Safety is not just an idea to me -- it is a matter of survival.
When I first launched WanderSafe, our mission was clear: to empower women, solo travelers, and remote workers to navigate the world with confidence. We built an award-winning ecosystem, combining a smart application with the award winning WanderSafe Beacon that had a humble beginning on a hotel cocktail napkin. From inception to manufacturing and getting us to our first sale at TFWA in Cannes, we didn't always know what we were doing, but we knew where were we wanted to be, and whom we wanted to serve.
In 2019, we had users in 57 countries, aiming to positively impact one billion lives by 2025.
Then, the unimaginable happened.
The Four-Year Hibernation
In September 2019, while traveling on to Nigeria and India, I was bitten by a mosquito three times on my left ankle. Exactly two weeks later, I collapsed in Logan Airport in Boston, rapidly declining in health and fell into a coma. I was diagnosed with cerebral malaria -- the most severe and deadly form of the disease.
I spent ten days in a coma, received last rites with two minutes to live three times, and as I write this in August 2026, have spent more than two and a half years of hospitalization , that began at the beginning of a global pandemic. Reduced blood flow caused severe necrosis, ultimately leading to 70 surgical operations and the amputation of both my feet, part of my right hand, the need to replace both of my hips, and left me with permanent physical disability. The journey was not easy, and uncertain personally and for our mission.
During this fight for my life, WanderSafe entered a period of hibernation. But the mission never died. Becoming injured on the job and without infrastructure that would signal my colleagues and family that I was in need of assistance, and how that situation could have played out identified where we could do more, and do better. It boldly highlighted the need to solutions to be in place that empower employees to move confidently through their lives with technology and tools that keep them prepared, informed and protected. Without it, there is an increased breakdown in duty of care, trust and confidence. Employees have a choice when it comes to those who believe that their companies have their back. Students and parents deserve to feel like schools are doing all they can to empower, inform and respond to the needs of their students and to keep them safe on campus and during their years at school. Business travellers need to feel that they are equipped with information, situational awareness and a Plan B should their location and safety be compromised while on company business.
Fighting for my own life and independence as a person with disabilities also brought to light the plight of those who are most vulnerable, just trying to life with a quality of life taken for granted by those who are able bodied.
I'm not the visionary I once was, and I think the world is better off for it.
Returning with Purpose
In May 2026, under the ownership of Fiona O'Donnell, one of our original angel investors, I am pleased to say that WanderSafe did not die and like a Phoenix, has returned, with new focus, and one that includes new technology integrated workforce grade safety intelligence platforms, a new WanderSafe Beacon 3.0, and the intelligence layer for our end users, the WanderSafe Beacon application.
Our comeback isn't just about returning to market; it is about bringing enhanced, battle-tested solutions to a world that needs them more than ever. WanderSafe Campus, WanderSafe Workforce, and WanderSafe Travel are all intentionally crafted, putting the users needs at the center, and solving modern challenges with duty of care and compliance -- featuring our virtual safety concierge, JENI, our redesigned WanderSafe Beacon 3.0, and our safety intelligence solution -- and we believe we can make a fundamental difference in the safety marketplace.
What is WanderSafe?
WanderSafe is safety intelligence ecosystem. Its not one thing. it's everything -- prevention, information, and the tools for first responders. It combines:
- The WanderSafe App: Your virtual safety companion delivering location-based intelligence and rapid SOS connectivity.
- The WanderSafe Beacon (and Shakti): Smart hardware featuring a 140db siren, high-lumen strobe, and a silent SOS button that geo-locates you to your trusted contacts.
- Our Safety Intelligence Platform designed to assist companies, campuses and travel managers with the challenges of duty of care compliance and rapid response.
If you believe that everyone has the right to travel without fear, join us. **Download the WanderSafe App** today, or contact us to bring our **Enterprise Solutions** to your workforce.
We are back. And we are just getting started.
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Sources:
- Moodie Davitt Report. "Stephenie Rodriguez's miraculous journey." MoodieDavittReport.com, 2023.
- The Global Fund. "Our Champions: Stephenie Rodriguez." TheGlobalFund.org, 2024.
- TEDx. "How I met my best friend | Stephenie Rodriguez." YouTube, 2022.
Stay safe. Stay informed. Stay connected.