TripGuru is about creating meaningful connections and experiences. It’s a platform that helps travelers to discover each other and the best group experiences in their destination. Whether you are a solo traveler, couple or group of friends, you can trust TripGuru to see who is going and decide when to go.
In 2015, Sebastián Renzacci and Francesco Piccolo saw that traveling as a young professional can be a daunting and sometimes lonely challenge. They arrived at the question: How can we connect like-minded travelers and help them have truly unique experiences together?
TripGuru was the answer.
Meeting Oky
Without hesitation, Francesco began visiting his favourite places to travel and talking on the ground with local tour guides to try and find breathtaking adventures. It was in Bali that he first met Oky. Oky was an Indonesian travel guide who had a lifetime of experience guiding tourists around his home and a driving ambition to share his knowledge with the rest of the world. While Oky was a talented guide, he didn’t have the tools available to engage a larger audience nor convey why his commitments to sustainable and ethical tourism made him different. Francesco saw the perfect opportunity to help Oky achieve his business ambitions and create a long-lasting partnership.
TripGuru helped to create stunning profiles for each of his tours that would reflect the quality of experience he had to offer - TripGuru members were not disappointed. From just a few weekly tours, Oky was able to expand his business and create some of the most sought-after experiences to be had in Bali.
Southeast Asia
With the success of TripGuru in Bali, Sebastián and Francesco set out to help more local guides across Southeast Asia convey why their local knowledge, commitments to sustainable tourism and strong sense of ethical travel to TripGuru’s audience of young professional travellers.
From humble beginnings as a start-up company with only two employees, TripGuru now has a 1000+ curated experiences across 16 destinations in 7 countries. Each country poses unique opportunities and challenges that continuously motivate our staff to create and refine memorable experiences for our TripGuru members.
Meet the Team
Passion, Expertise, Business Skills, Network
Each of TripGuru’s founders lives as expatriates in major international cities. What they have in common? An intense love for travel. They personify the company culture “Live, Inspire, Innovate” – through the life experiences gained from living and traveling through in several different countries to find inspiration and innovation in all aspects of life and business.
The team members’ professional backgrounds range from strategic finance and corporate law to global logistics, sales, and event organization. These individual strengths come together to create a fluid environment of ideas that play on the team’s different strengths.
The Entrepreneurs
Sebastián Renzacci, 30, Argentina
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Sebastián is an Argentine professional based in Hong Kong since 2014. Sebastián co-founded TripGuru in the fall of 2015, and has since its early days overseen the company’s product development and user experience. Prior to co-founding TripGuru, Sebastián spent 11 years working in Latin American and Asian emerging markets, specializing in foreign trade & logistics.
Favorite Travel Experience: Zipping through Siem Reap’s countryside on a VESPA
On his Bucket List: This year I plan to learn how to surf in Bali! I also want to take a speedboat to James Bond island
Francesco Piccolo, 29, Italy
CFO – Marketing & Finance
Francesco spent the first half of 2016 traveling across South East Asia to set up the TripGuru platform. As the company’s Chairman, Francesco’s presides over TripGuru’s board, oversees all the company’s activities, and acts as the company’s de facto chief financial officer. Besides heading up TripGuru’s administrative and financial activities, Francesco also oversees all of the company’s marketing functions. Before co-founding TripGuru, Francesco worked as an analyst for a Hong Kong venture capital investment firm.
Favorite Travel Experience: Watching the sunrise in Mount Batur after trekking for hours in the dark!
On his Bucket List: I’m itching to do the four-day ‘seafari’ in Coron, Philippines and dive with the sharks in Malapascua
