Sally Bunnell is a passionate traveler with 113 countries stamped on her passport. As she traveled the world, she found that her actual experiences were different from what she saw advertised, inspiring Sally to create NaviSavi (Techstars 2023). A short-form video travel marketplace for users, creators, and businesses to inspire, plan, and book trips and license UGC content in a single platform.

Formerly a Senior Vice President at a Record Label for over 15 years, and with +1 Billion cumulative YouTube views on her directing and producing content, Sally has spent her career creating and marketing short-form video content for Millennials, Gen X and Z, influential artists, and brands around the world. Sally is one of the “2020 Young Industry Leaders in Travel” on Phocuswright’s annual Top 30 List, a TravelTech ‘Trailblazer’ and is often found speaking on industry panels about ‘Short-form UGC Video,’ ‘How to Work from Anywhere’ and ‘Solo Female Travel.’

What does your company do, and why is it important?

NaviSavi is a short-form video travel marketplace that connects travelers, creators, and businesses through authentic, user-generated content (UGC) videos. Our platform allows users to inspire, plan, and book trips while also providing a space for creators to share and monetize their travel videos. For businesses, NaviSavi offers a licensing portal where they can access and use high-quality UGC videos for marketing and promotional purposes, saving time and money on content creation.

How is what you are building disrupting your industry?

NaviSavi is disrupting the travel industry by transforming how people discover and book travel experiences. Unlike traditional booking platforms or social media, we offer a single platform where users can watch authentic, user-generated videos and instantly book those experiences. By bridging the gap between inspiration and booking, we cut through polished marketing, provide real, trustworthy content, and empower both travelers and businesses to connect directly, creating a more transparent, engaging, and efficient travel planning process.

What has been your proudest moment or biggest triumph in your entrepreneurial journey?

Being chosen by Techstars!!! It was exactly a year ago today, we were on the verge of closing the company, as fundraising was at an all-time low. Our acceptance into the program changed the trajectory of our business and gave us another six months to continue. With that momentum, we were able to secure a $100K technology grant and garner over $120,000 in sales before even launching our platform. I would consider that more than a triumph, but a second chance life-changing opportunity. Thank you, Techstars! 🙂

Are there any lessons you've learned along the way that you wish someone had shared with you when you started?

Build the most simplified version of your idea and get people to use it first. Talk to your customers at the beginning non-stop and fine-tune your idea with as little money as possible. Once they like it, get them hooked. Once they LOVE it, get them to pay for it. If you can prove that, fundraising will come much easier.

What was the most memorable experience from your Techstars program?

Haha, well, I celebrated my birthday with the entire Techstars family the weekend before our Demo Day... and we got a party bus around Tulsa to celebrate. It was so much fun, we did it again for our final goodbye party!

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