Stevens News / School of Business News

Giving Remote Work a Whole New Meaning

Two Stevens graduates build a global adventure-travel content creation brand
Two hikers celebrate at the summit of Mt. Bierstadt (14,065 ft) on July 24, 2024, holding a handmade sign reading "Our First 14er — T+C." They smile for a selfie with sweeping Rocky Mountain views behind them.

Sometimes the best adventures begin with the simplest question. A pair of Stevens alums asking themselves, “What else is out there?” sparked a journey they could have never imagined.

Tristan Hollenbaugh '18 and Cara Napolitano '18 recently shared their story with the Stevens community about how they went from living the typical post-graduate life of working during the day and enjoying the Hoboken social scene at night to becoming the conduit for hundreds of thousands of people to enjoy some of the most epic locations on the planet.

The TC Travels brand now features more than 400,000 followers on Instagram (@tc.travels) and nearly 50,000 followers on TikTok (@tc.travels). To date, they’ve visited 40 national parks and traveled through 24 countries. Millions of viewers have enjoyed their adventure-travel content captured across five continents.

“After graduation, we stayed in Hoboken as I feel like a lot of Stevens grads do,” Cara told the students, faculty and staff gathered in Burchard Hall. “We had our whole friend group here. It was basically the same as college, but we had a little bit of money and didn't have homework after work. Our life very much revolved around going out to the same bars, the same restaurants, and doing the same things, and we liked it because that's really all we knew.”

The search for a new hobby led to the idea that changed their lives forever.

“I had the idea of going camping,” Cara recalled. “Neither one of us had ever been camping before, so we literally Googled what to bring.”

Despite pouring rain and 20 minutes of sleep, that first trip was the start of a six-year journey.

“For some reason, we woke up the next day, and we were like, ‘That was awesome. Let's do that again,’" Tristan said.

That first simple camping excursion led to longer and more involved campervan trips. The couple rented a van for a week and drove up the coast of Big Sur in California. The photos they posted from the trip led to their first brand deal, which funded their next year of travel. Now, they’ve partnered with dozens of major brands, including Virgin Voyages, DJI, Cortizone10, Holafly, Club Med and Spirit Airlines.

Among their favorite adventures are their hiking trips. The couple has tackled Alta Via 1 in Italy, Half Dome in California, Angels Landing in Utah, Delta Lake in the Grand Tetons, Havasu Falls in the Grand Canyon, Lake Colchuck in Washington, among many others.

The husband-and-wife team has gone from searching for answers to their travel questions to becoming a destination for others to find them. Through trial and error and without ever being afraid to try new things, Cara and Tristan now offer advice, recommendations, and even curate travel itineraries for their followers.

“It took a while to understand how the business works with influencer marketing,” Tristan said. “But I do think that one video that boosted us from, ‘Oh, this is just a fun hobby,’ to ‘Okay, this is something real,’ And it's an opportunity for us that we have to pursue.”

They fell in love with the lifestyle so much that they are now both “digital nomads,” working full-time jobs remotely while traveling. Cara, who graduated with a bachelor’s in business and technology, is a consultant. Tristan, a mechanical engineering graduate, works in sales for a company that represents manufacturers of commercial HVAC systems in New York City.

The couple has used their engineering, technology and business backgrounds to thrive in the creator space. While not a traditional path for Stevens graduates, their educational experience has helped them grow.

“I think that one of the reasons why we've been so successful is because we have that business attitude towards it, as opposed to just being a creative person,” Tristan said. “We understand that you need to hit your deadlines and you need to stick to your rules that you make for yourself. That’s the way of thinking that we've been wired with over the years, and college was obviously a huge part of that.”

Two hikers hold hands on a rocky summit above a sea of clouds, gazing at a snow-capped mountain peak bathed in soft pink and golden sunset light. One wears a tan backpack and black cap; the other wears a tie-dye hoodie and teal leggings.“We call it the content creator Olympics,” Cara added. “What pivot are we going to need to make today? This sunrise didn't work out the way we needed, but we still have to shoot for this deliverable. What can we do instead? It’s just constantly trying to figure out a solution when things are going wrong and being able to figure that out very quickly and under pressure."

For people who have been around the world and had experiences many only dream of, Tristan and Cara still enjoy coming home to Hoboken.

“We still spend time in Hoboken,” Tristan said. “We walk through campus, and we're like, ‘We miss this.’ Getting to come back to campus is such a privilege for us, and is something that honestly just makes us happy.”

“We met here, so it'll always hold such a special place in our hearts,” Cara said. “We literally have Stevens to thank for basically our entire life.”

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TC Travel Adventures

A couple exchanges vows during an outdoor wedding ceremony beneath a pine tree, with the dramatic snow-capped Grand Teton peak rising behind them. The bride wears a flowing white gown and veil; the groom wears a dark burgundy suit.
A couple holds hands while standing on tiered travertine waterfalls with vivid turquoise pools cascading down red sandstone canyon walls. Bright green trees contrast against the warm rust-colored rock in what appears to be Havasupai Falls, Arizona.
Two people hold hands while walking across vast white gypsum sand dunes, appearing small against the sweeping landscape. Blue mountain ranges stretch across the horizon under a clear sky, likely White Sands National Park, New Mexico.
Two hikers wade hand-in-hand through shallow green water between towering smooth sandstone canyon walls, with red rock formations and trees visible ahead. The dramatic slot canyon is likely The Narrows in Zion National Park, Utah.
A couple walks hand-in-hand through sagebrush at sunset, both wearing cowboy hats. A historic wooden barn and the Grand Teton mountain range glow in warm golden light behind them, likely Mormon Row in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.
Two people in winter gear hold hands while walking down a snow-covered road toward a breathtaking aurora borealis display of green, pink, and purple lights swirling across a starry night sky, framed by dark silhouetted pine trees.
Two hikers in orange and red jackets sit together on a rocky cliff edge, embracing as they overlook a stunning river valley flanked by vibrant autumn foliage in orange, yellow, and green.
A couple exchanges vows during an outdoor wedding ceremony beneath a pine tree, with the dramatic snow-capped Grand Teton peak rising behind them. The bride wears a flowing white gown and veil; the groom wears a dark burgundy suit.
A couple holds hands while standing on tiered travertine waterfalls with vivid turquoise pools cascading down red sandstone canyon walls. Bright green trees contrast against the warm rust-colored rock in what appears to be Havasupai Falls, Arizona.
Two people hold hands while walking across vast white gypsum sand dunes, appearing small against the sweeping landscape. Blue mountain ranges stretch across the horizon under a clear sky, likely White Sands National Park, New Mexico.
Two hikers wade hand-in-hand through shallow green water between towering smooth sandstone canyon walls, with red rock formations and trees visible ahead. The dramatic slot canyon is likely The Narrows in Zion National Park, Utah.
A couple walks hand-in-hand through sagebrush at sunset, both wearing cowboy hats. A historic wooden barn and the Grand Teton mountain range glow in warm golden light behind them, likely Mormon Row in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.
Two people in winter gear hold hands while walking down a snow-covered road toward a breathtaking aurora borealis display of green, pink, and purple lights swirling across a starry night sky, framed by dark silhouetted pine trees.
Two hikers in orange and red jackets sit together on a rocky cliff edge, embracing as they overlook a stunning river valley flanked by vibrant autumn foliage in orange, yellow, and green.
A couple exchanges vows during an outdoor wedding ceremony beneath a pine tree, with the dramatic snow-capped Grand Teton peak rising behind them. The bride wears a flowing white gown and veil; the groom wears a dark burgundy suit.
A couple holds hands while standing on tiered travertine waterfalls with vivid turquoise pools cascading down red sandstone canyon walls. Bright green trees contrast against the warm rust-colored rock in what appears to be Havasupai Falls, Arizona.
Two people hold hands while walking across vast white gypsum sand dunes, appearing small against the sweeping landscape. Blue mountain ranges stretch across the horizon under a clear sky, likely White Sands National Park, New Mexico.
Two hikers wade hand-in-hand through shallow green water between towering smooth sandstone canyon walls, with red rock formations and trees visible ahead. The dramatic slot canyon is likely The Narrows in Zion National Park, Utah.
A couple walks hand-in-hand through sagebrush at sunset, both wearing cowboy hats. A historic wooden barn and the Grand Teton mountain range glow in warm golden light behind them, likely Mormon Row in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.
Two people in winter gear hold hands while walking down a snow-covered road toward a breathtaking aurora borealis display of green, pink, and purple lights swirling across a starry night sky, framed by dark silhouetted pine trees.
Two hikers in orange and red jackets sit together on a rocky cliff edge, embracing as they overlook a stunning river valley flanked by vibrant autumn foliage in orange, yellow, and green.