Our Story
SkySquad’s mission is to empower individuals and families to travel with confidence.
SkySquad grew from an idea hatched in 2012, called Nanny in the Clouds. Named one of Entrepreneur Magazine's 100 Brilliant ideas of 2012, Nanny in the Clouds went on to receive accolades from the NY Times, Economist.com, Sydney Morning Herald, and more. Julie, our founder, developed this company due to her need for an extra set of hands when traveling coast to coast with her toddlers. Today, SkySquad is focused on providing an extra set of hands when they are needed the most: in the airport.
Meet the Team
Julie Melnick
Founder, CEO
Hi Everyone! Traveling means excitement, exhilaration, and seeing new places. Living on both coasts, I have flown on more cross country flights than I can count. Unfortunately, all too often, traveling has felt overwhelming due to all of the stuff that goes along with it. Toddlers, carseats, strollers and sippy cups, often I was desperate for someone to give me an extra hand. That is where my passion for improving the travel experience began.
“I pledge to provide a service that allows people of all ages to enjoy their travel experience by giving them confidence in knowing that they don't have to go it alone.”
Julie has over 20 years of public relations, marketing, and business experience. She served as the Marketing Director for Coldwell Banker Orange County, CA where she assisted in the rollout of their tech products. She founded and developed Nanny in the Clouds, and was a partner at Standout Public Relations.
MEgan Smith
COO, Chief Product Officer
Megan has over 15 years of experience across operations, finance, strategy, and development. Most recently, Megan worked for Robin Hood, NYC's largest poverty fighting organization. Megan previously led initiatives for Redbox’s 1,500+ person field workforce. Megan also drove new product launches and international expansion at Redbox. She began her career in investment banking focused on M&A and restructuring transactions.
"It's a pure gauntlet getting through the airport with two little girls on time and in one piece! SkySquad alleviates that stress and worry - and it's a game changer. We're transforming the airport experience for the everyday traveler, and we're leveling the playing field for anyone that isn't comfortable navigating the airport on their own. I can't wait to help families and individuals across the country to travel easily and confidently.”
Dave Osborne
Co-Founder, CFO
Dave is a seasoned startup and finance executive with over 20 years of leadership and investing experience in consumer focused startups. Dave was an early employee and held leadership roles at two fast growing consumer startups - Instacart and Redbox - where his experience spanned strategy, finance, sales and operations. Dave also worked in Corporate Development for United Airlines and has investment banking and private equity experience.
“I know firsthand how stressful it is to navigate an airport with young kids and pets and luggage and ugh!!! At SkySquad, we’re building a simple and affordable solution to relieve airport stress and anxiety for families, seniors, and anyone else who needs a helping hand. I’m so excited to rapidly scale SkySquad so everyone can experience the magic of air travel again.“
Joseph Knapp
Founding CTO
Joe brings a wealth of technical experience and a practical approach to scaling. Joe is an expert in systems architecture built to enterprise scale. Most recently he was an “intrapreneur” as a Principal Engineer at Comcast building a nation-scale network automation platform. He brings significant startup experience as both an early employee and Advisor/Board Member. Much of his previous experience is in the consumer entertainment and health care industries.
Chris Tomseth
Co-Founder, Advisor
Chris is a multi-cultural, internationally-experienced travel executive, with over 20 years of industry experience. Chris has worked with a range of companies, from blue-chip multinationals such as Delta Air Lines, Choice Hotels International, Gate Gourmet, and Emirates to technology startups and U.S. and UAE Government agencies. Chris’ functional experience includes operational, sales and marketing, product development, finance, and strategy roles.
“SkySquad is a service that is desperately needed in the US. As travel recovers from current levels, we are poised to ride a tremendous wave of growth, and I couldn’t miss this opportunity to be an integral part of that journey.”
Howard Kass
Advisor
Howard is a senior executive with a rare blend of commercial, legal, and political acumen, he brings over 25 years of commercial, government and legal leadership experience as a senior executive, corporate officer, and in-house counsel. Howard has worked for different types of organizations including CLEAR, American Airlines and the TSA. He has successfully grown and developed platforms benefitting investors and other stakeholders.
Belinda Blanchfield
Advisor, former Co-Founder
Hi fellow travelers. I've lived on four continents and worked and played in many cities across the globe. Clearly I LOVE to travel but getting there can be painful, especially the airport part. I am a parent, I sometimes travel with a lot of stuff, I'm not one of those language buffs who can speak the language of every exotic place I go to; and I have older friends and family who just will not visit me because they are afraid to go it alone.
“I pledge to provide a top notch service that makes air travel easier and more accessible to all.”
Banking executive. Management consultant. Computer Scientist. Change Expert. Highly skilled in global change projects. Previous TripRelief founder, MBA finance, BSc Comp Sci (honors)
Asaf Rozin
Advisor
Asaf has 13 years of experience with Project and Product management of web applications and mobile apps, most recently as the Co-Founder & C.E.O of Stampfeet, a customer loyalty platform. Asaf has served in the cyber warfare Israeli unit 8200, and has earned his BSc. in Industrial Engineering and Management with a specialty in Information Systems at the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology.
“Today, people like me are all over the world, far away from their relatives and friends. As a dad of 4 kids, my wife and I often travel internationally to reunite with our families and friends back home. For us, it is important to know that our loved ones are comfortable and confident in their travel journeys. For me, that peace of mind is priceless. And that is why I believe in SkySquad."
BALA SUBRAMANIAM
Advisor
Bala is an experienced Product, Engineering, and Data Science leader. As of the Head of Product for Fulfillment at Instacart, Bala designed and built the engine enabling rapid scaling. Bala has also held product leadership and engineering/data science roles at blue chip technology companies like Amazon, Microsoft and LinkedIn. Bala’s specialities include Product Management and Strategy, User Experience (UX), Unit economics Improvement, Growth.