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Karee Upendo is our Head Inn Keeper and Owner.  She is an artistic humanist and The Upendo Lodge Estates visionary & treehouse designer & architect. She teaches workshops such as pine needle basketry, bee keeping, monarch butterfly observation tours and custom curates the picnic baskets. She is an artistic visionary that decided to move 900 miles away from Wisconsin because she seen the vision for "The Upendo Lodge Estates". She is an organizational specialist who has spent her career studying entrepreneurship and art.  She is best known for her work in fashion design, art therapy, Author, serial Entrepreneur and at risk Youth Educator. She brings experience in leading research teams, organizing workshops, conferences and professional development activities to the project. She has been part of an advisory groups for a large projects to collect panel data on the entrepreneurial process, and has held editorial roles for several leading journals. She is the Co-founder of Build-A-Bow a social retail based business as well as the Upendo Library a publishing hub for African American books. She has won several prestigious awards for her work in entrepreneurship, philanthropy and community engagement.

Heidi is our customer service side of our team. She understands the importance of creating memories with loved ones as she is family focused herself. Her passion includes exploring new places whether it's a day trip or extended stay, reading, nature walking, shopping, crafting. You can see some of her artwork throughout the property  and other touches of colors surrounding the treehouses.  Her smile and laughter is contagious. She takes pride in making sure your accommodations meet your needs and she is available during your stay and she will greet so you can focus on creating a magical and unforgettable moment she believes are timeless treasures of the heart.

Aven is our insect inthusiast, he loves to explore, play and admire nature. He is also a published Author of the book titled " Poke Shake Tilt" . Aven custom makes insect taxidermy cubes, where he preserves nature and insects within resin. These cubes can be purchased in our gift shop. ( no insects are harmed, all bugs used are found deceased) 

Asher loves to play with the chickens, cook in the kitchen and play outside all day. He loves nature hikes, looking for rocks & exploring and meeting people. Some of the beautiful crystals and rose quartz he has found can be found near the pond. 

Alex is ourJr. Grounds maintenance, as well as our amphibian expert. He has extensive knowledge in frogs. He created the estates very own frog pond, that ecologically cultivates flora and houses 4 different species of frogs and toads. Our natural pond is a favorite feature as you're sure to see baby frogs jump out of the water when getting near it. Alex is no stranger to business, at the age of 9 he created a national brand named " Build-A-Bow". He is a published Author, Emmy award winner, Guinness world record title holder amongst several other prestigious awards. Alex is a advocate for mental health awareness and humanitarian. To learn more about him, you can check out his website here www.buildabowbyalex.com or search him on Google! 

Avery is an all around outdoorsman. He has background in working in national tree parks and animal shops. He is the Lodges ground keeper, maintaining all things from yard work to creating hiking trails. Avery loves to be outside. Looking for a piece of commission woodwork? Click the woodworking tab & connect with us! He loves to work with his hands.