Raquel Brule de Lavandeyra

As a world traveler, Raquel Brule's experience ranges from advertising and marketing to finance. Although she continues to visit cities around the globe, the married mother of two currently lives in the Dominican Republic, where her endeavors include the education and health of underprivileged children near her home. Raquel Brule combines her zest for travel, distinctive local cuisine, and culture in her online guide, Travel with Carnet, which recommends luxury-travel options.

Ms. Brule's undergraduate education was at Boston University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Communications and Criminal Justice. She continued her studies abroad, learning French at the Alliance Francaise in Paris, and culinary skills at a school in Florence, Italy.

Drawing on her travel experience in the United States, Europe, and India, and extensive market research, Ms. Brule created her online guide concept. Visiting different cities in partnership with Eric De Lavandeyra, she investigates shops, restaurants, and hotels to see if they meet the comfort and pleasure of global travelers, predominantly women. The research provides the information for the web site, Ms. Brule co-founded; where fictional travel editor Eva Hamilton-Clarke helps visitors plan multi-faceted cultural walking tours of cities including Los Angeles, Boston, New York, Milan, Amsterdam, and Paris.

During her time in Italy, Raquel Brule became involved in the slow-food movement, which focuses on producing healthy meals from seasonal, local, and environmentally friendly sources, and is in contrast to the popular fast-food industry. Ms. Brule also enjoys sampling cuisine from different countries, which she incorporates into family meals.

In addition to promoting healthy living, Raquel Brule also supports charitable causes, including the education of underprivileged children in her local community. She also has contributed time to a number of other charitable efforts.