Team
As CEO, Amy shapes JBV’s investment strategy and leads the successful integration of startups into innovation initiatives.
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"Travel is such big part of today’s world, yet most people hate the process of actually getting from A to B. My desire is to remove pain points and improve the process through innovation so the travel experience isn’t just the destination but includes the full journey. The opportunity to improve the quality of people’s lives is enormous.”
As CEO, Amy leads the investment strategy at JetBlue Ventures and oversees the integration of successful startup technologies into the innovation initiatives of JBV’s partners. She has been with JBV since 2018 as the Managing Director of Operations and Partnerships, where she built an ecosystem of partners and deployment opportunities for the many technologies of JBV’s portfolio companies.
Amy caught the startup bug from joining Virgin America in 2004 as one of the original founders of the company. She worked in various roles over her tenure at VX in areas of strategy, corporate program leadership, commercial and revenue development, and technology areas including eCommerce, reservations systems and guest products. She ended her time with the company as the Virgin America leader of the integration of the merger with Alaska Airlines. Amy came to Virgin America after working at Continental Airlines in revenue management and corporate development. Amy earned her MBA from Moore School of Business at University of South Carolina and a BS in Applied Health Sciences from American University in Washington DC.
Jetting Personal
Favorite travel memory: “My husband and I visit St. Thomas often. On one of our first trips we took a ferry to St. John and hiked from the docks up into the hills, ending at an amazingly beautiful beach. The hike took us through some ruins, and to the top of the island with spectacular views. Arriving down at the beach and spending the afternoon relaxing in the gorgeous water after the tough hike just capped off one of my favorite days.”
JetBlue destination she’d like to visit next: Lima, Peru
Recent Perspectives
Best practices in corporate venture capital
Introducing our Platform
Navigating after takeoff: What startups should know
Stride: Your metasearch for adventurous multi-day tours
Blockchain for travel? Here’s what we explored at our inaugural summit.
Reflecting on the launch of our international partnership program
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Arielle is responsible for overall company strategy, capital solutions planning, and supports portfolio companies with monetization strategies.
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"Tomorrow's travelers won't just visit places; they'll experience them through technologies and perspectives we can barely imagine today, making every journey a gateway to wonder."
Arielle has held a number of executive roles across the travel and transportation industry over the past 18 years. She has been CFO of Northvolt N.A. and Ohmium International. Arielle was also Senior Vice President, Head of Capital Markets and Strategic Finance at BBAM, an alternative asset manager with $20 billion of AUM. She started her career at Citi Investment Banking in the Global Industrials Group focusing on travel and transportation. Arielle has raised over $4 billion of public and private equity, structured and closed $10+ billion of debt, managed and sold a public company, and completed $11+ billion of M&A transactions.
Arielle graduated magna cum laude from Dartmouth College with an A.B. in Government. She lives with her husband and daughter in San Francisco.
Stephen’s role is to build an ecosystem of partners and deployment opportunities for portfolio companies.
“COVID-19 accelerated disruption in the travel and hospitality industries. Beyond needing to overcome short-term challenges like those related to health and safety, it placed a renewed focus on building sustainable travel businesses. I’m excited to help define the future of travel, working to diversify and accelerate revenue generation and integrate game-changing cost-saving solutions.”
As our Managing Director of Operations & Partnerships, Stephen’s role is to build an ecosystem of partners and deployment opportunities for the many technologies of JBV’s portfolio companies. He focuses on advancing innovation thinking and compelling value propositions throughout our partners. Stephen joined JBV from JetBlue where he spent time on the airline’s Strategic Planning team. He holds an MBA in entrepreneurial management from the Wharton School and also earned an MA from the University of Pennsylvania and a BA from the University of Michigan.
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Ryan Chou leads the investment team, bringing extensive VC experience to drive industry innovation.
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“The world of travel is vast and begging for disruptive technologies. I am very excited to join a team making an impact and at the forefront of this movement.”
As the Managing Director of Investments at JBV, Ryan is responsible for sourcing, evaluating,negotiating, structuring, and closing venture investments. He also leads the investment team, focusing on a wide range of technologies, from enterprise software platforms to mobility innovations. Prior to joining JetBlue Ventures, Ryan held several investment roles. He was a Director at Cryptic Labs where he focused on security and Web3. At Pegasus Tech Ventures he invested across consumer tech and enterprise SaaS. Ryan holds an MBA from Cornell and a B.S. from Arizona State University.
Jetting Personal
Favorite travel memory: “Scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef is by far my favorite travel moment. Being it was my first time scuba diving, I was limited by the number of times I could dive, but the experience was phenomenal. I was lucky enough to meet “Crush” and “Nemo” during my time there!”
JetBlue Destination he’d like to visit next: Lima, Peru.
Jennifer advances innovative thinking and startup solutions through our partnership program.
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“The nature of travel is changing, it’s in a period of transition through technologies, availability and capability. It’s changing the way we think of travel, look at travel and the way we use travel. I’m thrilled to be a part of the team helping to innovate and bring creative solutions to the travel and hospitality industry.”
In her role as Operations Principal, Jennifer is responsible for advancing innovative thinking and startup solutions through JBV’s signature innovation programming. Jennifer has over twenty years experience in the airline industry, beginning her career at Continental Airlines before transitioning to JetBlue in 2005. Jennifer has a Bachelor’s degree in Management from the University of Houston.
Jetting Personal
Favorite travel memory: “My favorite travel memory was a trip to Israel. One of our first stops was spending the day at the Dead Sea, we also visited numerous historical sites in the holy city of Jerusalem and finally ended our trip in Tel Aviv where we enjoyed walking around the city and relaxed at the beach.”
JetBlue destination she’d like to visit next: Lima, Peru
Stefan works to source, conduct due diligence and analysis of potential JBV investments.
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“There are incredibly large moments in life that are made possible by the magic of travel. The opportunity to work at the forefront of innovation and technology to help continue to create connections and exploration is truly motivating.”
Stefan Sandoval is a Senior Investment Associate with JetBlue Ventures focused on B2B Enterprise Software, Travel/Aviation, and ClimateTech. Prior to JBV, Stefan was an investor at Bright Ventures and Mendoza Ventures. He worked in options and derivatives at Bank of America and helped implement two financial technology products into the bank platform. Stefan received an MBA from Yale and a B.S. from Boston College.
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Anna drives the firm's internal & external communications strategy via social media, newsletters, and blogs while also supporting portfolio companies.
“There is so much opportunity for technology to completely change what travel will look like in the future.”
As the Communications & Marketing Specialist, Anna helps support JetBlue Ventures’ (JBV) internal and external communications through social media, newsletters, and blog posts – as well as providing marketing and communications support to JBV’s portfolio companies. Prior to JBV, Anna worked in digital and email marketing. She graduated from the University of Washington, where she received her B.A. in Marketing and Finance.
Eliza analyzes opportunities and conducts due diligence on emerging companies in the travel, hospitality, and aviation industry.
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“The aviation industry has empowered individuals to aspire for greater achievements, explore new horizons, and deepen their understanding of the world’s vastness. However, it is essential to acknowledge that aircrafts contribute significantly to CO2 emissions, underscoring the imperative for entrepreneurs, policymakers, and investors to take action and seek scalable solutions.”
Eliza sits on the investment team, where she analyzes opportunities and conducts due diligence on emerging companies in the travel, hospitality, and aviation industry. Her primary interests revolve around sustainability in the aviation sector and disruptive technologies in that field. Previously, Eliza worked as an investment banking analyst at Nomura Greentech, providing strategic and financial support to companies in the cleantech industry, particularly focusing on advanced transportation, hydrogen, and energy software companies. In addition to her role at Nomura Greentech, Eliza also served as an investment banking analyst at 7 Mile Advisors, a boutique investment bank specializing in IT & Software Services, and worked at Goldman Sachs in the Private Wealth Management division in San Francisco. Eliza holds a B.S. in Economics with a concentration in Finance from Drexel University.
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France is responsible for the day-to-day operations of managing the office.
“By making a commitment to preserving the Earth’s natural resources, we can create a lasting change in the environment. As a supporter of this environmental and social movement, the travel industry’s improvements in sustainability and protection continue to be meaningful to me.”
France is responsible for the day-to-day operations of managing the office. This includes facilitating communications between various departments, planning collaborative events, and organizing volunteer service projects with partners and affiliates. Prior to joining the company, she worked in various fields such as business operations, communications, and strategic marketing at Oracle Corporation, Entera, Chaincast Networks, and Davis Wick Consulting. France earned a B.S. in Economics from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.