The Founder
Claire B. Soares.
AI Expert · AI Strategist · AI Keynote Speaker · Six-time Condé Nast Top Specialist.
Claire B. Soares spent more than a decade in Fortune 500 enterprise software sales at Google, Microsoft, and IBM — closing more than $3.4 billion in deals as a top one percent performer. She traveled more than a thousand flights during that career. Somewhere over the Atlantic, she fell in love with the rhythm of international travel and the quiet sophistication of a perfectly executed trip.
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 proprietary 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 software at Google, Microsoft, IBM. 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 · 70K+ community · 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% Sales Executive at Google, Microsoft, and IBM
- $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)
- AirBnB Inaugural Black Travel Leaders List
- Walmart Black Girl Magic Campaign
- 64+ countries visited
Featured In
The press.
- Condé Nast Traveler
- USA Today
- Essence
- Ebony
- The Root
- Rolling Out
- Huffington Post
- The Griot
- Travel Noire
- AirBnB
- Walmart
For speaking, media inquiries, or interview requests, visit the Contact page or write to press@travelaiuniversity.com.
Build with Claire