Phocuswright has selected the 2025 recipients of the Philip C. Wolf Memorial Scholarship: Sebastián Muñoz, co-founder of Mexico-based travel planning platform Rutopía, and Jen Wong, founder and CEO of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered loyalty platform Laasie.
The scholarship honors late Phocuswright founder Philip C. Wolf, an entrepreneur, mentor and travel advisor and consultant.
Each recipient receives one ticket to The Phocuswright Conference in San Diego next month, a three-night stay at the host hotel and inclusion in an acceptance-only mentorship of their choice at The Phocuswright Conference, the Startup Program or Young Leaders Summit.
“Philip Wolf was a visionary who saw the future of online travel long before it was mainstream, and his courage to challenge convention deeply resonates with me,” Wong told PhocusWire.
“Founding Laasie with the mission to reinvent loyalty through AI driven instant rewards, rather than traditional points, has been a similar journey of perseverance against long-standing industry norms. This award is both humbling and inspiring, as it celebrates the spirit of innovation and determination that Philip embodied and that continues to drive our work at Laasie every day.”
Muñoz called the award “both a personal honor and a catalyst for Rutopía.”
“It validates our mission to digitize authentic, community-led experiences and make them instantly bookable, while opening doors for rural and indigenous hosts to reach the global market,” he said.
“The access to Phocuswright’s community and mentorship will help us sharpen our AI-driven tools and partnerships so we can scale sustainable, inclusive travel across Mexico and Latin America.”
Applications for the 2026 Philip C. Wolf Memorial Scholarship are now open online.
The Phocuswright Conference 2025
Join us in San Diego November 18-20 to hear from innovators, influential leaders and decision-makers in travel.