Founding Family
The barrio known as Manganagua, Santo Domingo, is home to the Muñoz family who emigrated from the barrio over 35 years ago in hopes of finding the American Dream.
Today, the founding family resides in Methuen, MA. UWander was created as an ode to the barrio. As a family, our intention is for every client to feel the love and warmth of our culture and family.
Self-Reflection
We promote self-reflection and discovery by centering cultural wisdom, storytelling and personal gifts.
Community
We inspire communal healing and personal liberation by prioritizing BIPOC people and their cultures.
Wellness
We believe our BIPOC community deserves to be well and wealthy. We aim to connect mind, body and soul.
Dream it.
Every journey begins with an idea.
In 2014, UWander was founded by Wanny Muñoz and her family as a program of a local nonprofit, Chica Project, in Massachusetts. What started as a vision to connect communities through service and cultural exchange quickly became something more.
The first application cycle launched in November 2014, and by April 2015, the founding cohort of six participants embarked on UWander’s first service trip to the Dominican Republic. Four members of that cohort returned for a second year, helping to build the foundation of UWander’s first advisory board.
From the very beginning, UWander was rooted in leadership, connection, and the belief that immersive experiences can transform lives.
Build it.
As the community grew, so did the impact.
UWander’s second cohort of 15 participants led the organization’s first empowerment conference, reaching over 170 students at a public school in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. This experience became UWander’s signature program blending leadership development, cultural exchange, and community engagement.
By 2018, UWander expanded its curriculum to serve both young women and young men, reaching over 250 students in a single year.
What began as a service trip evolved into a platform for empowerment, education, and meaningful cross-cultural connection.
Grow it.
With momentum came expansion.
UWander’s signature program grew into multiple trips per year, partnering with four schools across the Dominican Republic and serving over 600 students by 2019.
After five years of impact and learning, Wanny and her family made the decision to invest in the future by establishing UWander as an independent entity, UWander, Inc.
Rooted in a deep personal connection to the Dominican Republic, UWander offers experiences grounded in authenticity, cultural understanding, and community partnership.
Return to Self.
As UWander grew outward, something else began to emerge, a call to turn inward.
After years of building community through service and cultural exchange, Wanny’s journey expanded into wellness, creating spaces for reflection, healing, and reconnection. This next chapter brings UWander back to its core belief: that caring for others begins with caring for ourselves.
In 2022, that vision took physical form with the acquisition of Casa Rio Rosa in Lebanon, Connecticut. More than a retreat space, Casa Rio Rosa is deeply personal. Named in honor of Wanny’s grandmother, Rosario, it carries forward a legacy of warmth, generosity, and community. Known for her open door and giving spirit, Rosario created spaces where people felt welcomed, nourished, and cared for, a tradition that lives on through Casa Rio Rosa.
Today, UWander’s work lives both locally and through retreats at Casa Rio Rosa — offering yoga, meditation, and wellness experiences designed to help people slow down, reconnect with their bodies, and find balance in their everyday lives. What began as a journey across countries has become a journey within. One that continues to bring people together through service, healing, and community.
Our Past Partners:
