In our latest Spotlight Series virtual event, we had the pleasure of hosting Samantha Patil, the dynamic founder and CEO of Well Traveled Club. Samantha walked us through her journey from leading marketing efforts at some of the biggest names in tech—including Pandora, Snap Inc., and Dollar Shave Club—to building a modern travel community that’s redefining the way people discover and share travel experiences.
Her inspiration for launching Well Traveled was rooted in personal frustration. Despite her love for exploring new places, she found the traditional travel planning process overwhelming and unreliable. Much of that, she explained, came down to the impersonal nature of existing review platforms. “People are heavily influenced by reviews,” she noted, “but who is doing the reviewing matters just as much as the review itself.” Samantha pointed out the simple truth: you’re far more likely to trust a recommendation from a friend—or someone who shares your tastes and values—than from a random internet user whose idea of a “great experience” might be totally different from yours.
That insight became a core pillar of Well Traveled Club, a members-only social platform built for a new generation of travelers. By curating a community of like-minded explorers, food lovers, and culture seekers, the platform offers personalized recommendations that feel more like trusted word-of-mouth than anonymous noise. For Samantha, it’s about creating a space where people can both give and receive travel advice that feels authentic, relevant, and real.
Throughout the session, Samantha emphasized the power of community, the importance of intentionality in building a brand, and the value of being bold enough to act on an unmet need. Her story is one of both personal conviction and professional brilliance—a reminder that when you build something that solves a problem you truly understand, you’re already ahead.
We’re so grateful to Samantha for sharing her time, perspective, and inspiring entrepreneurial journey. Stay tuned for more Spotlight Series events with the innovators shaping tomorrow’s travel, tech, and lifestyle experiences.
The Select Spotlight series is sponsored by The Fundrise Flagship Fund. The Fundrise Flagship Fund is a $1.1 billion portfolio of institutional-caliber real estate designed to give your portfolio a new level of balance, growing your net worth for decades to come. Select members will receive access to the Flagship Fund’s portfolio of nearly 5,000 single-family homes, 3.3+ million square feet of industrial facilities, and over 2,500 multi-family assets.Carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the Fundrise Flagship Fund before investing. This and other information can be found in the Fund’s prospectus at Fundrise.com/Flagship. This is a paid advertisement.
