Welcome to Off the Beat, a weekly Q&A with a local business person doing something a little different. Have an idea or pitch that reflects some unusual business activity? Email mneibauer@bizjournals.com.
Julie Melnick is the founder of SkySquad, a Bethesda firm that provides assistance to airport travelers. It is currently at Reagan National and Dulles International airports, and now Cincinnati, with plans to expand.
What inspired the launch of SkySquad? I used to live in California, and I often traveled to the East Coast to see my family. Getting through the airport was a challenge. I did not have enough hands to carry my car seats, strollers, luggage and kids. I needed help, and I couldn’t believe there wasn’t a service that I could use to hire someone. I started SkySquad because I realized that many people need a helping hand at the airport. Families, seniors, pet owners, people who don’t speak English, they all can benefit from a dedicated airport assistant. Although you can sometimes meet nice people at the airport to help you, there wasn’t an actual service dedicated to helping others. That is why we started SkySquad.
How did you connect with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority? I reached out to them via email, and then connected with the right person in the airport administration department. It took a few months of emails back and forth before we were able to receive our permit. On the day when I finally went to the airport to meet the person I had been corresponding with, she said to me, “Congratulations, many people who want to start businesses at the airport don’t make it this far.” It was an emotional moment! And that was just the very beginning.
How are you sustaining business during the pandemic? We have helped many families who are required to move overseas due to work. We have also been spending this time growing our team, and we just announced this week that we have two co-founders, Dave Osborne and Chris Tomseth. Dave has a great operations and finance background, and previously worked at Redbox and Instacart. Chris has a background in hospitality, strategic partnerships and marketing. He previously worked at Emirates Group and Choice Hotels.
Do you have investors? We just received our first two angel investments, and we have interest from several others who believe that now is the time to reinvent the airport experience.
What’s your favorite airport? My favorite airport is Fort Lauderdale because it is near my mom, my sister and her family. I love flying into FLL and seeing the turquoise ocean and the high rise buildings along the beach. I get so excited when I get out of the plane and the humidity hits me right away.
What is the SkySquad expansion plan? Our plan is to expand to seven airports in 2021. Our next airport will be Cincinnati, where we plan to launch on Dec. 20. After that, we plan to expand in the Northeast, as well as Florida-area airports, so we can serve families and seniors heading south for vacations.
Is this your first business venture? My first business was Nanny in the Clouds, which I launched in 2012 after struggling with traveling with my kids. That business was a great learning experience, and a great foundation for SkySquad. The main difference between Nanny in the Clouds and SkySquad is that Nanny in the Clouds focused on providing a helping hand on the plane. SkySquad focuses on a helping hand at the airport, where most of the travel friction exists. All of our SkySquad staff are badged and background checked to help customers get through security and all the way to their plane.
What was your first-ever airplane trip? My first flight was to Florida as a baby with my family. My grandparents lived in Fort Lauderdale, and we went to visit them a lot. Traveling to Florida is still my favorite vacation, since my family is there and I love the beach. I love taking my family and making memories with them.