Our Team

We are honored to be able to work with an extensive community of collaborators across the world, including artists, chefs, hoteliers, researchers, drivers, and fellow creatives.

For more information on the partners collaborating on specific trips, please see the trip page or reach out to us. Below are our core team members.

Re Jin Lee: Korean Brazilian ceramic artist standing in her upstate New York art studio surrounded by contemporary ceramic sculptures and pottery, wearing a white shirt and an apron

  • TRIP HOST + COLLABORATOR

    Re Jin is an artist from Sao Paulo, Brazil who is currently focused on ceramic sculptures and functional designs. As the founder of the online resource center for artisans Naiana Nami, Re Jin uses the platform to act as a conduit and connector for fellow creatives. After joining a Thread Caravan ceramics trip in 2021, Re Jin forged a close bond with Ana Cris, Goyo, and Caitlin. The experience created fertile ground for collaboration, eventually inspiring the jointly hosted Thread Caravan and Naina Nami Oaxaca trip. If you attend the Naiana Nami trip, you'll be one of the lucky guests to be hosted by Re Jin.

Caitlin Garcia Ahern: The Thread Caravan founder smiling, wearing a Blockshop Textiles headscarf sitting behind a basket of yarn during the textile trip in Morocco.

  • FOUNDER, CREATIVE DIRECTOR + TRIP FACILITATOR

    Originally from Atlanta, GA, Caitlin Garcia-Ahern is a creative community organizer with over a decade of experience facilitating community projects. She started Thread Caravan in 2014 in an effort to bring more awareness to heritage craft processes while partnering with artisan entrepreneurs to provide experiential learning opportunities to guests in their communities. 

    Prior to starting Thread Caravan, Caitlin held various roles across the arts, in education, and at NGOs in New Orleans, New York, Hawaii, Guatemala, and Cambodia. She also owned a small fashion brand. 

    Caitlin’s creative passions lie in large format weaving and fiber origin exploration, as well as creative idea development, and making places and experiences more beautiful. She is a community organizer who experiences joy in identifying a need and taking action — from reforestation projects to free spay and neuter clinics in rural communities, and more.

    She currently lives in Oaxaca, Mexico where she runs Thread Caravan, the TEXERE textile residency program, and Caravana Canina, an animal welfare organization.
Ana Cris Medina Palmeros: Texere founder and Thread Caravan team member with short dark hair and hoop earrings, smiling, standing next to a wooden table with a large bowl of cooked chicken. She is wearing a colorful, patterned blouse and black pants.

  • OAXACA TRIP HOST + TEXERE DIRECTOR

    A native of Xalapa, Veracruz, Ana Cris is the Texere co-founder, a designer, and a Thread Caravan guide who’s been living in Oaxaca for 5+ years. She has worked with artisans and textiles, both in her own creative pursuits and as the manager and co-founder of Texere, a research-focused textile residency and workshop space outside of Oaxaca de Juarez. Ana Cris has had the opportunity to immerse herself in the rich heritage of Zapotec culture, motifs, and symbolism. When guiding Oaxaca trips for Thread Caravan, Ana Cris is most energized by the cross-cultural dialogue amongst guests and artists and is drawn to the opportunity to add cultural context to conversations about craft.

Kandra Ehrman, Guna Yala indigenous female leader and community organizer, and Thread Caravan team member. A woman stands in shallow water on a tropical beach, surrounded by palm trees, wearing traditional colorful clothing and smiling.

  • GUNA YALA GUIDE

Estefania Gammara: I travel by Boat founder and Thread Caravan team member: Woman in a blue bikini wearing sunglasses and a straw hat sitting on the side of a boat, smiling at the camera with water in the background.

  • PANAMA TRIP HOST

    Originally from Bolivia, but having called Denver, Colorado home for several years, Stef decided to embark on a backpacking journey through South and Central America en route to Mexico. When she arrived in Guna Yala, Panama, she effortlessly decided to stay. Nine months living with a Guna community has since turned into buying her own sailboat, starting a charter company and living the island life for several years and counting. 

    Stef's laid back and positive attitude is infectious. When spending time with Stef during our Panama trip, you'll quickly adapt to the island lifestyle yourself.

Melanie Cadavid Nieto, yoga teacher and Thread Caravan trip host: A woman with long brown hair sitting outdoors on a woven mat, smiling, petting a husky dog lying on its side, with tree roots and leaves around them in the Texere textile studio.

  • OAXACA GUIDE

    Born in Colombia, she grew up in Spain, solo-traveled for a while, and has lived in Oaxaca for the last 5+ years, making her passionate about new adventures and experiences, especially those related to craft and creating. She hosts different trips in Mexico and is now part of the Oaxacan team.

    She’s also a Yoga teacher and founded El Retiro del Alma where she hosts yoga retreats in full contact with nature, adventure, and deep inner connection.

    She also owns a small fashion brand where she sews and dyes with plants comfortable clothes inspired by nature and free movement.

Maria Jose Gomez, natural dye textile artist and Thread Caravan team member from Colombia. A woman with long, wavy brown hair wearing a wide straw hat and a dark plaid blazer standing outdoors near a tree.

  • COLOMBIA TRIP HOST

    María José is a natural dye artist and the founder of Cúrcuma, a natural dye studio focused on exploring the extracts and fibers of Bogotá’s countryside. Guided by the knowledge of the master craftspeople of Colombia, Cúrcuma holds workshops and hosts artists who seek to understand the textile practices and traditions of the region. As a local guide on our Colombia trip, María José liaises between the master artisans and guests to share stories, experience, and knowledge. She’s worked alongside Thread Caravan since 2019, when she first joined us as a guide.

Three indigenous Maya women and a baby in traditional Guatemalan clothing standing in front of a teal wall and a window with iron bars.

  • GUATEMALA COLLABORATORS

    The Waqxaqi’kan cooperative is a group of Kaqchikel women living in the remote Guatemalan highlands, who organized together in 1982 after the Guatemalan genocide with the help of Maya Traditions. These women are incredibly resilient and supportive of one another. They specialize in jaspe (ikat weaving) and working with ixcaco heirloom cotton.

    We work with the Waqxaqi-kan cooperative during a day of our Guatemala weaving workshop, when we learn about hand spinning cotton.

Shannon Hill: Founder of Magda Made and team member of Thread Caravan: A woman relaxing on a striped hammock indoors, resting her head on her hand, with sunlight and shadows cast on the wall behind her.

  • COLOMBIA GUIDE

    Shannon is the co-founder of artisan brand Magda Made, a yoga teacher, and design enthusiast based between Colombia and the U.S. Joining us on our first-ever trip in 2015, Shannon has been a long-time collaborator with Thread Caravan. She spent many years living in Colombia, where she started Magda Made, a brand honoring the craftsmanship of Colombia, offering a range of woven baskets, fique bags, and hammered jewelry. Shannon is delighted to be able to bring together people from across the globe to appreciate art and culture in her role as a Thread Caravan guide in Colombia. She loves being part of unique curatorial travel experiences in locations people don’t always think to visit on their own.

Susan Vicente Galan Sosa, Woman standing in a shallow river, smiling, wearing a blue shirt and black pants. A girl is climbing on rocks nearby, and a metal basin is on the riverbank amid a natural landscape with trees and mountains in the background.

  • OAXACA WEAVING TEACHER

    Susan "Susi" is an indigenous Zapotec weaver from the town Teotitlan del Valle. Susi learned how to weave at a young age in her family' home studio. She continues to live in her hometown of Teotitlan del Valle, where she is now the matriarch of her home, and has taught her children to weave as well.

Indigo artist Natalia Munro in Oaxaca, Mexico: A woman with shoulder-length black hair, tattoos on her arms, wearing black overalls and a gray tank top, sitting against a distressed wall. A reflective metallic sphere is in the foreground on a table.

  • JAPAN GUIDE

Clara Polanco Talavera: textile artist and owner of Donde Clara in Mexico City. Woman smiling and holding multiple skeins of blue and green yarn inside a craft shop.

  • MOROCCO + MALLORCA TRIP HOST

    Clara is a passionate advocate for natural fibers, artisanal processes, and textile self-sufficiency. She founded Donde Clara, a timeless haberdashery where every item is carefully curated to spark imagination and nourish the creative process. In this cozy space, visitors are surrounded by a wide range of natural materials and tools, including native cottons, hand-spun silks, artisanal papers, natural waxes, wools, and bulk natural dyes—everything one needs to bring their creative ideas to life.

    But Donde Clara is more than just a charming shop; it's a vibrant space where magic happens. Regular workshops and gatherings bring together creative minds, offering them the opportunity to learn, discover, and reflect on the materials, tools, and processes involved in artistic creation. Here, materials are not merely inert objects, but components of complex historical, economic, and sociopolitical narratives. Clara is committed to fostering a community that embraces creative autonomy and a critical approach to the tools and materials we use.

    Clara’s creative journey is deeply rooted in understanding the origin of materials, from planting fibers to learning the intricate processes that transform them. She is passionate about hand-spinning, knitting, and weaving, and believes in the power of reusing resources to create new things—whether it's recycling paper, repurposing yarn, or giving old materials a new life. For Clara, the beauty of crafting lies not only in the finished product but in the thoughtful, sustainable process that brings it to life.

Lisa Jennings, Thread Caravan Guatemala tour guide. A woman at an outdoor market holding a bouquet of white flowers and a reusable shopping bag with produce, surrounded by market stalls and people.

  • GUATEMALA GUIDE

    Environmental educator, adventure guide, dancer, nature freak, culture junkie, and new mother: Lisa's titles are expansive.  Originally from Canada, Lisa's love for travel is long-standing. She's now been living in Guatemala for 7 years, consciously connecting to the country's land and people. Her newest endeavor: starting a family here with her Guatemalan partner and fellow guide. 

    As a past performer, Lisa knows how to captivate a crowd. She will keep you entertained on our Guatemala trip with information about indigenous histories and environmental projects, plus lots of laughs!

Macrina Mateo Martinez, indigenous Zapotec artisan fro San Marcos Tlapazola Oaxaca. Black and white photo of a woman holding a large pottery vase outdoor, photographed by Lucy Laucht.

  • OAXACAN CERAMICS ARTIST

    Macrina Mateo Martinez is a skilled ceramics artist from the Zapotec town San Marcos Tlapazola. Macrina was one of the first women to leave her community, helping to bring her town's clay traditions to a larger international audience. We have the privilege of working with Macrina during our Oaxaca Ceramics + Textile Trips. She was the beneficiary of our Artisan Exchange program grant and joined us for our ceramics retreat in Morocco.

Juana, Indigenous Kaqchikel Guatemalan woman weaving on a loom outdoors by a lake, with a volcano erupting in the background during Thread Caravan backstrap weaving workshop.

  • GUATEMALAN WEAVING INSTRUCTOR

    Juana is the matriarch of her family, mothering 13 adult children, many of whom have pursued paths in the arts. Juana's daughter Zenaida works on our team as weaving coordinator, and she and her daughter are weaving instructors. Her son Sergio is our mountain guide, and her daughter Carolina is a curandera medicine woman who facilitates a ceremony and also prepares lunch for our group.

    Juana and her family are from the town San Antonio Palopo, a Kaqchikel indigenous Maya community on the shores of Lake Atitlan, guatemala.

    If you participate in our Guatemala retreats, you will have the opportunity to learn from Juana and her family.

Mama Aicha, famed ceramic artist in Morocco. Smiling elderly woman in traditional clothing standing outdoors near white building with blue window frames, holding straw hat.

  • MOROCCO CERAMICS INSTRUCTOR

    Mama Aicha is born and raised in a rural community in the Rif Mountains of Morocco, of Sless heritage, descendants from Andalusian migrations hundreds of years ago. Mama Aicha's community is known for their pottery traditions, although Aicha is one of the last remaining potters in the region.

    During our Morocco ceramics retreats, Mama Aicha guides our groups through the handbuilding, glazing and firing processes that are traditional practices in her town.

Samira: woman in traditional clothing and a headscarf is baking flatbread on a hot griddle in a rustic kitchen, with more bread cooling on a cloth nearby during Thread Caravan Morocco ceramics trip.

  • MOROCCO CHEF + HOST

    Samira is the daughter-in-law of our Moroccan ceramics teacher Mama Aicha. Samira is an incredibly talented chef, and warm host who received guests with open arms in her beautiful mountain home.

    During our Morocco ceramics retreats, Samira will prepare all meals for our group, and take us on a short hike to visit her parents who are palm basket weavers.

Pastora Gutierrez, founder of Vida Nueva women's weaving cooperative in Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca, Mexico. A woman with a floral apron drying yarn in a rustic indoor setting during a Thread Caravan textile workshop in Oaxaca.

  • TEXTILE TEACHER + VIDA NUEVA FOUNDER

Sohail Wazir: Thread Caravan Kutch, India textile tour guide. A smiling man with glasses, a beard, and curly hair wearing a tan button-up shirt, leaning against a textured beige wall.

  • KUTCH TRIP HOST

    Sohail was born and raised in Bhuj, Kutch, a place known for its crafts and textiles. He has been involved in textiles since his early childhood as his family’s business is collects various types of vintage textiles from across India and abroad.

    His interest in guiding comes from his grandfather and uncle, who were both in the profession, making it a family tradition. He has been working as a guide for more than six years and is also passionate about photography and traveling to new places.

Eduardo Vera, chef and musician in Oaxaca. A man sitting at a wooden table smiling, wearing a black shirt with gold lettering, tattoos on his arms, in a cozy, dimly lit room.

  • OAXACAN CHEF

    Eduardo Vera is an executive chef, musician, and entrepreneur originally from Sola de Vega, Oaxaca. His passion for gastronomy, culture, and community development is reflected in Muro, a restaurant that not only offers a reinterpretation of traditional flavors, but also functions as a cultural space with activities that strengthen the social fabric.

    He is the founder of Lalo The Shop, a company that makes artisanal bags made from recycled plastic, and Atila del Sur, a mezcal brand that celebrates Oaxacan tradition from its authenticity and respect for ancestral processes.

    Eduardo's cuisine celebrates local flavors, ingredients, and producers, fusing international techniques and nuances with his authentic touch. His dishes seek to make you feel at home, but always with a twist that highlights his style: intense flavors balanced with subtle touches that surprise in every bite.

    We are grateful to collaborate with Eduardo and his family during many of our Oaxacan experiences.

Rosalinda Tao, textile artist and founder of Association Lema in San Juan La Laguna, Guatemala. A woman standing inside a cactus greenhouse, smiling, surrounded by rows of cactus plants on metal shelves, during a Thread Caravan textile tour.

  • GUATEMALAN NATURAL DYE INSTRUCTOR

    Rosalinda Tay is an indigenous Tzutujil artisan from the town of San Juan la Laguna, Guatemala. Rosalinda is the founder of Asociacion Lema, a cooperative of textile artisans specializing in natural dyes and jaspe (ikat) resist dyeing techniques.

    We are privileged to work with Rosalinda during our Guatemala textile tours. Rosalinda is our natural dye workshop instructor.

Helga, Icelandic knitting teacher and Icelandic horse breeder. Woman with blonde hair and glasses standing in a room with floral wallpaper, surrounded by knitted items and clothing, gesturing with her hand.

  • ICELAND KNITTING INSTRUCTOR + TRIP HOST

    Helga Thoroddsen is a passionate knitwear designer as well as an enthusiast about everything that has to do with creating beautiful and unique textiles.

    She has an M.Sc degree in textile science from Colorado State University as ewll as a B.Ed degree from Iceland University of Education with emphasis on textiles and craft.

    In addition to being a skilled knitter, Helga is a talented horsewoman and proud grandmother. Our Iceland trip guests are fortunate to be hosted by Helga, learning about Iceland craft and culture through her authentic perspective.

Colombian artisan Albeiro Camargo: Man with a beard and mustache wearing a wide-brimmed hat and white shirt, smiling as he holds a spool of thread hanging from above in a rustic room with brick walls.

  • COLOMBIA ARTISAN PARTNER

Wabisabi Project in Bagru, Jaipur, India: Four men standing outdoors in front of hanging cloths, smiling at the camera in a park-like setting with trees.

  • INDIA BLOCKPRINT INSTRUCTORS

Two women wearing headscarves sitting on the floor working on a large textile or rug during Thread Caravan trip in Morocco.

  • MOROCCAN WEAVING INSTRUCTORS

Guna artisan Mola Lisa is sitting in a small, weathered boat on the water, smiling at the camera, with sailboats in the background and cloudy sky overhead in San Blas Islands Panama during a Thread Caravan sailing and embroidery trip.

  • GUNA EMBROIDERY INSTRUCTOR

Smiling ajrakh artisan in colorful geometric shirt, striped apron, and white cap standing behind a counter with him hands resting on the surface, with two blurred men in the background in a rustic setting.

  • KUTCH AJRAKH BLOCKPRINTING INSTRUCTOR

Kala Raksha: A woman in a yellow and orange traditional dress and headscarf sits on a patterned tile floor, sewing small spherical objects that are red and white, next to a pink wooden door.

  • KUTCHI EMBROIDERY ARTISAN COOPERATIVE

A man sitting cross-legged on the floor against a plain wall, holding a hand forged copper bell. He is wearing a blue shirt and white pants, smiling slightly.

  • KUTCHI BELL MAKER

    Janmamad lives in a small Muslim town called Zura, north of Bhuj, where he and his family have been working for generations to create copper coated bells. These bells were traditionally used by nomadic sheep herders while caring for their flocks. The bells are now designed in a larger range of styles and used in more diverse techniques.

Shamji Vankar Vishram Valji: A man sitting on the ground weaving or processing fibers near large basins of water, with shelves of finished yarn or fabric hanging behind him in a traditional workshop.

  • KUTCHI TEXTILE ARTISAN

    Shamji is a celebrated textile artist, who continues the lineage of his family’s traditions while finding new ways to innovate the traditional textiles. Shamji is a skilled at spinning and handloom weaving, with focus on kala cotton and local desi wool. In more recent years, he and his family have begun incorporating silk in their textiles as well.

Zapotec textile artist and weaver Omar Chasan works on a wooden loom, weaving with wool thread, and marigold flowers hanging as decoration in the background. In Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca, during a Thread Caravan weaving workshop.

  • OAXACAN WEAVER

Artist Angela from Colombia works outdoors among trees, using a wooden tool over a large earthenware jar placed on a pedestal, with smoke or steam rising nearby. She is creating natural dye pigment from cochinilla insects during a textile workshop.

  • COLOMBIAN ARTISAN PARTNER

Amazonian artisan Tuma sitting outdoors under a thatched roof, weaving a basket with natural fibers during a Thread Caravan craft tour in Barichara, Colombia.

  • COLOMBIAN BASKET WEAVER

Craftsman and weaver Arturo Hernandez works on a traditional backstrap loom surrounded by greenery at his hoe studio in Mitla, Oaxaca.

  • ZAPOTEC TEXTILE ARTISAN, OAXACA

A man and woman standing on rocks in a rocky outdoor landscape, smiling at the camera, with clouds in the sky behind them. The founders of We are KAL, a textile project based in Ladakh, India.

  • LADAKH PARTNERS

    Catherine and Angtak are the founders of KAL, our collaborators in Ladakh, India.

    Angtak grew up in the nomadic region of Kharnak and at the age of 9 he moved to Leh to study. Since then he has lived all over India and returned to Ladakh in 2014 and met Catherine. From then on, their journey continued together. Catherine had been living in India since 2012 and found the teams of KAL during her 9-month research in early 2014.

    During our Ladakh trips, we will be working with the KAL artisan team as well as visiting Angtak’s family in the mountains.