Member Spotlight – Doing Good in Bali with David Shekleton

Today’s member interview is with David Shekleton – a member of the Melbourne Travel Massive, Divemaster, and founder of AllGood.Travel – an Australian-based philanthropic social enterprise that exists to harness the power of all travellers. 

David is currently crowdfunding on StartSomeGood to harness the storytelling power of travel bloggers to multiply the positive effect of non-profit organisations.

Here’s his crowdfunding pitch to support the ROLE Foundation…

How did you get into travel?

I’ve never asked my parents if they were waiting for me to be born, but they must have had itchy feet because the minute I’d clocked six months on this earth we were off to roam Europe in an old Kombi van for two years. So you could say, I was literally born into it.

What tourism problem are you solving?

Helping everyone contribute to creating a future worth travelling to. Everyone wants to help, but we’re all not suited to raising money or volunteering and we don’t all have the time or money to give. However, we all find time to travel, time to leave a review about a ‘hotels bed sheets’, or a rave about a restaurant, or show off a view in a vlog. Regardless of skill, everyone can help.

How are you creating a positive future for travel?

Broadly speaking, by helping, enabling and supporting every traveller to give back with every trip. We believe the future of travel is purpose over price. What we’re offering, whether it be through ideology, commitment or via our community and website is just that. Bear in mind, we’ve only just begun!

How can the Travel Massive community help you?

As travellers, we have the numbers to change the paradigm before there’s nothing worth left travelling for. Bali is the unfortunate flagship poster child for tourism, it’s literally sinking under the pressure. We’re currently crowdfunding for two NGO projects in Bali and to incentivise some visual storytellers to create and share as many stories of positive change on the island as we can.

(Note – See some tips on crowdfunding on the Travel Massive Lounge)

Where do you seek advice? Who’s your hero?

As far ‘hero’s’ go, I like to look at the evolution of Patagonia as a business for inspiration. For advice, I ask everyone too many questions… I’m not sure what annoys people more, that I ask a lot of questions, or that I don’t always take their advice. Everyone’s a good source for the right question!

Connect with AllGood.Travel on Travel Massive and Instagram.