Rodney Payne

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

SKILLS

ABOUT RODNEY PAYNE

The world is at a turning point.Earth systems and human systems are under growing strain at the same time. I believe one of the defining challenges of our era is helping communities navigate that transition well.The solution is local. Places need to become more resilient, innovative and aligned with the realities of this century. That requires new approaches to leadership, economy, infrastructure, behavior, and community value.My lever has been tourism. Tourism is one of the few systems that touches place, identity, economy, environment, infrastructure, storytelling, and capital all at once. That gives it enormous potential: not just to market places, but to help shape their future.I’m CEO of Destination Think. We manage a global peer network for destination leaders working on stewardship, sustainability, resident trust, climate response, and the future role of tourism in communities.I\'m proud to be Founding Partner in the Creative Destruction Lab. The Vancouver Climate stream accelerates the type of innovations that will be needed to tackle humanity\'s most imminent challenges. I support climate-focused innovation and founders, because I believe the breakthroughs we need must connect to real places, real communities, and real implementation. Tourism can help be that bridge.