PlacePass is a team of entrepreneurs, travelers, and tech geeks. We opened our doors in 2016 with the mission of enabling people to easily search, compare, and book great things to do in any destination. In short: we’re in the business of fun.
PlacePass is led by co-founders Ethan Hawkes and Emily Bernard, who were inspired to build a business after decades of traveling and working in the hospitality industry. Their most memorable trips always included activities and excursions with great local guides, but finding those experiences took lots of time and research on multiple websites. There was no single aggregator keeping everything organized. So PlacePass was born.
For executive team bios, click here.
We’re here to help people have a great time. We believe that experiences – not things – are key to a happy existence. We’re proud to help create moments that build lifelong memories, whether our customers are traveling in a far-flung destination or looking for something new to do in the neighborhood. We’re excited to help people get out of their typical routines, discover great activities, and build new connections with friends and family.
Traveling (duh), Emily’s rescue pup Milo, summers in Maine, Bonneville Triumph motorcycles, meeting our PlacePass customers, Global Entry, foosball tournaments.
When your plane is early but the gate isn’t ready (why? WHY?!), no trips on the calendar, couch potatoes.
Co-Founder & CEO
Travel Bucket List
Early morning outing with a Maine lobsterman
Most Recent Passport Stamp
Zambia
Never Leave Home Without
Motorcycle keys in the summer. Snowshoes in the winter.
Co-Founder & Chief Brand Officer
Travel Bucket List
Night dogsledding in Alaska, below the Northern Lights
Most Recent Passport Stamp
China
Never Leave Home Without
A good book
Chief Technology Officer
Travel Bucket List
Great white shark dive
Most Recent Passport Stamp
Canada
Never Leave Home Without
USB stick
SVP Operations
Travel Bucket List
Everest Base Camp
Most Recent Passport Stamp
Singapore
Never Leave Home Without
A form of identification
Head of Product
Travel Bucket List
Exploring Morocco
Most Recent Passport Stamp
Italy
Never Leave Home Without
Coffee, gum, Spotify
VP Brand Strategy
Travel Bucket List
Surf Camp in Costa Rica
Most Recent Passport Stamp
Sweden
Never Leave Home Without
Mascara
VP Engineering
Travel Bucket List
Brazil
Most Recent Passport Stamp
Australia
Never Leave Home Without
Headphones, a snack, and a positive attitude
VP Services Engineer
Travel Bucket List
Food tours at Siem Reap, Cambodia
Most Recent Passport Stamp
Cambodia
Never Leave Home Without
Headset, Wallet, and Cellphone
Director of Software Engineering
Travel Bucket List
Japan (for a couple of years preferably)
Most Recent Passport Stamp
United Kingdom to watch a couple of Premier League matches
Never Leave Home Without
A couple of half-decent ideas
Platform Engineer
Travel Bucket List
Driving on the Nurburgring
Most Recent Passport Stamp
UK
Never Leave Home Without
Probably saying "bye" to my dog
Developer
Travel Bucket List
Roman Empire Tours
Most Recent Passport Stamp
India
Never Leave Home Without
A charged phone
Software Developer
Travel Bucket List
Nüburgring, London, Heaven
Most Recent Passport Stamp
LA
Never Leave Home Without
Phone, credit cards and student ID
UI Engineer
Travel Bucket List
Learning Spanish on a long trip through South America
Most Recent Passport Stamp
Germany
Never Leave Home Without
A map or plenty of time to wander
Lead UI Engineer
Travel Bucket List
Watching the Northern Lights in a glass igloo
Most Recent Passport Stamp
Greece
Never Leave Home Without
A place to go, and then ending up somewhere else
Senior Product Designer
Travel Bucket List
Wander Tangier, anything/everything in Tokyo
Most Recent Passport Stamp
Portugal
Never Leave Home Without
Headphones
Senior Product Manager
Travel Bucket List
Ski Hokkaido
Most Recent Passport Stamp
Japan
Never Leave Home Without
Sunscreen
Data Science - Product Lead
Travel Bucket List
Bicycle Tour of Eastern Europe
Most Recent Passport Stamp
Netherlands
Never Leave Home Without
Running backpack!
Senior Analyst - Analytics
Travel Bucket List
Bora Bora
Most Recent Passport Stamp
Costa Rica
Never Leave Home Without
Squash racket
Business Development Manager
Travel Bucket List
Playing with Giant Pandas in Chengdu, China
Most Recent Passport Stamp
Colombia
Never Leave Home Without
Flip-flops
Customer Success Analyst
Travel Bucket List
Hiking the Inca Trail
Most Recent Passport Stamp
Costa Rica
Never Leave Home Without
A positive attitude
Full-Stack Developer Co-Op
Travel Bucket List
Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro and go on a Safari in Tanzania
Most Recent Passport Stamp
Madrid, Spain
Never Leave Home Without
Google Maps. I have a hopeless sense of direction.
Growth Marketing Co-Op
Travel Bucket List
Monaco Grand Prix
Most Recent Passport Stamp
Ireland
Never Leave Home Without
A love of dogs
Full-Stack Developer Co-Op
Travel Bucket List
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
Most Recent Passport Stamp
Russia
Never Leave Home Without
A sense of possibility
UI/UX Design Co-Op
Travel Bucket List
Cross-country trip from MA to CA
Most Recent Passport Stamp
Hilo, HI
Never Leave Home Without
White sneakers
Chief Happiness Officer
Travel Bucket List
Labrador, Canada to explore my roots
Most Recent Passport Stamp
I'm still waiting to get my pawsport. Know anyone in Washington who can help a doggie out?
Never Leave Home Without
Leash (I know, it's so embarrassing)
We’re proud to partner with the leading companies in the tour and activity business. PlacePass brings together high-quality experiences from top websites like Urban Adventures, GetYourGuide, Viator, CityPASS, LivingSocial, Groupon, and others. From hop-on hop-off bus tours to private helicopter rides, we offer great choices for every budget and every kind of traveler.
We are dedicated to providing unparalleled service to our customers. Although we are an online travel company, we make it a point to not act like one- which means if you call or email us, you’ll actually hear back from a human. We know your free time is valuable, so we’re happy to answer your question and help you make the most of your travels.
