From Flight Attendant to Founder: Meet the Woman Who Founded the Company to Make Airport Travel More Accessible for Everyone – Essence

Veronica Woodruff went from flight attendant to founder, founding an revolutionary, technological travel agency Travel assistantwhich provides on-demand airport assistance to those needing additional travel assistance.

For greater than a decade, Woodruff worked as a flight attendant and observed the various obstacles that passengers faced at the airport, especially those with young children. So she decided to try to find an answer.

Her profession thoughts began to change when she met a technology mentor who saw potential in her. “They introduced me to the world of technology, guided me through my first pitching session, and that’s how I got to where I am now, which is my true passion – entrepreneurship.”

During this time, Woodruff was also participating in hackathons and recalled one investor telling her, “It’s time for you to solve your own problem.” Working with what she knew, Woodruff had an epiphany: “Every time I traveled with my little daughter, I spotted it was a struggle for me. There was no specialized service that might meet me and help me at the airport,” she said.

“I remember going to California to visit family and commenced connecting the dots. As a flight attendant, I remember at all times watching moms with young children struggling to board the plane and wondering, “How much has this evolved?”

Woodruff found that seeing people undergo such experiences at the airport and infrequently struggle with their very own problems made her want to do something about it, and that is how this revolutionary Afro-Latina business owner launched Travelsist in 2020.

Since then, Woodruff’s technology efforts have been backed by $1.1 million in enterprise capital, and she or he has participated in accelerators equivalent to J.P. Morgan & Techstars and The Partnership for Southern Equity (PSE) in partnership with Opportunity Collective (ROC) Rockefeller Foundation.

GoDaddy’s Venture Forward research initiative shows that Black women are “the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs, with the number greater than doubling since August 2019. Black women make up a complete of 10% of entrepreneurs surveyed for the latest report, a rise in the variety of Black women by 70% of corporations that began operations before the pandemic.”

Travelsist is a synthetic intelligence (AI)-powered travel companion platform that helps streamline the entire process for those needing extra assistance at the airport, whether it is a family traveling with young children, someone in a wheelchair or someone with special requirements, someone who needs help finding directions, a senior traveler or a VIP traveler. Users can download the app and book an assistant to help them get from the airport to boarding their plane more easily.

“Our mission is to transform the travel technology landscape by using innovative solutions to improve the airport experience and make travel more inclusive,” Woodruff said. “Our main goal is accessibility. We focus on helping people with special or additional needs get through the airport safely, smoothly and on time and ensure their eligibility. With our technology, we are giving the power back so they can enhance and create their own airport experience.”

Travelsist currently serves Atlanta’s Hartsfield Jackson Airport and has plans to expand. For Woodruff, it was necessary to think holistically about her employees and support other women. “We hire in opportunity zones, which is around the airport,” Woodruff said, adding, “and most of our employees are single mothers,” she says.

“The airport provides one in all the safest environments for people to work. It also provides the most jobs in any city, and we offer women with flexible, protected and competitive work options. What’s more, they meet people from throughout the world.