CharterUP, the first fully integrated charter bus marketplace for corporations, consumers and operators, announced Jennifer Gardner as the company’s first VP of People. Jennifer will be responsible for cultivating an innovative, diverse, remote team of top talent while working closely with the rest of the executive team to drive performance and growth amid the platform’s nationwide expansion.
Jennifer brings to CharterUP over a decade of experience building and leading all aspects of the People function. After gaining best-in-class experience at iconic, global consumer brands, including Toys “R” Us, Coach, and The Children’s Place, Jennifer transitioned to the startup space at global sleep company Casper where she led the talent acquisition, people partner, learning and development, and talent management teams. Jennifer most recently served as Chief People Officer at proptech marketplace June, where she built and led the People function for a remote, globally distributed team which she and her team grew from 60 to over 250 people in less than 12 months.
Passionate about fostering inclusive environments where employees are enabled to contribute their best work, Jennifer is also a founding member of Hacking HR, a global learning community of HR business leaders and practitioners committed to learning, sharing, collaborating, and advancing the HR profession.
“At CharterUP, we are committed to revolutionizing the charter bus industry, and it’s imperative that we have a strong, diverse team of innovators who are dedicated to creating new impactful solutions that transform the industry and charter bus experience,” said Armir Harris, CEO, and Founder of CharterUP. “Jennifer’s extensive track record of developing People strategies for business growth and development for some of the largest global brands speaks for itself. That, combined with her passion for disrupting antiquated industries, makes her the perfect fit to lead people at CharterUP.”
CharterUP was founded in 2018 to bring technology and innovation to an industry that’s remained unchanged for the last 20 years. Like Expedia for charter buses, CharterUP gives customers on-demand access to available charters, ratings, on-time performance, safety records, and vehicle tracking bringing transparency, accountability, and restoring trust to the charter bus industry. Since 2018, CharterUP has achieved 100% annual growth and today is the #1 charter service provider for Fortune 500 companies. CharterUP connects customers with available fleets in under 60 seconds and is built for corporations, individual users, and operators across the country—from shuttle bus rentals in Austin to New York City charter bus rentals.
“I’m fascinated by startups that are leveraging technology and driving innovation to provide an elevated customer experience within industries that have largely remained otherwise unchanged, which is what drew me to CharterUP,” said Jennifer Gardner, VP of People at CharterUP. “I’m thrilled to be joining CharterUP, where my team will be focused on attracting market-leading talent and cultivating an environment where employees feel a sense of belonging and are empowered to thrive and grow.”
The news comes on the heels of a landmark year for CharterUP. In addition to surpassing its annual revenue rate of $150 million, the company raised $60 million in Series A funding led by Tritium Partners in October. Now in 2023, the company has plans to expand its footprint across the U.S. and grow its product and engineering teams.
About CharterUP
CharterUP is the first fully integrated marketplace for bus charters in the U.S. Built for corporations, individual users, and operators; its platform removes the friction from reserving private group transportation by instantly connecting bookers to a virtual fleet of local bus operators. You can book anything from a shuttle bus in Houston to a charter bus in Las Vegas. Its platform features a suite of capabilities that includes instant booking, real-time availability & tracking, and dynamic charter bus pricing via self-serve technology. Combined with its growing virtual fleet of over 3,000 fully integrated charters, CharterUP delivers unmatched accessibility, accountability and transparency never seen before in the charter bus space. Founded by long-time charter bus entrepreneur Armir Harris in 2018, CharterUP is headquartered in Atlanta and works with operators in dozens of local markets throughout the country. For more information, visit charterup.com
