Diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at age 9, Jennifer Roth has since had eight joint replacements and 15 surgeries. She’s also visited 26 countries — and the lessons she’s learned along the way inspired her to start a business to make travel easier for others.
The company, Wise Blue Yonder, offers resources and tips for travelers with mobility issues — such as advice on hotels that don't have stairs and vetted tour guides that can steer clients through difficult-to-navigate areas.
Some of the site's offerings are free, but it also sells subscriptions to fully vetted trip itineraries and customized travel planning. The custom trips start at around $3,900 for a destination like London, including all lodging, food and activities (but not airfare).
"What’s coming is a travel resource center," Roth said. "For $5 to $6 a month, you’ll receive access through a platform and be able to find information for your trip, such as tour guides, hotels, transportation, sites and more."
The travel industry long ago shifted away from third-parties like travel agents in favor of do-it-yourself bookings, but Roth thinks there's a niche for Wise Blue Yonder. More than 3 million Americans are diagnosed with arthritis each year, and Roth's experiences taught her about the difficulties of traveling without assistance.
"I was lucky enough to have a great career in the corporate world and as an entrepreneur," Roth said. "As I’ve grown wiser and traveled, I’ve found that it’s really difficult for someone … with accessibility issues. I used to hate my arthritis growing up, but now, I see it as a superpower — a gift to see the world differently."
Roth raised cash to launch Wise Blue Yonder by selling her ownership stake in a previous business, Growth ModeMarketing. She's since bootstrapped Wise Blue Yonder, supplementing its revenue with income from a newly launched firm, Blue Sparq Marketing — but she plans to concentrate on Wise Blue going forward.
Roth said she chose to do a website over a mobile app to cater to her user demographic: Her customers tend to be over 55 and more comfortable with a web browser interface.
Wise Blue Yonder got some attention in 2023 after advancing to the semifinalist of the MN Cup startup competition. Roth said that momentum helped spur her to make Wise Blue Yonder a reality.
"We started a pitch deck and fundraising materials," Roth said. "As I was fundraising, I wanted to back off of it because I wanted to think about the equity of my company."
