About Us. Learn about Jen and Joannie here.
Joannie is originally from Canada and moved to Carrillo 8 years ago, after 20 years as a chef living all over the world, working and owning small restaurants all the way up to large hotels, as well as a 12 years at a forklift company on Toronto as National Logistics Manager and National Projects Manager. A successful entrepreneur and business owner here in Samara, she knows the ins and outs of dealing with property issues and working within Costa Rican business laws that are continuously changing. She is very committed to the betterment of the local people and does a lot of charity work around the area such as fundraising for locals affected by natural disasters. She loves to be part of the Samara Players Community Theater. She is fluent in Spanish, French, and English.
Joannie’s favourite thing to do in Samara is to teach the local children how to bake.
Jen Thompson studied Environmental Science at the University of New Hampshire and then moved on to working for the State of New Hampshire for 5 years as a Project Manager for remediation of contaminated sites (groundwater), Geographic Information Specialist, and as an initial responder for large-scale oil spills on Great Bay. She has been involved in and has experience with septic design, pool health inspections, and large scale storm-water management projects. Prior to attending UNH, she spent four years as a farmer. She has also owns a business in alternative healing, massage, & more since starting her studies at 16 years old.
She moved to Costa Rica in 2012 from New Hampshire, where she came to surf and travel. She then started her own business in her prior expertise, yoga and bodywork and other Holistic Health practices. Since then she has become deeply involved in the Samara community where she fell in love and started a family with a local Costa Rican. Her daughter is now 5 years old and she is fluent in Spanish and English. She loves to meet new people and enjoy a good laugh with friends and enjoy the amazing synchronicities that happens here. She loves to be outside, surf, meditate, and do yoga. And she loves caring for people, their children, and their other babies (their properties! :))