Stella Yao grew up in the Shanghai area in China. She moved to the U.S. for college and currently keeps a mailbox in New York City. Since she started travelling at the beginning of 2024, she’s been calling the entire world home – as if meant to be: her Chinese name Yu-Fan means feather and sailing boat.
Animals have always been a big part of Stella’s story. Holding a bachelor’s degree in Animal Sciences from Cornell University, she has spent years working in animal welfare NGOs, wildlife rehabilitation centers, and animal shelters across the U.S., China, and Africa. That’s taken her from implementing whale and shark conservation programs in Washington, D.C., to diving with marine scientists to collect data on sharks and rays in Mozambique, to rehabilitating pangolins and vervet monkeys in Malawi.
Before working on expedition cruises, Stella spent several years as an investment analyst in the impact and sustainable investing space for a few years. But eventually the call to travel, be outside, and get closer to nature got too loud to ignore. She found her way into expedition life, where adventure, wildlife wonder, and connecting with people from all walks of life all come together.
