Jonah Seyum, a 12-year-old globe-trotter, has traveled to 22 countries alongside his mother and co-CEO, Deborah Haile, and has already published six bestselling books. His latest project, The Eri Basketball Boys, co-authored with friends from Eritrea, is set to release later this year. He has a passion for travel and cherishes spending time with his family—especially his parents and his 30 cousins, who are spread across Minneapolis, Atlanta, Orlando, Denver, and Eritrea. Beyond his love for adventure, Jonah enjoys playing basketball and soccer, performing on his violin, and diving into epic Fortnite battles on his PS4. He has a strong affinity for math and history, loves reading books, enjoys learning new languages, and finds joy in listening to music.
Founder and Co-CEO of Tiny Global Footprints, podcaster, and bestselling author, Deborah Haile is a busy working mother committed to seeing the world with her son. She loves seeing the world through his eyes and sharing stories from their travels by writing the Jonah’s Global Footprints book series.
She holds a master’s degree from George Mason University in Virginia and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Minnesota. Deborah is originally from Eritrea but grew up in Minnesota. She is passionate about teaching children about global cultures and wants to help make travel an essential part of every childhood. She plans to publish more books based on different countries she and Jonah visit.
Can you share your professional background?
I was born in Eritrea, but I grew up in Minnesota. I have always appreciated different cultures, stories, and the power of education. After earning my master’s degree from George Mason University and working in public affairs and communications, I realized that one of the most powerful forms of education comes not from textbooks but from real-world experience.
When I became a mother, I wanted my son Jonah to experience the world in a way that would nurture empathy, curiosity, and resilience. What began as personal family travels eventually evolved into Tiny Global Footprints—a platform where we could share those experiences through books, media, and storytelling. Today, my work combines my love of education, cultural exchange, and entrepreneurship in ways I couldn’t have imagined when I first started.
What inspired you to start Tiny Global Footprints and what is the core mission?
Tiny Global Footprints was born from a very simple but powerful idea: travel is the best classroom for children. I wanted to show families, especially those from multicultural and immigrant backgrounds like ours, that real-world exploration could profoundly shape a child’s mind and future.
Our core mission is to inspire children to become global citizens, ignite curiosity about the world, celebrate cultural diversity, and use storytelling as a bridge between different experiences. Through our books, podcasts, and outreach, we hope to make global learning accessible to every child through travel, reading, or education.
Could you share how you entered this field and highlight the key experiences that have informed your strategy for designing impact-driven programs?
When we published our first book, we weren’t thinking like industry insiders—we were simply sharing a story we believed mattered. It was deeply personal, based on real experiences, and written from a place of authenticity. Over time, however, I realized we were stepping into an industry where diverse voices, especially in children’s literature, were still underrepresented. Stories that featured multicultural experiences, cross-cultural learning, and global exploration were rare—and often overlooked in traditional publishing spaces.
That realization shifted our mindset. We weren’t just writers anymore—we were building something bigger: a platform, a brand, and a mission-driven company. We formalized our efforts, treated Tiny Global Footprints like the business it was becoming, and took on co-CEOs’ roles. It wasn’t just about publishing books—it was about creating a sustainable, growing movement to help children around the world learn to see beyond borders, one story at a time.
Can you describe Tiny Global Footprints’ mission?
At its heart, Tiny Global Footprints’ mission is to make global learning and cultural storytelling part of every child’s life. We aim to close the cultural gap that often exists in children’s education by offering books, media, and resources that authentically celebrate diverse experiences.
We aim to solve the problem of limited global representation in children’s media by providing authentic, real-world stories that encourage kids to learn about cultures beyond their own. For customers, parents, educators, and families, we offer tools that make cultural learning engaging, personal, and accessible.
What’s your biggest goal?
Absolutely. Our “big audacious goal” is to build a global education platform where every child—regardless of location—can access real-world cultural learning through books, virtual programs, or travel experiences.
We envision Tiny Global Footprints becoming a cornerstone resource for schools, libraries, and families worldwide who want to raise children with global mindsets, empathy, and a love for lifelong learning.
Could you describe one of Tiny Global Footprints’ boldest impact-driven initiatives and share the inspiration that sparked its creation?
What began as a simple book reading event evolved into a broader effort to inspire and encourage young authors to believe their experiences and voices deserve to be shared. We realized that when children see someone close to their age who has written and published books based on real-life adventures, it helps them dream bigger and tell their own stories.
The inspiration behind this movement has always been to show children that their voices matter, their cultures are valuable, and their stories deserve a place on bookshelves around the world.
What were the biggest challenges you encountered while building Tiny Global Footprints?
One of the biggest challenges was access—getting enough resources, books, and attention into communities where publishing infrastructure is limited. We overcame this by building relationships with the community rather than trying to impose a “top-down” structure. The lesson learned was that community-led impact always creates the most authentic and sustainable results.
How have customers responded to your company?
Our books have been enthusiastically embraced by families, educators, and community organizations. Still, one of our early challenges was visibility—being self-published meant we lacked the built-in brand recognition of major publishing houses. We had to earn trust one reader at a time.
Through word-of-mouth, school visits, and consistent press coverage, we gradually built momentum. Today, our books are read not only across the U.S. but also internationally.
What metrics and outcomes do you use to evaluate both customer and business success for your programs, and can you share examples of the results you’ve achieved?
We measure our success by:
- Sales and Distribution: Our books have now reached readers in over 20 countries, demonstrating that the themes of travel, family, and cultural exploration resonate with a global audience.
- Engagement and Feedback: Reader letters, invitations to speak at events, positive feedback at book events, podcast downloads, and consistent social media engagement all give us qualitative insight into how our work is making an impact. Hearing directly from families and educators who share how our stories have sparked curiosity and conversation is one of the clearest measures of success.
- Press and Media Coverage: Media recognition has played a key role in building credibility. We’ve been fortunate to be featured by outlets like NBC, ABC, BuzzFeed, Travel Noire, and Thrive Global, among others. Each article, feature, and interview helps us reach new communities, strengthens our brand’s trustworthiness, and amplifies Tiny Global Footprints’ core mission.
What strategies do you use to keep your programs both scalable and sustainable over the long term?
Sustainability comes from staying focused on the mission over the trend. We ensure that every new book, podcast episode, or educational partnership relates to our core purpose of inspiring global citizenship through storytelling.
We also reinvest revenue back into new programs and focus on building partnerships with schools, libraries, and organizations that align with our values. Scalability comes from creating replicable models that can be adapted for different regions and communities.
What are the top items you believe need to be done to bring bold ideas to fruition?
- Clarity of Purpose – Know exactly why you are pursuing the idea. When things get tough, your purpose will keep you moving.
- Resilience – You must expect challenges—and push through them without losing momentum.
- Adaptability – Conditions will change. Being able to pivot while staying true to your mission is crucial.
- Community Support – No audacious idea succeeds alone. Building community—whether partners, readers, or supporters—makes impact possible.
- Persistence Over Perfection – Don’t wait for the perfect moment. Launch, learn, and adjust as you go. Our first books weren’t flawless, but they created the foundation for everything that followed.
Who has inspired you in your entrepreneurial journey?
Jonah is one of the biggest inspirations in my journey. Watching the world through his eyes reminded me how powerful curiosity, resilience, and pure joy can be. When we first started traveling, I saw how he embraced every new culture, language, and challenge without fear—something adults often struggle with. Seeing him write his first book and having the courage to share his stories with the world inspired me to push past my own doubts. Jonah has shown me that age doesn’t limit impact. He’s not just my co-author and co-CEO—he’s the reason Tiny Global Footprints exists.
How can our readers learn about you and your books?
You can find us at TinyGlobalFootprints.net and listen to our podcast Global Footprints Stories on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major platforms. We also share travel stories, new book releases, and behind-the-scenes updates on Instagram @tinyglobalfootprints_.
Books:
Connect with us:https://www.facebook.com/jonah_global-1311537829021248
