Djoko Kusumowidagdo, MBA and Elly Tjahja

The founding of Outward Bound Indonesia was no coincidence. Djoko Kusumowidagdo, MBA is a Tegal native, a small city in Central Java, born in 1948. He’s always been the sporty, outdoors and adventurous type since his years living in a boarding school in junior high school. Almost every week, Djoko and his friends hiked the mountains near the school. The experience drew him close to nature in the most subliminal way. Throughout his life he has always been involved in outdoor activities as much as he is an avid tennis enthusiast. Djoko and Elly met in 1968 at the University in Bandung, West Java during the freshmen initiation. A few months later, Djoko moved away to USA to finish his Chemistry degree at Portland State University. Djoko and Elly kept in touch for four years until they got married in 1974, a year before he got his MBA degree at the same University. Djoko and Elly’s true adventure together began when they traveled in their VW beetle and camped across America from coast to coast for 45 days. They started from the west coast to the east; from US Glacier National Park in Montana to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, to Mount Rushmore National Park in South Dakota all the way to the White House in Washington and back again. Needless to say it was a once in lifetime experience for the young couple. Djoko and Elly’s passion for adventure and outdoor became the ignition to the search of Outward Bound, but their vision to inspire people in discovering their potential and developing character were the fuel to founding Outward Bound Indonesia. Djoko sat in the Outward Bound International Board for three years until the end of 2007 and since the beginning of 2008 has sat in the Global Advisory Council.