“The beauty of traveling is the world unfolds in front of us in the most magical ways, and experiences appear like fruits on a tree,” says Tom Popper, President of Insight Cuba. “At Insight Cuba, we’ll show you the way and help you pick,” he adds, and no truer words could be spoken as Insight Cuba prepares to pioneer a new era in travel to Cuba.

One of Tom’s greatest passions in life is his love of international travel and immersion in foreign cultures, making his decision to join Insight Cuba in 2002 inevitable. For two years, he managed all U.S. and Cuba-based operations, ultimately supporting the travel of thousands of Americans to Cuba. Under Tom’s leadership, Insight Cuba became the principle provider of specific-licensed travel of Americans to Cuba since 1963.

Since the moratorium on travel to Cuba at the end of 2003, Tom has aided in the development of the Insight Abroad volunteer programs of Cross-Cultural Solutions, Insight Cuba’s parent company, a leading independent not-for-profit organization specializing in international volunteering and cultural exchange since 1995. At the same time, he remained committed to fostering his relationships within the Cuban government. Since 2002, he has traveled to Cuba legally on numerous occasions meeting with government officials, visiting program sites, cultivating his longstanding friendships and creating new ones.

Born in New York, Tom attended George Washington and Pace Universities. Upon graduating, he followed his devotion to environmental conservation and joined Mission: Wolf, a wildlife sanctuary based in Colorado. He has lived in a number states on both the east and west coasts and has spent over 20 years in management roles in for-profit and non-profit companies throughout the United States.