The Founder
About Claire B. Soares, AI Keynote Speaker and Founder of Travel AI University.
AI Expert · AI Strategist · AI Keynote Speaker · Six-time Condé Nast Top Specialist.
Claire B. Soares sold more than $3.4 billion in enterprise travel software to Google, IBM, Boeing, the federal government, and the DoD as a top one percent performer, across more than a decade of Fortune 500 enterprise sales. She flew more than a thousand flights doing it. Somewhere over the Atlantic she fell in love with the rhythm of international travel, and with the quiet sophistication of a trip that runs exactly as promised.
The Story
In 2013, she channeled that love into Up in the Air Life, a luxury group travel company that became the vanguard of the Black Travel Movement and a multi-million dollar business with more than seventy thousand community members worldwide.
Travel Noire named her one of the most influential Black women in travel. AirBnB included her in their inaugural Black Travel Leaders List. Walmart featured her in the Black Girl Magic campaign. Condé Nast Traveler has named her a Top Travel Specialist six years in a row.
In 2025, she earned her Certification as an AI Consultant and documented a Capstone project that produced a 490% increase in organic traffic in forty-five days and $97,000 in new revenue from organic search alone. That methodology became the V.O.I.C.E. Method™, the framework now taught inside Travel AI University.
Travel AI University is the institution she wishes had existed when she started. Calm. Sophisticated. Practical. Built for the modern travel professional who wants to lead the industry, not chase it.
The Path
From São Paulo to Travel AI University.
- 2003–2013Enterprise travel software sold to Google, IBM, Boeing, the federal government, and the DoD. Top 1% sales. $3.4B closed.
- 2013Founds Up in the Air Life on a flight home from São Paulo.
- 2015Travel Noire names her one of the most influential Black women in travel.
- 2018First Condé Nast Traveler Top Specialist designation.
- 2019AirBnB Inaugural Black Travel Leaders List.
- 2020Launches Caviar in the Air, the luxury group travel concierge.
- 20236× Condé Nast Top Specialist · 120K+ audience · multi-million dollar travel co.
- 2025Earns Certified AI Consultant credential. Builds the V.O.I.C.E. Method.
- 2026Launches Travel AI University.
Credentials
Receipts.
- 6× Condé Nast Traveler Top Specialist
- Certified AI Consultant
- Top 1% enterprise sales executive · sold to Google, IBM, Boeing, the federal government, and the DoD
- $3.4B+ in enterprise software sales
- $16M+ in luxury travel sales
- Founder of Up in the Air Life, Caviar in the Air, and À Privé Journeys
- Former World Bank Educator
- Most Influential Black Women in Travel (Travel Noire)
- Travel Noire, Best Black-Owned Tour Company
- Airbnb Inaugural Black Travel Leaders List
- Walmart Black Girl Magic Campaign
- Led the largest Black-led travel movement to Antarctica
- 64+ countries visited
Featured In
The press.
- Forbes
- Condé Nast Traveler
- USA Today
- Yahoo
- ASTA
- Virtuoso
- Black Enterprise
- Essence
- Ebony
- Travel Noire
- Huffington Post
- AfroTech
- VICE News
- The Root
- Rolling Out
- Blavity
- Shoppe Black
- Griots Republic
- Voyage ATL
- FlyBrother Magazine
- Airbnb
- Walmart
For speaking, media inquiries, or interview requests, visit the Contact page or write to hello@clairebsoares.com.
Build with Claire