Founder & Team
Carol Oken marked the millennium by planning a safari for her family and friends. The experience was life changing. Her new-found passion for Africa combined easily with her previous work on environmental issues and post-college years working in the theatre. She always had a curiosity of how others lived around the world. She founded Duffle & Compass in 2003 to work closely with others who yearned to experience authentic adventures in Africa. She loves collaborating with clients to curate journeys they could never have imagined, and ones where they will make a positive impact.
Michaela Wood grew up hearing stories about Africa from her dad who lived in South Africa in his 20s, her uncle who spent time in Rhodesia as a missionary doctor, and a cousin who moved to Johannesburg. She joined Duffle & Compass in 2017 and became passionate about conserving wildlife and communities through responsible tourism. Michaela has lived in Cape Town and visited many countries in Africa and across the globe. Michaela enjoys planning travel for clients interested in destinations all over the world.
Shawna Radzik’s interest in travel was sparked at a young age when her grandmother took her on an airplane to Disney World. Since then, she’s never stopped flying -- throughout the USA, Caribbean islands, Europe, Mexico, Central America, Canada and Tahiti. She’s an involved mom who also leads a non-profit group raising funds for charities in the Chicago area and serves on several boards. She loves planning travel for families, couples and small groups of friends who want to make travel memories that they’ll never forget.
