From Wiped Out to $100M Exit: How Sarah Dusek Built the Glamping Brand That Changed Outdoor Hospitality

Episode notes

In this episode of The Radical Hospitality Show, host Zeke Freeman sits down with entrepreneur, investor, and hospitality visionary Sarah Dusek to explore what it really takes to build, scale, and reinvent purpose-driven travel brands. From her beginnings as an “accidental hotelier” to co‑founding Under Canvas, one of the largest luxury glamping brands in the U.S., Sarah shares candid stories of failure, resilience, and defining moments - including the night a storm flattened her entire camp. The conversation dives deep into scalable business models, the power of repeatability, leadership through crisis, and why identity matters more than imitation in hospitality. Sarah also unpacks her current work with Few & Far, a transformational travel brand rooted in conservation in South Africa, and Enigma Ventures, an investment fund backing women founders across Africa. This episode is a masterclass in problem‑solving, impact-driven entrepreneurship, and building businesses that balance people, planet, and profit.

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