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This past October, the JetBlue Ventures (JBV) team hosted its second annual Sustainability in Travel Summit in San Francisco. This event brought together industry leaders, experts, and change-makers to discuss solutions to today’s challenges and ways to shape a more sustainable future.
Why do we run it?
As a subsidiary of JetBlue, our mission is to invest in and partner with startups shaping the future of travel technology. We aim to invest in JetBlue’s innovative future by building relationships with startups in the travel and hospitality sectors. Our team focuses on five major investment themes, with sustainability being one of them.
To support JetBlue’s sustainability strategy and targets, JBV invests in advanced technologies that measure and reduce emissions, enhance environmental protections, and promote game-changing transportation powered by alternative propulsion systems.
To date, we’ve made ten investments in sustainability tech and three in related sustainability technologies, with more to come! Hosting the Sustainability in Travel Summit allows us to gather industry leaders and tackle the most intriguing challenges and issues facing the travel, aviation, and hospitality industries, reinforcing our position as thought leaders.
Who was there?
The summit featured an all-star lineup of speakers, including some of the most innovative and insightful minds in the sustainable travel industry, along with leaders in the travel, venture capital, and startup spaces. Notably, we had strong representation from JetBlue, with Sara Bogdan (Director, Head of Sustainability and ESG), Bella Horstmann (Senior Analyst, Sustainability & ESG), Chris Lum (Director, System Chief Pilot), and Jeffrey Goodell (VP Government & Airport Affairs) participating.
We also had representation from several startups in our portfolio, including Nate Millecam from EPS, Matt Cox from Beacon AI, Mark Pahl from Tomorrow.io, Ben Stone from Avnos, and Steve Boyle from Rubicon Carbon. Additionally, we had speakers from SFO Airport, Ferrovial Vertiports, Shell, Goldman Sachs, Amazon Climate Pledge Fund, Airlines for Americas, TPG Rise Climate, and more.
Over 100 attendees joined us for this full-day summit, including representatives from Japan Airlines, Xwing, Greyrock, Airbus, Honda Innovations, United Ventures, and more.
Why attend?
Attendees had the opportunity to learn about the latest sustainability trends, strategies, and technologies through various sessions held throughout the day. Our summit agenda included diverse panels and fireside chats where attendees could hear directly from our speakers. Panel topics covered discussions on current electrification trends, the future of mobility and its impact on sustainable travel, and current trends in sustainability policy. We also hosted fireside chats and keynotes from JetBlue, Amazon Climate Pledge Fund, and Rubicon Carbon.
The event provided a valuable platform for like-minded professionals passionate about sustainability to network and connect. We encouraged attendees to engage in meaningful conversations, share ideas, and learn from a diverse group of sustainability experts.
JetBlue Ventures is grateful for all the speakers, moderators, and event staff who put on such a great event, and to the audience who joined us once again this year! Are you interested in learning more about next year’s event? Sign up for our 2024 waitlist here for updates.
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