Founder - Bianca Nelson

Bianca Nelson is a self-established changemaker, whose passions lie in traveling, entrepreneurship, and community. Coming from Baltimore, Bianca founded The Learning to Live Movement (LTL) to create change within the mindsets of the youth growing up in her hometown.

After moving to California in 2012, Bianca began challenging many of the local constructs that shaped her worldviews and perspectives. Over the next few years, she continued to extend her travels, sometimes within the borders of the United States and other times abroad, all the while adopting ways of living from each new culture she encountered and embracing their teachings into her own style of living.

Bianca’s concept for the Learning to Live Movement, Inc. manifested in Stradbroke Island, Australia, where she spent an entire month isolated from much of the outside world. While sitting atop a cliff looking over the Pacific Ocean, Bianca had an epiphany. She recognized that she was an anomaly- that the majority of her peers may never be granted the opportunity to travel and see the world as she had. She then began reflecting on her upbringing in Baltimore, completely in awe of how much her mindset had changed over the years. This was in large part due to traveling. Exposure to communities and cultures beyond her own had allowed her to grow in ways that she never imagined possible as a child.

Upon returning home to Long Beach, California, Bianca developed an increased desire to promote change. She realized that creating opportunities for others to travel, particularly underprivileged students, was the best way to do so. Her inner voice began playing 21 questions: What if kids growing up in cities like Baltimore could travel the world? Would they treat people better? Would they understand that not fitting in is often a good thing? Would they go through a transformative stage like I did? Could I change the lives of inner-city kids for the better? The answer to all these questions…was YES. 

So, In 2015, Bianca officially launched the Learning To Live Movement, Inc (LTL), a non-profit organization that provides travel opportunities, focusing particularly on high school-aged students of color. Dozens of programs and initiatives have been established within the organization, inspiring inner-city youth to travel and seek knowledge beyond the confines of traditional education. 

Outside of traveling, Bianca has a noted passion for hospitality. In the years following the successful launch of LTL, she has further built a career in the hospitality industry working in restaurants, hotels, and resorts across the US. In 2018, Bianca was named the Operations and Events Manager at V-NO Wine Bar and Shop. This along with her philanthropic work through the Learning to Live Movement, Inc. has helped expose countless youth to non-traditional career paths in the Hospitality and Travel industry. A seed was planted when Bianca sat atop that cliff in Australia. It has since flourished into a tree of exploration and excellence. However, she is just getting started.

To Keep up with Bianca, follow her on social media: Instagram - @bjanay_ and Facebook Bianca Willis