Damien L. Duchamp grew up in France and the U.S., earning degrees from SUNY New Paltz, Clemson University, and Gwynedd Mercy University. His doctoral research at GMercyU was focused on tourism in Africa, entitled “Perceptions of the Hospitality and Tourism Industries by 18-24 Year Olds in Ghana, West Africa.”

Dr. Duchamp’s first career was in higher education as a student affairs practitioner where he specialized in event planning, organization advising, marketing and promotions. In 2009 Damien left college administration to become a brand ambassador for Evian Water. In this role he visited ~100 restaurants, bars, hotels and lounges each week. This exposure led to consulting with venues and brands, as well as coaching/advising startups. Over the years highlights include producing major concerts, designing a line of clothing and accessories, launching a restaurant franchise, and developing a new POS system.

With significant industry connections Dr. Duchamp began teaching part-time at various tourism and hospitality management programs in New York City. Soon after, Damien became an assistant professor and department head at St. Joseph's College in Brooklyn. There he would add a minor, create new courses, and organize countless programs for high school and college students. Dr. Duchamp has taught over 30 courses, including restaurant operations, customer service, marketing, social media, technology and tourism entrepreneurship. He continues to teach part time at St. John’s University and Monroe Community College.

In 2013 Dr. Duchamp founded Hospitalented.org, an entity focused on 'global hospitality education’ primarily for underrepresented individuals. This became the banner under which dozens of original programs were conceived, serving both people in the U.S. and abroad. The HospiGo project delivers education through MicroSD chips, Frankenstyle combines fashion+upcycling+tourism, and academic/cultural scholarships give individuals the opportunity to attend graduate school or explore the world.

In 2014 Dr. Duchamp was asked to develop a workshop to help improve service in Ghana’s hospitality industry. What was supposed to be a single conference turned into a passion for improving the tourism industry as a whole. 'Prof' has hosted countless tourism workshops, training sessions, and published a book on tourism entrepreneurship entitled Tourism is Gold - The Path to Ghana. Dr. Duchamp excels at identifying new revenue streams for communities large and small, and the book serves as both a textbook and a training manual.

In 2019 Dr. Duchamp founded TeachingMVP.com to share his passion for online pedagogy, building off of five years of work with faculty at St. John’s University. In February 2021, Damien expanded his role in distance education by becoming the inaugural Assistant Dean for Online Education at the Wegmans School of Nursing, St. John Fisher University, in Rochester, NY. There he built and launched a fully online nurse practitioner MS.

Diversity, equity and inclusion is at the heart of everything Dr. Duchamp does. From programs offered through Hospitalented to being one of the architects of Certified by Travel Unity, Damien consistently seeks to change systems and improve access. In his local community he co-leads his school’s DEIA committee and is a member of the university’s Inclusion Council. On a global scale, Dr. Duchamp serves on the board for FICOTA / The African Chamber of Trade & Commerce, whose mission is to achieve equity in the cotton trade for Cameroon.

As a life member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., Dr. Duchamp leads a project involving fee adjustments based on cost of living differences for developing countries. Inspired by a negotiation involving a POS company wanting to sell their product in Ghana, he developed a framework so that organizations and companies can justify adjusting fees or pricing. It’s guided by a simple premise; “It’s not charity - it’s economics.”

Dr. Duchamp’s research is focused on the use of audio in online learning, and tourism entrepreneurship in developing countries like Ghana. When time permits, he enjoys speaking at conferences, graduations and various meetings throughout the world. Damien lives with his wife Sonja in Rochester, New York - USA.

EVENTS

These are some of the events that I have created largely through Hospitalented. Others are through volunteer roles and affiliate organizations.