Duffle & Compass Founder
Carol Oken marked the millennium by researching and planning a safari for her family and friends. The experience of being on safari was life-changing. She found a new passion for Africa and combined it with her interest in environmental issues and a curiosity of how others live around the world. She founded Duffle & Compass to work closely with clients who yearn to experience authentic safari adventures of a lifetime.
In addition to creating custom-tailored itineraries for her clients, Carol escorts small groups of travelers on private adventures each year. These Duffle & Compass exclusive journeys are designed with a specific focus on particular wildlife, animal habitat conservation, community initiatives and cultural experiences.
Carol is a certified travel specialist for South Africa (Fundi) and Kenya (Kats) having completed the destination expert trainings for both countries. She is also a member of APTA (Association to Promote Tourism to Africa).
Prior to becoming an Africa destination specialist, Carol worked with non-profit theatres and environmental organizations in Los Angeles and Chicago. She served as Marketing & Public Relations Director for Goodman Theatre and the Chicago International Theatre Festival, and in the Press Office at the Mark Taper Forum. She spent 15 years at TreePeople as Director of Marketing and Membership, produced the Chicago premiere of “Edens Lost & Found” a PBS special highlighting practical solutions and models for urban transformation in four American cities, and served as a consultant to The Environmental Law & Policy Center.
Carol serves on the founding committee of “Cool Globes,” a traveling public art exhibition spotlighting solutions to climate change, and “Chicago’s Run for the Cheetah” an annual event to benefit the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia.
