Meet the team behind Travis

We’ve been plugging away for a few months now, but thought it was time to share a bit about ourselves. A few weeks ago we launched #ArmchairAdventures as a response to global lockdown. But this is only the beginning.

So who is team Travis? We’re a young team working remotely across Melbourne and Sydney, Australia. A small and mighty team of 5 millennials, we are passionate travellers, strategic designers, crafty engineers, creative hackers, user researchers and brand storytellers — we are working towards an ambitious goal to make modern travel easy for the digital generation — so that anyone can travel the world, their way.

Read on to hear where we’ve come from, and why we’re so excited to be growing Travis together.

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Nicole Tj

Role at Travis: Co-founder and CEO

I travel because… I’m curious about the world outside of the one that I know. Over the years I’ve grown more aware of and fascinated by the other ‘worlds’ people live in — how their cultures and way of life are similar or different to mine, how people interact, the flavours of their food, and the architecture of their city.

Before Travis I was… leading somewhat of a dual life as management consultant by day, musician by night. I worked at Deloitte Digital in Melbourne for 5 years, across strategy, innovation and design — which gave me a front-row seat to the exciting opportunities and challenges that Australia’s largest organisations face in transforming to and operating in a digital-first world. This could mean defining and prototyping new business propositions and service design models, and bringing together strategic and human-centred design approaches.

I’m also a classical pianist, and Thomas (see below) and I also co-founded anon. (www.projectanon.com) — a music and creative platform where we performed recitals and produced immersive classical music experiences, working with organisations like the National Gallery of Victoria and TEDx.

Now my role involves… wearing many hats as co-founder and CEO of Travis — working towards our end goals: a platform that influences how the digital generation travels, and ultimately a sustainable company. At this early stage, it’s about paving the direction forward — my role switches between user research, product strategy, building our brand presence and positioning in-market — and lots of emails — aka Chief Email Officer.

My typical travels look like…

And my travel stories say that I am… always thinking about food, a keen people-watcher, a star-gazer, a design lover, a laneway discoverer.

Find me on LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter.

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Thomas Lo

Role at Travis: Co-founder and Chief Design Officer

I travel because… I’m fascinated with how people live around the world. I often wonder how people’s lives are different to mine and what I’d be like growing up in a totally different environment. How their architecture affects their culture, their social cues, their customs. Ultimately it would be difficult to fully comprehend the complexity without actually living there, I’d say travelling is like the cover of a good story waiting for a further read.

Before Travis I was… working in many different facets of design. I spent time in architecture firms MODO and WoodsBagot, while freelancing in videography and founding my own creative music platform with Nicole called anon. (www.projectanon.com). Through anon. I worked with NGV and spoke at TEDx in WashingtonDC. You will find me on different tools from no code platforms, 3D to 2D animation — but what brings me most joy is using design as the catalyst of change in solving big problems.

Oh did I mention I’m also a classical violinist?

Now my role involves… being Co-founder and Chief Design Officer at Travis. My goal is to make Travis into everyone’s trusted travel pal so we never have to hear “I hate travel planning” again.

My typical travels look like…

And my travel stories say that I am… usually pointing my camera in every direction possible, someone who likes sitting down and people watching, and someone who loves striking up conversations with local strangers.

Find me on LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter.

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Sylvain Simao

Role at Travis: CTO

I travel because… it’s a fantastic way for me to recharge my batteries, escape from the over-connected landscape and open my mind to different views of the world. I also like planning for my next travels as it’s a great way to constantly be inspired and motivated about everything else.

Before Travis I was… Technical Director at Clemenger BBDO, which is one of the highest-ranked creative agencies. During my time there, I was responsible for leading technology in the company, as well as managing and building up the technical department.

For the last decade, I’ve been working across several leadership roles in France and Australia. Thanks to my background and experience, I’ve been able to build my expertise at the intersection of technology, design and creative problem-solving.

Now my role involves… driving technology in the company as Chief Technology Officer. In the shorter term, my focus is on building the foundations for what will become the single social platform for people to share and discover authentic travel stories.

Once the foundations are laid, my next focus will be on growing the Engineering team, while making sure we create a great company culture and work environment for new joiners.

My typical travels look like…

And my travel stories say that I am… an epicurean traveller, food and wine lover, mostly attracted by tropical and warm destinations. I never go on holiday without planning everything up front, so that I can fully free up my mind and enjoy every moment while I’m on a trip.

Find me on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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Clare Lynton

Role at Travis: Content Lead

I travel because… I love exploring new places, especially through local cafes and bars. The thrill of finding myself in a foreign place and challenge of trying to work out my way around is another reason! I also enjoy immersing myself in a place by living there — I’ve lived in London, Brooklyn and Dublin. My favourite part of travelling is the journey and being off the ‘tourist track’, having criss-crossed Europe over land many times.

Before Travis I was… working remotely at Expedia. I’d picked up the job while living in London then moved back to Sydney when my working holiday visa ended. As customer insights manager, I saw exactly how our customers were responding to the process of booking a vacation rental. Then fed these insights to product managers, working with them to prioritise enhancements.

My background is in data analytics and customer insights. I started my career with 6 years at Deloitte and worked in four analytics teams (financial advisory, customer segmentation, strategy and digital transformation). I’m definitely the analytical thinker of the group!

Now my role involves… helping spread the word about Travis as Content Lead. This can range from writing posts like this one, to getting to know our target market, entertaining and educating them about Travis, understanding our user’s problems, and advocating for voice of the customer. I enjoy the mix of creative and analytical thinking needed and am quite happy to jump from Google Analytics into the Adobe Creative Suite.

My typical travels look like…

And my travel stories say that I am… an urban explorer, coffee lover, hidden bar seeker, super organised, expert on public transport options, a graffiti art admirer, and indie store finder.

Find me on LinkedIn, Instagram and Pinterest.

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Lily Tran

Role at Travis: Social Media Associate

I travel because… I love understanding and exploring different cultures and how other people live. It allows me to expand my understanding of the world, giving me a perspective and insight into other people’s lives. Something so mundane for locals can be so exciting for travellers. Like my first time buying a meal from a vending machine in Japan, or learning how to use the trains in Paris—it’s all new!

Before Travis I was… completing my degree in Business and Design, majoring in marketing and communication design. I was interning at various Australian fashion labels, where I worked between the marketing and design teams. I also work a casual retail job which helps fund my travels.

Now my role involves… being a part of the marketing team, where I help implement marketing campaigns with the hope of sharing our product with like-minded people! Making travel more accessible and easy for everyone.

My typical travels look like…

And my travel stories say that I am… a shopaholic, and someone who says yes to everything (like riding motorbikes at 4 am on an empty freeway in Vietnam and surviving to tell the story..).

Find me on LinkedIn and Instagram.

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Travis is a free visual trip planner app and features some of the best restaurants, cafes, street food, rooftop bars and things to do in the world. Whether you're planning a solo or a group trip, try our travel planner today!