Solving Social Issues Through Entrepreneurship Vol.9

Solo Landscapes was born in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, when international travel was severely restricted and interest in domestic tourism began to grow. I initially started the business on my own, but in the midst of the pandemic, I invited my friend, Chhet Rong Vicheata, to join as a co-founder. 

Starting a business alone was extremely challenging. That experience made me strongly realize the importance of moving forward with someone I trust. Vicheata has strong expertise in sports and adventure activities such as diving and cycling, and today she plays a key role as one of the core pillars of the business. 

Before becoming an entrepreneur, I worked in social marketing at an NGO focused on improving child nutrition, where I was involved in community based activities and training programs for microentrepreneurs. Through those experiences, I came to deeply understand the importance of working together with local communities. 

I have always enjoyed participating in ecotourism myself, but through those experiences I also became aware of serious challenges, such as deforestation and the decline of wildlife. I began to feel that tourism should not be about simple consumption, but rather about learning, protecting nature, and giving back to local communities. 

In the beginning, we attracted customers through Facebook and started by organizing small group tours on weekends to protected areas and national parks. Over time, we clearly saw that demand for ecotourism was growing. This realization became the catalyst for scaling the business more seriously. 

I also felt that conventional tourism often fails to offer meaningful experiences. It is not enough to simply visit nature; travelers should listen to the voices of local communities, learn from them, and reflect on what they take back from the journey as responsible travelers. 

I was introduced to Cnai by Jason from Xertificate, a friend and a participant from the second cohort. He told me, “Solo Landscapes already has impact. It has the potential to scale as a digital platform.” That encouragement really pushed me forward. 

Adventure tourism is a unique sector, and scaling it requires both time and innovation. I personally felt a strong need to take the business to its next stage, which is why I decided to apply to Cnai. 

What impressed me most about Cnai was its approach of not imposing answers. Rather than telling me what to do, the Cnai team listened carefully to my ideas and offered thoughtful feedback. In other programs, I sometimes felt pressure to “change,” but at Cnai, the ownership of the business was always respected. 

The curriculum was by no means easy, but being able to use the resource hub, engage in field based reflection, and systematically learn the fundamentals of organizational management was a major gain. 

One particularly memorable learning experience was the session on gender. Through lectures by a Japanese guest speaker, I learned to view gender not simply as a male/female distinction, but as something embedded in organizational culture and behavior. This led me to think more concretely about team conduct, preventing discrimination, and establishing inclusive recruitment policies. Today, we also consciously provide opportunities for women within our hiking tours.