In this episode of Office Hours, Grace Van Hollebeke welcomes David Shull, CEO and co-founder of Tern, for a candid conversation about his journey from Michigan Tech to building a transformative travel technology platform. David shares how his early days at Handshake inspired his passion for creating impactful technology, and how a travel mishap in Greece sparked the idea for Tern.

Grace and David discuss Tern’s recent acquisition of Lucia (Grace's company) and why pairing great technology with high-quality services is essential for empowering travel advisors. They also unpack the importance of choosing the right VC partners who share a vision for supporting, rather than displacing, travel advisors, which is a refreshing stance in the world of venture capital.

Key moments include:

David’s journey from Handshake to Tern
The turning point that led to Lucia’s acquisition
The role of technology and services in scaling travel advisors’ businesses
How Tern’s platform is designed to eliminate invisible work
Why their VC partners are committed to building with, not against, travel advisors

If you’re a travel advisor or agency owner looking to supercharge your business, or simply curious about the intersection of technology and human-driven industries, this episode is a must-listen.

Connect with Grace on ⁠Instagram⁠ or ⁠LinkedIn⁠ for more.

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Lucia is Acquired by Tern: The Behind-the-Scenes Story