Meet black founders Kelvin Mensah and Aaron Wilson; they are major players in the aviation industry, offering various services. Their venture into this space is revolutionizing an industry that was virtually put on ice at the height of the pandemic.
They own Approved Jets, a private aviation brokerage company based in Miami, Florida. They started the company in 2019 and it has grown to become one of the most recognizable black-owned firms in the aviation space in the world.
Mensah, who has worked as one of the most successful private jet brokers in the world, serves as the CEO of the company. A Ghanaian American, he has over 20 years of experience in providing private flights throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, South America, and the United Arab of Emirates.
Aside from his work experience, he is also a recipient of many awards, including the 2022 Most Influential People of African Descent Award.
According to Travel Noire, Mensah orchestrated the chartering of over 500 jets serving high-net-worth individuals from multiple sectors.
Wilson, on the other hand, is a venture capitalist and the co-founder of Approved Jets. According to Black Business, he has extensive experience in recruiting, HR strategy, executive coaching, conducting due diligence, and evaluating strategic opportunities.
“He is also skilled in humanizing and contextualizing emerging technology (XR, AI, machine learning, etc), and his industry expertise spans across mobile technology, private equity, AI, Web3, gaming, and private aviation,” Black Business wrote.
Approved Jets, which specializes in sales, leasing, management, and chartering of jets, helicopters, and yachts, also provides luxury concierge services, according to Black Business.
The platform added that the company has an extensive network of light, mid-size, super mid-size, and heavy jets offering premium travel experiences to not only public figures and high-net-worth individuals but also large Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 enterprises.
Travel Noire reported that Approved Jets amassed multi-million dollar revenue in 2020, with Mensah and Wilson having complete ownership of the company.
