Sarah Dusek

Exeter alumna is revolutionising the US vacation experience

Soon after graduating in Law in 1998, Exeter alumna Sarah Dusek packed up her bags and headed to Zimbabwe. Fuelled by a desire to do some good in the world, she settled into aid work supporting development, healthcare and education within the community. It was here that Sarah fell in love with the outdoors, the wide open spaces and the bush experience.

As the political instability grew in Zimbabwe, Sarah decided to leave for a similar position in the Far East, continuing to undertake aid work in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Here in Taiwan she met her husband Jake, a Montana-native with the same passion for saving the world.

Fast-forward a few years and the couple settled in Montana on Jake’s family farm. Colloquially known as ‘Big Sky Country’, Montana’s big open space reminded Sarah of Africa and the bush, which sparked the initial idea of setting up a safari experience.

“There wasn’t anything like it in the US at the time so we realised there was a big opportunity.” said Sarah. “We started a very small company in 2009, all self-funded, with no venture capital, just a lot of bank debt and a loan from family.

“Running a business this way really focuses the mind, literally every cent counts and we had to do every job ourselves. We had no experience of the hospitality industry whatsoever, but we had a really strong sense of self-belief, of ‘let’s do this’, ‘let’s make this happen’. My husband designed the tents, which we manufacture in Montana. We tried to emulate safari-style tents with large wooden frames and he created bathrooms with inlaid wood, which used small amounts of waste water.

“It was a huge risk, everything we had went into the business, we had no other income and two small children to look after. In this situation you have to be willing to deal with hard times and have a mind-set of overcoming problems. Don’t give up; hard work and determination are what’s needed to succeed.”

Sarah and Jake started by leasing land close to Yellowstone National Park, but have since grown the business to purchase land in a total of eight locations - Moab, Yellowstone, Glacier, Zion, Mount Rushmore, Great Smoky Mountains, Grand Canyon and Tucson. Their company, Under Canvas, has been named ‘the perfect glamping experience’ by Vogue and is one of America’s fastest growing businesses.

Sarah said: “Our goal is to be the largest and most innovative glamping company in the world. We have an exciting opportunity to really disrupt hospitality in the US as a whole and have plans to quadruple in the next four years.

“The desire to save the world hasn’t diminished either. We are aiming to open up access to the outdoors while also conserving land and reducing our impact on nature. We have a minimal disturbance approach to development and strive to leave the land as untouched as possible. Our camps use 87 percent less water than a similar-sized hotel thanks to low-flow toilets, faucets that automatically shut off, and showers that activate only when guests pull a chain. And the limited amount of energy used at our camps is generated by alternative means wherever possible. Our Moab and Zion camps can run 100 percent on solar power, and our Yellowstone and Glacier camps use solar to mitigate our electricity needs.

“By 2020, we want to be a company that produces zero waste. This means eliminating plastics from our camps, converting plates and flatware to compostable options, and recycling everything else. I used to think it was charities and NGOs that were responsible for saving the planet but businesses are the ones who can make real change. We feel a responsibility to accelerate development of sustainable travel and hold the hospitality industry to a higher standard.”

The wilds of Montana may seems a world away from the Exeter campus but Sarah still has fond memories of her time at University.

“Exeter was life changing in so many ways. I made friends for life, people who still know me so incredibly well. Making connections like this in the world of work is hard, you have limited opportunities to build these close relationships. So no matter what happens in business don’t neglect your friends! Some of my closest friends are those I made in Exeter and we still holiday together every year.

“Also, if you’re starting up your own business – get advice. There are plenty of people who have walked the path before, so seek them out and ask questions. More often than not people are happy to help. It can keep you on the right track, help solve problems and provide inspiration.”

Date: 12 October 2018