents and has made a life out of exploring the world, capturing, and writing about her experiences.

The most satisfying work that Laura has done in her career has been through her work with Novica, in Association with National Geographic, a global catalog that represents artisans from the around the world who are practicing “Vanishing Arts”. Through her work with Novica over the past 8 years, Laura has traveled numerous times to Peru and has quickly fallen in love with the culture and people. Passionate about mentoring, women’s education, photography and travel, Laura leads travel workshops, expeditions, and is an ambassador for sustainable travel brands like Lokal and Impact Travel Alliance.

Currently Laura has joined forces with Pats Krysiak to create Andeana Hats, a sustainable fashion company that sources hand-made alpaca wool hats made by Quechua women in the Sacred Valley of Peru. Andeana Hats invests in women’s skills, connects them to global marketplaces and supports their leadership so they can increase their income and transform their communities. The mission behind the creation of Andeana Hats is to empower women and help support global artisans to continue their vanishing crafts and enabling them to support themselves and lead their communities out of poverty.