The Team

bill-ball

Bill Ball

As the founder and president of Passport Travel & Tours, Bill Ball has led educational tours around the globe for two decades. He has brought groups to all seven continents, over 120 countries, all 50 states, and a multitude of cities, national parks, villages, and wilderness areas. Bill's goal is to blend history, nature, culture, and politics with entertainment. He has spoken throughout the Midwest on topics ranging from education to tourism and on travel destinations from Australia to Zimbabwe. Bill has college degrees in Wildlife Biology and Political Science with a focus on international relations. His passion for travel and education fed the seed that was planted by one of his travelers who said ”You should film these tours for television," and Journeys in India was born. With each episode, Bill educates the viewer about different aspects of this amazing country. Bill continues his touring providing boutique travel experiences for those fortunate enough to travel with Passport Travel & Tours.

jodi-hopps

Jodie Hopps

Jodie has experience in a variety of fields including education, retail, and publication. As the Operations Manager for over 20 years with Passport Travel, she was responsible for all aspects of tour arrangement in over 120 countries and all 7 continents. Through her work, Jodie has been fortunate enough to travel around the world. As the idea for Journeys in India was conceived, she was instrumental in organizing, writing and producing each episode. In the field, Jodie is a director, script supervisor and host wrangler. Back in the office, she reviews all edits and final voice-overs. Jodie’s love of India is evident throughout the series.

Speaking Engagements

Bill can be a knock-out speaker at your important function. He will tailor his talk to your group’s needs, its interests or theme. Both motivational and informative, Bill has spoken before groups of all types lacing his talks with humor and real-life experiences. Who else has been punched by a wild gorilla (in a very private area, no less), had a tapir (a South American relative of the rhino) fall in love with him, run up to a lion and swam with sharks? Or, who has faced deadly floods, out of control wildfires and coups? Bill has led tours to all seven continents, over 125 countries and all 50 states. He knows the politics, people, architecture, culture, and wildlife. He can talk on a wide range of topics from travel to conservation, from culture to the wonders of the world and from world politics to how the average person lives. He can give motivational speeches or world business talks for a business luncheon. He will inspire and entertain.