And the first step toward owning an airline began with software designed to make ordinary workers' jobs easier.
Her first company operated from a rented office above a tire shop.
She was twenty-three.
The office contained four desks, mismatched chairs, a coffee machine that frequently leaked, and a whiteboard covered with diagrams.
She hired three employees.
A software engineer.
An operations specialist.
And a former transportation dispatcher.
They worked long hours.
Their first product helped regional freight operators reduce unnecessary delays and track disruptions more accurately.
At first, customers were skeptical.
They had seen too many expensive technology systems promise miracles.
Some supervisors resisted allowing software to recommend schedule changes.
Others worried the program would eliminate jobs.
The young founder listened.
She explained that the system was designed to help workers identify problems, not replace judgment.
Then she invited dispatchers to test it.
Their feedback was blunt.
One said the interface was confusing.
Another complained that the alerts arrived too late.
A third pointed out that the program sometimes recommended a vehicle unavailable because of maintenance.
The founder took notes.
Then went back to work.
Six months later, the improved system began producing measurable results.
Customers reported fewer scheduling conflicts.
Dispatchers spent less time searching for missing information.
And supervisors could investigate disruptions before they spread across entire networks.
Word traveled.
The company gained new contracts.
Then a small airline cargo operator asked whether the software could be adapted for aviation logistics.
The founder remembered her father's airport stories.
She accepted the challenge.
But aviation required a different level of caution.
Safety regulations mattered.
Crew limitations mattered.
Maintenance release procedures mattered.
And operational decisions could not be treated like ordinary warehouse deliveries.
She hired experienced aviation specialists.
Worked with certified professionals.
And built systems that supported authorized decision-makers rather than attempting to replace regulated procedures.
The business expanded.
By twenty-eight, she had become the chief executive of a respected transportation technology company.