As the founder of Jen on a Jet Plane, LLC, Jen Ruiz creates and shares content that inspires and empowers students to travel more and turn their passion into a business. Jen is a 3-time TEDx speaker, 6-time bestselling author, and 6-time national award-winning writer. She's also a sister of Delta Phi Epsilon from Florida International University.

With over 10 years of experience in this field, Jen has built a loyal and engaged audience of more than 375,000 travelers. She has been featured in Forbes, The Washington Post, ABC News, and other media outlets.

Jen leverages her skills in public speaking, blogging, and travel writing to partner with global brands and destinations such as Airbnb, Samsonite, Audible, Meta, and Viking Cruises.

Jen's social media content has garnered more than 100M views and her new memoir, "12 Trips in 12 Months", tells the story of how she quit her job as a lawyer after visiting 41 cities across 11 countries in one year. It is a LibraryReads Top New Release in 2024.

Does your organization need to raise $5k in 10 days for your philanthropy? Make a float in 30 days for homecoming? Get ready for recruitment using a 60 days of summer recruitment prep challenge?

There are few things more effective in making meaningful, quick change than taking a challenge. Jen Ruiz would know — she took a 12 trips in 12 months challenge while employed full-time as an attorney, descending into a volcano in Iceland on Sunday and being back in time for court on Monday morning.

At the end of her challenge, Jen transitioned away from practicing law and is now a multi award-winning travel writer and content creator. This talk inspires students with the transformative power of a challenge, which has 2 elements: 1) public accountability, and 2) a deadline. Jen will leave your students feeling motivated to take action and see dramatic changes come about when they set out to reach a goal by a deadline and work together to achieve it.

Learning objectives:
• How to form an attainable and realistic challenge
• Tips for staying accountable during the challenge and ensuring completion
• Fun tactics to engage all members of the organization in participating in the challenge
• Inspire and motivate students to see a reality beyond their current status

College is a time when students interact with many people different from them. For some, it’s their first time doing so. For Greek organizations, it’s essential to have tact and decorum in situations like recruitment.

Jen Ruiz has traveled to more than 50 countries, including places people don’t typically expect like Qatar and Kazakhstan. She has made friends around the world, despite political and cultural differences. In this talk, Jen teaches students how to make connections with people who are different from them, and have a fun conversation. She will share her strategies for connecting despite language barriers, being respectful of other peoples’ backgrounds and traditions, and learning from one another’s diverse experiences. Interacting with people who are different from you is an unavoidable part of higher education. What no one tells you is it’s the best part.

Learning objectives:
• Tips to shift from fear over the unknown to excitement for the new
• Ways to find connection despite perceived differences
• How to engage in respectful and curious conversation
• Strategies for building a reputation as an inclusive and thoughtful organization

Most students dream of being an influencer, but few people make a full-time living from posting content online. Jen Ruiz is one of those people. As a lawyer turned full-time travel blogger and author, Jen turned a traditional background in law and core skill set in storytelling into a successful career promoting destinations and businesses around the world.

With more than 375,000 social media followers across various social media platforms, Jen has experience growing a personal brand online, as well as consulting on content for startups and nonprofit organizations. This talk teaches students how to take a core competency or interest and turn it into a profitable digital presence. It goes beyond the term “influencer” to help students use social media in a productive and positive way.

Learning objectives:

• Understand the importance of having a niche and identify a unique area of interest or subject matter expertise
• Develop savvy strategies to navigate ever-changing social media platforms
• Learn how to convert buzz and attention online into warm leads, traffic, and a loyal customer base
• Tips to use social media to further students’ educational and professional goals

With more than 20 Spanish-speaking countries in the world, there’s a lot to celebrate about Hispanic culture!
Jen Ruiz is an award-winning travel writer who has worked on the Fodor’s Travel Puerto Rico Guidebook and was part of AFAR Magazine’s United Voices Program. She has in-depth knowledge and insight about the island and can share hidden gems, from pink lakes to Taino petroglyphs and bioluminescent bays.

Jen has visited places like Spain, Peru, Argentina, Honduras, and Cuba, and has stories about eating volcano pizza in Guatemala or diving the underwater museum off the coast of Isla Mujeres, México. This talk aims to celebrate Hispanic culture around the world, educating students about the variety of Spanish-speaking countries, festivals, and traditions and encouraging a deeper understanding.

Learning objectives:

• Summarize the differences between Latinx/e/o/a and Hispanic
• Identify the various Spanish-speaking countries around the world, particularly any countries the university has programs in
• Share stories and awe-inspiring places that elevate Hispanic culture
• Foster appreciation of Hispanic culture and students