Cara Whitehill | Operating Partner
Thayer Investment Partners

World Aviation Festival Day 1 @ 16:05

Start-Up Pitch Competition: Join us to hear from some of the most exciting start-ups disrupting the industry.

Finalists announced in August.

Kevin Kleist, Head of Emerging Trends, Southwest Airlines

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Kevin Kleist / Start-Up Pitch Competition: Join us to hear from some of the most exciting start-ups disrupting the industry.

Kevin Kleist, Head of Emerging Trends,
Southwest Airlines

As a dynamic and motivated leader with a passion for exploring the emerging tech and startup landscape, Kevin is helping to drive change within the airline by exposing the company to new and emerging technologies that will help solve for the unique challenges that face the airline today and in the...

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Suzanna Chiu, Head of Amadeus Ventures, Amadeus

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Suzanna Chiu / Start-Up Pitch Competition: Join us to hear from some of the most exciting start-ups disrupting the industry.

Suzanna Chiu, Head of Amadeus Ventures,
Amadeus

Suzanna is the Head of Amadeus Ventures, the start-up investment program of Amadeus IT Group.  Amadeus Ventures focuses on finding early stage start-ups sitting at the crossroad of technology and travel.  The program not only provides funding but also customer reach and industry expertise. Suzanna...

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Martin Beitia, Head of Innovation, Design and research, IBERIA

Nik Munaretto, Managing Director, Austria, Plug and Play Ventures

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Nik Munaretto / Start-Up Pitch Competition: Join us to hear from some of the most exciting start-ups disrupting the industry.

Nik Munaretto, Managing Director, Austria,
Plug and Play Ventures

Nik Munaretto is the Managing Director of Plug and Play Austria and leads the firm’s Travel & Aviation EMEA vertical. Plug and Play, headquartered in Silicon Valley, is the world’s most active early-stage venture capital firm - investing in 200–250 startups annually and connecting over 550...

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Cara Whitehill, Operating Partner, Thayer Investment Partners

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Cara Whitehill / Start-Up Pitch Competition: Join us to hear from some of the most exciting start-ups disrupting the industry.

Cara Whitehill, Operating Partner,
Thayer Investment Partners

As a long-time operating exec, startup advisor, investor and road warrior, Cara is actively involved in numerous corners of the travel tech industry. As Operating Partner at Thayer Investment Partners, the leading travel technology venture capital firm, she leads partnership and business...

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Moderator: Irra Ariella Khi, Chief Executive Officer, Zamna

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Irra Ariella Khi / Start-Up Pitch Competition: Join us to hear from some of the most exciting start-ups disrupting the industry.

Irra Ariella Khi, Chief Executive Officer,
Zamna

Irra Ariella Khi is a tech entrepreneur and CEO of Zamna AI, the company transforming how digital identity is verified in aviation. Under her leadership, Zamna AI is redefining airport security infrastructure for airlines and governments, automating the clearance of passengers against travel rules...

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World Aviation Festival Day 2 @ 16:30

Investor Panel – Where are we placing our next big bets?

·       Which areas of aviation are most in need of disruptive innovation, and where do we see the greatest potential for transformation?

·       The evolving role of VCs and CVCs - what’s working, and what’s still missing?

·       Frameworks to spot startups solving critical industry challenges

·       Essentials of effective airline-startup collaboration – what defines a successful corporate partnership?

·       How are we navigating investments amid geopolitical shifts, economic uncertainty, and changing trade dynamics

Suzanna Chiu, Head of Amadeus Ventures, Amadeus

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Suzanna Chiu / Investor Panel – Where are we placing our next big bets?

Suzanna Chiu, Head of Amadeus Ventures,
Amadeus

Suzanna is the Head of Amadeus Ventures, the start-up investment program of Amadeus IT Group.  Amadeus Ventures focuses on finding early stage start-ups sitting at the crossroad of technology and travel.  The program not only provides funding but also customer reach and industry expertise. Suzanna...

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Amy Burr, President, JetBlue Ventures

Nichola Bates, CEO, Boeing Aerospace Xelerated

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Nichola Bates / Investor Panel – Where are we placing our next big bets?

Nichola Bates, CEO,
Boeing Aerospace Xelerated

Nichola Bates Managing Partner at Aerospace Xelerated and Head of Global Accelerators and Innovation Programs, at Boeing   Nichola joined Boeing following a decade-long career working with early stage and scaling startups, where she championed the role of the SME to government, particularly in...

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Raza Ali, Vice President - Innovation, IAGi

Vicki Nakata, Airline Venture CEO, Alaska Airlines / UP.Labs

Cara Whitehill, Operating Partner, Thayer Investment Partners

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Cara Whitehill / Investor Panel – Where are we placing our next big bets?

Cara Whitehill, Operating Partner,
Thayer Investment Partners

As a long-time operating exec, startup advisor, investor and road warrior, Cara is actively involved in numerous corners of the travel tech industry. As Operating Partner at Thayer Investment Partners, the leading travel technology venture capital firm, she leads partnership and business...

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Moderator: Matthew Ridley, Director of Sustainability and Innovation, oneworld alliance