Travelist
Veronica Woodruff is a flight attendant turned founder who founded Travelsist, an innovative technology travel company that provides on-demand airport support to people who need extra help while traveling.
Woodruff worked as a flight attendant for more than 10 years and observed the many obstacles passengers faced at airports, especially those with small children, so she decided to find a solution.
Her perspective on her career began to change after she met tech mentors who saw potential in her: “They introduced me to the tech world and led my first presentation sessions. That's what got me to where I am today, which is my true passion – entrepreneurship.”
At the time, Woodruff was also participating in hackathons, and recalled an investor telling her, “It's time to solve your own problem.” Using her knowledge, Woodruff had an idea: “Every time I traveled with my young daughter, I realized it was a big challenge for me. There was no dedicated service that would pick me up at the airport and help me,” she said.
“I remember traveling to California to visit family and the dots started to connect. When I was a flight attendant I would always see mothers with small children struggling to board planes and I remember thinking how far this has come.”
Woodruff said seeing people have these experiences at airports, and often struggling with it herself, inspired her to do something, which is what inspired the innovative Afro-Latina business owner to start Travelsist in 2020.
Since then, Woodruff's tech efforts have received $1.1 million in venture capital funding, and she has participated in accelerators including JPMorgan & Techstars and The Partnership for Southern Equity (PSE), in conjunction with the Rockefeller Foundation's Opportunity Collective (ROC).
According to GoDaddy's Venture Forward research initiative, Black women “are the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs, more than doubling since August 2019. Black women made up 10% of entrepreneurs surveyed in the latest report, representing a 70% increase in the number of Black women-owned businesses founded pre-pandemic.”
Travelsist is an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered travel companion platform that makes the airport process smoother for people who need a little extra help: families with young children, people in wheelchairs, people with special needs, people who need help getting directions, senior travelers, VIP travelers, etc. Users can download the app and book an assistant that will help them navigate more easily from the airport drop-off to boarding the plane.
“Our mission is to transform the landscape of travel technology by leveraging innovative solutions to enhance the airport experience and make travel more inclusive,” said Woodruff. “Our primary focus is accessibility. We are focused on helping people with special needs or special assistance get through the airport safely, seamlessly and on time. Through our technology, we are elevating their airport experience and giving the power back to them to create their own unique experience.”
Travelist currently serves Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, with plans for expansion. For Woodruff, it was essential to think holistically about its workforce and support other women. “We hire within opportunity zones, which are the areas surrounding airports,” Woodruff said, adding, “Most of our contract employees are single mothers.”
“Airports are one of the safest environments for workers. They also offer the most jobs in their cities, providing women with flexible, safe and competitive work options, while also giving them the opportunity to meet people from all over the world.”
