In honor of Phocuswright founder Philip Wolf, who died at 64 in March of last year, Phocuswright has selected Samella Watson of Theblck.io and Grace McBride of Lucia as recipients of the Philip C. Wolf Memorial Scholarship.
The scholarship provides each recipient with a ticket and accommodations for The Phocuswright Conference in November, as well as acceptance into a mentorship program of their choice at the event and membership to the Travel Tech Executive Fellowship.
The TTE Fellowship is an eight-week immersion and year-long membership community that invites founders, practitioners, leaders, investors and operators to connect, build and share ideas pushing the boundaries of travel tech.
“Philip was an entrepreneur, travel advisor and consultant, as well as a mentor to many. His impact on the travel industry and the people in it was far-reaching, and his advice will be passed down for many years,” says Catherine Plummer, vice president of events at Phocuswright.
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“We chose Samella because of her representation of Philip’s legacy, background as a tech entrepreneur and founder of BLCK, a turnkey investment marketplace that helps the average person create passive income in the short-term rental sector. Her goals and passion to further her network and relationships stood out among the many applicants.”
Says Watson, who is founder and CEO of BLCK: “It’s such an honor to be selected as a recipient of the Philip C. Wolf Memorial Scholarship. I'm thankful to have a seat at the table at one of the most forward-thinking travel tech communities
“During this conference and Fellowship, I look forward to gaining new industry insight while expanding my network among other movers and shakers in the travel industry,” she says, adding that her goals and passion lie in furthering her network and relationships within the Phocuswright innovation and leadership community.
McBride, founder and CEO of travel freelancer marketplace Lucia, says her passion and focus is growing other startups or small businesses so that they can contribute to improving the travel industry.
“I'm drawn to Phocuswright because of its dedication to bringing innovation to the travel industry. This is where my passion lies and it's what I hope to bring to the industry through my company, Lucia,” she says.
“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to help continue Philip’s legacy whilst attending the conference this year.”
Adds Plummer: “We chose Grace because of her representation of Philip’s legacy and her passion and focus on growing other startups or small businesses so that they can contribute to improving the travel industry.
“What stood out was Grace’s desire to take her learnings from the conference and share them with her clients and partners.”
* For more information on the Philip C. Wolf Memorial Scholarship, click here. To register for The Phocuswright Conference, click here.