Our Team

Born in Lilongwei, Malawi, Justin Bedard spent his childhood playing in the islands of Indonesia and his formative years exploring and learning in China. Justin has been a key driving force behind JUMP’s growth and development, he has a strong passion for community development and educational innovation and he is recognized for his commitment to youth programs around the world. Justin has been awarded the Canadian St. John’s Ambulance Award of Merit and the Dragon Award for Courage and Service to Humanity. Most importantly, Justin is a passionate mountaineer, he has filled his life with adventure guiding, and enjoys spending as much time as he can on mountain peaks around the world.

Rebecca grew up on the sunny shores of England and has been based in Asia for the past six years. Rebecca’s work directing operations at JUMP blends her background in the arts and education, with her experience as a business analyst in the financial sector. She is passionate about creating space for transformational learning and is honoured to be helping JUMP continue to achieve excellence in doing this. She holds a Masters in Social Innovation and Sustainability, and is undertaking an MBA in Sustainability Management. She is a big believer in the power of long journeys through wilderness and some of her favourite adventures include hiking the Camino de Santiago in Spain, the Baekdu Deagan in South Korea, and riverside rambling with Yaks in Mongolia.

Craig is originally from a village in Scotland where he grew up surrounded by hills and farmland. His love of science saw him study forensic sciences at university which set him up nicely for a career in science education which he has mostly pursued while living in Edinburgh. Working internationally has always been a dream of Craig’s, leading him to jobs across Europe, the UAE and Thailand, where he found his passion for environmental and outdoor education. He is driven by a belief that education is key to positive social change leading to a fairer, more equitable society.

Alex is originally from the north of England, and he loves exploring the world through adventure and travel in remote regions. For more than a decade, he has designed and facilitated outdoor and experiential education programs worldwide for children of diverse ages, abilities, cultural identities, special educational needs, and life circumstances in a wide range of environments. He is a qualified geography teacher, and he holds a Master of Research degree in Science of the Environment. Through the lens of sustainable development, Alex has a passion for cultivating the next generation of changemakers equipped with the knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes needed to solve complex problems and thrive in a rapidly changing 21st century world. Now living in Bangkok, in his free time Alex enjoys getting out of the city and exploring rural Thailand on foot, on two wheels, or in a kayak.

Josephine was born in the Netherlands, raised in London and could be most recently found in Edinburgh, Scotland. She has taken the plunge into tropical Thailand and loves the people, places and nature. After studying Geography she found her true passion. This led to a masters in Outdoor Environmental and Sustainability Education. She loves to jump into new challenges, and her favorite roles have included: working at Edinburgh Zoo, teaching children how to perform pretend keyhole surgery, organizing canoeing and hiking trips through the woods of Vermont, running a conservation society and volunteering with a charity that creates therapeutic outdoor programs for young people.

Gonçalo is from Lisboa, Portugal, where he grew up playing football in the streets, wandering around the country’s amazing beaches, doing graffiti exhibitions and performing in some small bars and festivals with his garage rock band. Throughout his life he studied Communication, Design and Marketing. Before he joined JUMP! he was the Head of Communications for Luanda International School, where he developed his passion and enthusiasm for the education sector. At JUMP! he aims to connect our vision and mission with the world. In his free time, Gonçalo loves spending time with family and friends, traveling, photography and playing guitar.

Ally was born and raised in Bangkok, Thailand, and later followed her father’s roots back to Minnesota to study Studio Art/Design and Environmental Studies in hopes of pursuing a career in Urban Design and Architecture. However shortly after graduation she naturally found herself working once again with youth. She led backcountry wilderness trips, and served a year with AmeriCorps where she provided social-emotional and academic support to at-risk and underserved youth at a public school in Minnesota. She developed a passion for counseling and coaching as she recognizes the transformational impact of mentoring others to seek their own answers to the challenges and questions they encounter in life. Ally is committed to developing programs and curriculum for youth that focus on social-emotional learning, personal leadership, and community development. Ally juggles her free time between her many interests of playing basketball and volleyball, practicing Muay Thai, and exploring Bangkok’s thriving art scene and outdoor green spaces.

Joshua was born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Josh developed a passion for football at the age of 7 and has been playing football ever since and wanted to become a football player. Over time he made many other sports his life and decided to major in Sports and Exercise Science in college and university. While studying he was really interested in Rock Climbing, so working in a local gym called Camp5 was the best thing to do. There, he has been guiding people and teaching children how to climb. After graduation he worked for an events company, but when JUMP! called him up to be on one of their programs, Joshua left his full-time job, and has been learning and growing with JUMP! ever since. 

Prapatsorn was born in Bangkok, Thailand. She graduated in accounting from Chulalongkorn University. With a variety of interests, she has experience in accounting, finance, and HR. She’s also had the opportunity to work in a wide array of industries, including real estate, manufacturing, trading, service, and pharmaceuticals. She enjoys traveling, theatre, and one of her favorite hobbies is beadwork. Her motto is, “Be yourself and do your best.”

Mengya as an MBA in Global Business from the U.S. and strong interests in education, youth development, staff development, and corporate social responsibilities. She as over 10 years of experience playing and working in high-level sports teams, and 5 years of experience working in experiential education globally. She mastered skills in teamwork, leadership, coaching, facilitation, program management, and time management. As an organized, dedicated, fast-learning, and motivated person, she continues to challenge herself to think beyond the here and now, present and familiar, towards the rapidly globalized world she wishes to be a part of.