In February and early March, JetBlue Technology Ventures (JTV) had the opportunity to host Captain Paulina Morales for a six-week fellowship as part of a new Air Force Ventures program funded by the United States Air Force and organized by Shift. Here’s a personal account of her time with us.
By trade, I’m an aircraft maintenance officer assigned to Luke Air Force Base in Arizona as the 62nd Aircraft Maintenance Unit Officer in Charge. I lead 220 Airmen and 102 contractors, maintaining a fleet of 24 F-35 fighter jets.
I was grateful to be one of the 21 emerging leaders selected to participate in this unique Air Force Ventures program. The program immerses future Air Force leaders in the Bay Area venture capital and startup ecosystem to bring back learnings and best practices that help drive forward innovation within the military.
Here are five key takeaways and insights from my time with JTV:
- Travelers are keenly aware of their carbon footprint and airlines have a unique and powerful opportunity to transform their business for the better. Even as the industry faces serious challenges from COVID-19, JetBlue Airways’ long-term strategy and commitment to becoming a leader in sustainability stands. As such, JTV is committed to identifying investments that advance sustainable travel. As a fellow, I conducted market research on sustainability in aviation to help inform the team about the technological landscape and related investment opportunities. This research included learning about carbon offsetting and electrification of ground support equipment as well as more sustainable jet fuel, a current particular interest for JetBlue. (If interested, check out an executive summary of the final research report here!)
- Internal learning opportunities set new hires up for success. At the beginning of my time here, I attended a new-hire orientation with other new Crewmembers (employees) from across JetBlue. We heard from some of the company’s top leaders about its history and business strategy. Following orientation, I toured JetBlue’s headquarters and met with the airline’s Vice President of Sustainability Sophia Mendelsohn to learn about the airline’s commitment to reducing its environmental impact and inform my research project. I also attended a planning meeting for the “Vets in Blue” resource group, which provides support and assistance to veterans working at JetBlue. All of this onboarding provided a great foundation for my commercial aviation knowledge.
- A strong sense of culture is paramount. I really felt like a part of the JTV team right away and that made it easy for me to jump right into my work and research. JTV is a small yet mighty team, each with different backgrounds and experiences, which made for a lot of fun and diverse conversations. As I return to the Air Force, I’d like to start integrating team lunches and outings to foster a similar sense of community in my own unit.
- Professional connections have the power to take you a long way. My favorite part of the program was networking with like-minded people who are passionate about innovation in the workplace and the aviation industry. Businesses — like the Air Force — can get bogged down by various rules and regulations. It was refreshing to see many people in Silicon Valley willing to tackle these challenges head-on and I’d like to carry this spirit back with me.
- Thinking outside the box is encouraged. When it comes to problem solving, JTV motivated me to think more creatively. One skill I learned in particular is to phrase questions in a way that pique curiosity and spur critical thinking. Military members tend to ask questions in a way that could influence an answer. For example, if I ask “What will X get you?” the response might be “More of Y or less of Z.” In contrast, if I ask “What will X do for you?” the response is more likely to be an abstract-based answer. Reframing the way in which we communicate and pose questions aids in the creative process.
In closing, I would like to thank JTV for their hospitality and willingness to participate in this inaugural Air Force program. It was such an eye opening experience into a new industry for me. I look forward to bringing back these learnings and more to the Air Force to help bridge the gap between private and public innovation and deliver better capability to our military.
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