Our Story

Ask almost anyone what they want out of life, and some version of the same answer comes back: to see the world. To travel, meet new people, and experience places and cultures beyond their own. It is one of our most commonly held longings, and yet one of the most commonly deferred.

Life gets in the way. Not always dramatically, but quietly, in the ordinary forward motion of days, weeks, and years. There is always a reason to wait. Once things settle down. Once the timing is better. Once everything is in place. People spend so long preparing for one day that, for many of them, one day never quite arrives.

Vela was founded in Pittsburgh by Logan Kohnfelder, from a belief that travel should not feel this difficult to make happen. The barrier is rarely desire. It is the planning, the logistics, and the strange difficulty of finally giving yourself permission to go.

Vela takes care of the parts that usually stop people. We choose places worth visiting, build the trip thoughtfully, and bring together people who want to experience them in much the same way.

The name comes from the Latin “vela dare,” meaning “to set sail.” It is the idea behind everything we do: spend less time waiting for the perfect moment, and more time going.