About Us

Inertia Network was founded in 2017 by three friends from Vancouver when they launched what would become one of the most strenuous trips of their lives— an overland winter expedition through Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula.

Underprepared for the bitter Siberian cold, and with frozen fingers and toes, they were nearly forced to turn back. But out of nowhere, they stumbled upon a hunters’ cabin deep in the forest, where they met a man who had lived removed from society for decades. He invited them to spend the night. As they looked over old Soviet maps by candlelight with their host, they remembered why they had come all this way— to learn about their own place in this world through genuine connection with others and the planet.

Today, we are seeking to carry this vision forward to become a hub for experiential travel— a place where travelers and the most expert, trusted fixers from across the world can come together to create responsible, engaging, and rewarding experiences.

Ever wondered why we named ourselves after inertia?

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Our Team

  • Matt Reichel

    Matt is a documentary photographer and expedition leader from Vancouver and a co-founder of Inertia Network. He graduated in 2009 from Brown University with a degree in International Relations and East Asian Studies. When not working on helping Inertia grow, he can be found on freelance assignments somewhere between the Arctic and Afghanistan reporting for VICE, National Geographic Travel, The New York Times, and more.

  • Thomas Kim

    TK is an Inertia Network co-founder from Vancouver, Canada. He is a sensitive and understanding person who is always eager to help, make people feel included, and elevate experiences. He’s led Inertia programs in Socotra, Oman, Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, Peru, North Korea, and Bolivia. He currently runs the Inertia Network Podcast, talking with guests around the world about their inertia-breaking experiences and work.

  • Matt Lim

    Matt Lim is a co-Founder of Inertia Network and recovering adult. He studies philosophy, explores the journey within, and strives to lead a more conscious life. Matt has coordinated projects in Siberia, North Korea, Mexico, Peru, Costa Rica, and Canada, in addition to leading a Burning Man camp. When he's not working, you can find Matt provoking discussion or eating thin-crust Margherita pizza. As a sometimes vegetarian with loose morals, he'll try most things twice.

  • Isaac Yeung

    Isaac left his corporate job in tech sales to join the Inertia team in 2019 and had this to say: “Imagine for a second a world without scarcity, without fear, without limitations. Where would you be? What would you do? What passions would you pursue? This is the world I want to create, and this is the path I want to show those who join us. Because for me, I know this is what I would be doing.“

  • Amanda Draper

    Amanda is our chief backpacker and Director of customer relations, so if you happen to engage with our chat support, chances are you'll have the pleasure of interacting with her. Her passion for travel is driven by curiosity and excitement. A dreamer at heart, she approaches the world much like Santiago from her favorite book, "The Alchemist," embarking on a heroic quest to uncover the hidden treasures within every place and person she encounters along the way.

 

Pricing Principles

Our pricing model is based on fair trade principles. We ensure that fixers who step beyond guiding and into operating their own trips earn what they deserve as self-starters.

We enable guides and fixers to create their own itineraries and market them for direct booking online. This allows fixers to earn a fair wage for their product, while clients pay direct local prices. Every guide and fixer listed on our website has gone through a rigorous vetting and referral process to ensure the quality of their trips and leadership.

Inertia enables secure online payments, easy communication, clear scheduling, and standardized terms and conditions. This way, both travelers and fixers feel confident working together and have the tools they need to focus on the trip instead of the paperwork.

We’ve included the following chart to show you where your money goes. The service commission paid to Inertia helps us cover our staff salaries, marketing, and communications budget and comes at no extra cost to you.

Charity Initiatives

Started in response to the catastrophic events in Afghanistan and Ukraine in 2022, the Inertia Network Foundation is an independently-registered non-profit entity.

The foundation provides emergency relief and long-term capacity building for emerging humanitarian, environmental and geopolitical crises. Our model combines direct aid with incubating local charity projects in host countries where aid is needed most.

in crowd-raise funds for charitable initiatives supporting education, emergency relief, and reconstruction in Ukraine, Afghanistan, and Yemen.

in Ukraine, where our team is organizing the import and distribution of 117.5 tons of food aid, 15 ambulances, and 38 pallets of medical supplies, totalling over $2.5M.

thanks to Afghan educators who have stood up to the Taliban. We have funded private schools in the country to help girls receive the education they deserve.