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Jack and Ferdi

Jack and Ferdi is the first ever bleisure app transforming business trips for the better.

$12,045
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Project Description

Business travelers are all consumed by the same problems when traveling: what do I eat, what do I see and what should I bring back. Traditional search methods (such as TripAdvisor, Yelp, Booking) are riddled with different issues including:

 

  • Sponsored content,

  • Untailored and not authentic recommendations,

  • Unfair manipulation of business ratings

 

Various recent studies have shown the detrimental effects of a heavy business travel schedule on a business traveler's health and personal life. On top of that, the millennial generation is looking for more meaning when traveling for work. Because of these, the bleisure trend is growing and booming: the subtle art of mixing business travel with a few hours or an extra day of leisure to discover the area. 

 

Jack and Ferdi is the bleisure app that allows business travelers to instantly identify 5 things to see, 5 things to eat, 5 things to bring back, 5 views to enjoy the city and 5 meeting work spaces, giving bleisure travelers that authentic and local flavor. In addition, the app acts as a bleisure expert and offers run itineraries to help travelers stay fit and healthy, as well as business manners do's and don'ts from various countries. Last, we showcase charities doing amazing work on the ground.

 

Jack and Ferdi is the mobile app for modern business travelers looking for easy and reliable ways to experience what's most quintessential about the city they visit. It selects for travelers, based on there profile, location and travel objectives, 5 things to eat5 things to see or do, 5 things to bring back from the city they are travelling to, 5 of the best views of the city as well as 5 meeting and work spaces. Jack and Ferdi also offers innovative ways to support local charities and social entrepreneurs. We actively showcase and highlight socially-driven entrepreneurs in each city on the app, allowing the latter to receive support and exposure from the Jack and Ferdi community.

 

Our suggestions are fundamentally quintessential and representative of the city identity. All of Jack and Ferdi's content has been carefully curated by local experts (aka our city ambassadors). Who better than locals to tell us what not to miss and where not to waste our time?

 

Jack and Ferdi values heritagesavoir-faire and beauty. At Jack and Ferdi, we love artisans, creators - not imitators or followers. We walk that talk as we incorporated as Public Benefit Corporation and donate 1% of our profits to organizations furthering the culture and heritage of local communities.

 

We are travelers. World expats embracing the Boston life, we have traveled the world - with our friends, families, partners, colleagues and customers. Because we are travelers and truly passionate about discovering new places, their history and identity, we are committed to make travels easier to plan and meaningful

 

 

 

 

We are 2 serial entrepreneurs and complete one another really well. Not only have we worked together for several years before and both founded and led companies in the past. Our respective backgrounds also complete each other as Romain has a business and legal background and Anne-Fleur has an engineering and innovation management background.

 

 

Our team is also composed of 5 super talented and brillant travel lovers! Zoé is our Marketing Manager, Elodie is our User Experience Manager Caroline is our Chief Editor, Richard is our Data Generation Manager and Damien is our partnerships manager. 

 

 

By now, you know Jack and Ferdi is the story of 2 expats entrepreneurs, inspired by change-makers, social innovators and bold leaders. Actually, our name Jack and Ferdi symbolizes the necessary balance for a well-roused and healthy lifestyle.

Jack is a Wall Street business man, always on the go and traveling for business. He is devoted to his work and likes rapidity and efficiency. 

Ferdi is an adventurous traveler and backpacker, lover of all things authentic. 

Jack and Ferdi is the definition of the bleisure mindset. The meeting point of those two men, a bridge between business and leisure, between work life and authentic travel.

We help travelers truly experience cities that define culture and civilization so they can live their travels to the fullest, while uncovering and honoring local heritages and artisans. We provide carefully curated suggestions so travelers can experience the quintessence of each destination. We adapt our content to travelers’ unique aspirations. We strive to highlight local communities’ culture and know-how. We do so while supporting a healthy lifestyle of our users by enhancing business trips with a bleisure touch.

 

Socially-driven, we incorporated as a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC). We donate 1% of our profits to organizations promoting local culture and craftsmanship. We are a Public Benefit Corporation, because, like the aspirations of a whole generation of entrepreneurs and stakeholders, we also aim to supply a healthy and fair work environment to our employees, and adopt environment-friendly operations.

 

 

 

 

We already have developed several prototypes and the MVP (Minimally Viable Product) which we were able to validate with a pool of 100 alpha users. We also conducted several user groups to prioritize features development and refine our market positioning, as well as collected over 200 responses from our target group to an in-depth market study.

 

So far, our current top priorities include the iOS app development as well as the data generation for our target cities.

 

We will open early exclusive access to users this Summer prior to our market launch (on iOS only) and are planning on launching to the market in the Fall 2018 (in just a few months! yay!).

Your help is very precious and here is what we hope to accomplish depending on the funding we obtain with iFundWomen:

 

  • $10,000 - will allow us to work with a full-time developer for our app

  • $16,000 - will help us with the previous threshold as well as will allow us to organize a launch party with press, influencers and partners

  • $25,000 - will help us with the previous threshold as well as allow us to hire a social media agency to help us have a successful local launch

  • $40,000 - will help us with the previous threshold as well as with conducting various give-aways and other events to acquire users

  • $60,000 - will help us with all the previous thresholds as well as allow us to develop the app for Android (only for iOS currently)

 

 

Finally, HELPING US & SUPPORTING OUR CAMPAIGN means you are supporting a women-founded and led company that wants to do good in the travel industry.

 

 

 

 

The Campaign FAQs

 

  • What is bleisure?

Bleisure is a new trend or term to depict the two words together : Business + Leisure. ... The lines between business and leisure travel are set to become increasingly blurred with 49% of business travelers this year agreeing they already extend their business trips to spend some leisure time in their destination. (Quora)

 

  • Why did you start Jack and Ferdi?

Have you ever traveled to a place for work and wished you had a few extra hours - or dare I say days - to explore? This was my story for the past 2.5 years. I traveled over 80,000 miles (to give you an idea, the Earth circumference is just a little under 25,000 miles). While I always have loved traveling, my past situation came to a point where I did not even know where I was going when I was getting to the airport, other than the gate I was boarding from.


Traveling - which used to be something I cherished had become a burden. I never had the time nor the energy to look for things to do at destination or for something meaningful to bring back home. I was living in complete disconnection of what my friends and family thought I was going through, going to all these exotic or far away places that sounded exciting - at least on paper - but truly just going from airport to hotel and from meeting back to the airport. This is the reason why Romain (my cofounder) and I started to develop a search methodology to help us identify what was most quintessential about a place and that could be a realistic goal to visit/taste/bring back while on a business trip. This was the first (paper version) of Jack and Ferdi!


I have experienced first hand that growing frustration of simply missing out while on a business trip. My fridge cannot hold another airport magnet and I got tired of expensing mostly Startbucks coffee - I decided to create Jack and Ferdi with my friend and cofounder Romain.
Jack and Ferdi is basically the solution I wish I had access to as a business traveler: a mobile app that identifies what's most quintessential about a city in the form of things to do, eat and bring back for me to grasp city's essentials during off hours and off nights. Because I always had a strong desire to give back to various community, it was important for me to find a way to walk my talk. We incorporated as a PBC (Public Benefit Corporation) - committing to giving 1% of our profits to organization furthering local heritages. We also actively highlight the work of local charities at destination.

 

  • Where will you launch? Our primary target is composed of 2 main territories:
    • top 25 most traveled cities for business in North America 
    • top 25 most traveled cities for business in Europe
    • top 10 most traveled cities for business in Asia Pacific

 

  • Can I become an ambassador?

You sure can, and we'd love you to become one! Head out this way to apply https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JnF_applyAmbassador 

 

  • Can I become a beta-tester?

Absolutely! By backing our campaign, you will automatically be entered to get exclusive early access to our app AND will get exclusive invitations to share with your friends. (iOS only in 2018)

 

  • Will you launch on Android? a desktop version?

Yes we are planning on it. Actually, if our campaign is fully backed Android is the next version we will release!

 

Elizabeth Wright
08/23/2018
Limited Edition Jack and Ferdi Totebag
$45
07/13/2018
Limited Edition Jack and Ferdi Totebag
$60
07/13/2018
MIN/WIN SPECIAL
$20
Karen Cahn
07/13/2018
Travel Sticker Collection and Postcard
$25
07/13/2018
MIN/WIN SPECIAL
$20
07/13/2018
Designer Bag by Rosabel Paraliticci
$400
07/12/2018
Travel Sticker Collection and Postcard
$25
07/11/2018
Get Early Access to the App
$100
Jen
07/11/2018
Get Early Access to the App
$100
07/10/2018
Get Early Access to the App
$100
Monetary Contribution

Just Because I Care

17 Supporters
Select this reward
15.00 USD
Thank You Card and 5 PostCards from around the world

Receive a beautiful postcard from all over the world handwritten by our team to thank you along with 5 blank postcards from around the world to collect or send to your friends and family this Summer!

7 Supporters
Select this reward
20.00 USD
MIN/WIN SPECIAL

Get a pack of 5 postcards from around the world to use on your next vacation as well as a 1-month premium membership on iOS!

41 Left
9 Supporters
Select this reward
25.00 USD
Travel Sticker Collection and Postcard

Suitcase / Car stickers collectibles from the cities where we will launch and a postcard!

90 Left
10 Supporters
Select this reward
45.00 USD
Limited Edition Jack and Ferdi Totebag

Get a limited edition Jack and Ferdi travel tote bag for all of our adventures!

76 Left
24 Supporters
Select this reward
300.00 USD
Join our Sounding Board and Early Access

Become a bleisure pioneer!

Join our sounding board and let your voice be heard when we launch new features.

You will also get access to our app with a 12-months membership and be recognized on our website!

5 Supporters
None available
400.00 USD
Designer Bag by Rosabel Paraliticci

Get a unique and handmade bag, designed by Rosabel Paraliticci!

5 Supporters
None available
2,500.00 USD
Coaching session with Prof. Battilana from Harvard Business School

Dinner for two with Dr. Battilana (Harvard Tenure Professor). We will reach out to you to coordinate dates. Only in Boston, MA and Marseille (France).

2 Left
0 Supporters
Select this reward

About the Entrepreneur

Cambridge, MA
Created 1 Campaign
Lifestyle
Social Good
Tech

Rewards

Monetary Contribution

Just Because I Care

17 Supporters
Select this reward
15.00 USD
Thank You Card and 5 PostCards from around the world

Receive a beautiful postcard from all over the world handwritten by our team to thank you along with 5 blank postcards from around the world to collect or send to your friends and family this Summer!

7 Supporters
Select this reward
20.00 USD
MIN/WIN SPECIAL

Get a pack of 5 postcards from around the world to use on your next vacation as well as a 1-month premium membership on iOS!

41 Left
9 Supporters
Select this reward
25.00 USD
Travel Sticker Collection and Postcard

Suitcase / Car stickers collectibles from the cities where we will launch and a postcard!

90 Left
10 Supporters
Select this reward
45.00 USD
Limited Edition Jack and Ferdi Totebag

Get a limited edition Jack and Ferdi travel tote bag for all of our adventures!

76 Left
24 Supporters
Select this reward
300.00 USD
Join our Sounding Board and Early Access

Become a bleisure pioneer!

Join our sounding board and let your voice be heard when we launch new features.

You will also get access to our app with a 12-months membership and be recognized on our website!

5 Supporters
None available
400.00 USD
Designer Bag by Rosabel Paraliticci

Get a unique and handmade bag, designed by Rosabel Paraliticci!

5 Supporters
None available
2,500.00 USD
Coaching session with Prof. Battilana from Harvard Business School

Dinner for two with Dr. Battilana (Harvard Tenure Professor). We will reach out to you to coordinate dates. Only in Boston, MA and Marseille (France).

2 Left
0 Supporters
Select this reward