The Hostel:Northampton Project is:

Jeanine Dargis: Ever since debuting her only-half-kidding childhood idea of starting JeanineCo, a company that makes everything except for kitchen sinks at age 8, Jeanine always knew that she wanted to run a business one day. Thankfully, her ideas have scaled back a bit in scope and gotten a little less megalomaniacal in nature. Upon graduation from Hampshire College in 2006, Jeanine has spent most of her postgraduation years in the Valley, working as an office manager, photographer, farmer, baker, and graphic designer, though (mostly) not at the same time.

Wendy Messerli: Wendy Messerli: In 2003 Wendy relocated from Central Connecticut to attend Hampshire College in the Pioneer Valley and has found herself here since. She currently resides in Northampton and is repeatedly amazed by it's magic. Between boughts of travel she can be found taking photographs, drawing, cooking, Dj'ing at a local radio station, staring longingly at buildings or exploring your basement. She works as a bookkeeper at a local family owned print shop and has learned a great deal about the ins and outs of small businesses.

Rich Droser: Despite growing up a city boy in Boston and New York, Rich has found himself at home here in the Valley, working in the Social Thought and Political Economy Program at UMASS, and has been in the area since 2003. When not riding a bike or cooking, Rich is often found on the pool deck at the local YMCA coaching the Age Group swim team, but has also been spotted working for a local sugar shack, and is usually plotting the next way to travel, but always with an eye on returning home to Northampton, the Valley's true Paradise City.

Dena Marger: Dena Marger has been a reference librarian at a variety of academic institutions over the past ten years. A love of travel, the hostel experience/lifestyle, and the Pioneer Valley brought her to the Entrepreneurial Certificate Program at Greenfield Community College, in order to begin turn the idea for a hostel in the Pioneer Valley into a reality for the backpackers of the world. Her ability to compile and organize information as well as interpret and help solve information needs will enable her to provide the kind of personalized local travel information that will greatly enhance the hosteling experience for travelers visiting the Valley.