Meet our Team

Rob Karp — CEO & Founder

Self-taught, Rob developed his airline knowledge by learning about points and helping family & friends with their travel. What began as a hobby and one-man operation throughout his high school years soon developed into MilesAhead. Since 2012, Rob has grown MilesAhead into a thriving luxury travel concierge. Rob has been featured in various news outlets, including New York Times, Travel Weekly, Travel & Leisure, CBS, Fortune, Forbes, Bloomberg TV, and various Ivy League publications. Rob has also been named one of Travel + Leisure’s International Rising Stars and was a Virtuoso Rising Star nominee.

Nelson Billington — Director of Client Operations

Nelson oversees MilesAhead's team of travel advisors and is a senior at Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration. He joined the team nearly 3 years ago and has worked to create an amazing customer experience and help clients seek smart solutions to their travel planning needs. Nelson loves building relationships with MilesAhead's many suppliers across the globe. Since joining the company, Nelson has visited hundreds of hotels in eighteen countries. Nelson previously worked in Rio for NBC Sports at the 2016 Olympic Games and for Coyle Hospitality. He works hand-in-hand with Rob and Grace to shape the future of MilesAhead.

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Grace McBride — Director of Marketing

Passionate about design, marketing, and travel, Grace works with the MilesAhead team to let everyone else know why we love it so much. Grace spent her last summer interning with JetBlue which sparked her passion for combining all of her interests. When she isn't designing or writing, Grace can be found reading a new book, scoping out new hotels, or searching the web for the latest social media trends.

Advisors

AJ Arena — Senior Travel Advisor

AJ is a student at Cornell's School of Hotel Administration and spent last summer interning in the rooms department of the iconic Plaza Hotel. When AJ isn't planning out multi-country itineraries and working with MilesAhead's private client group, he can be found planning his own international itineraries. Outside of MilesAhead, AJ enjoys hiking, biking and exploring the outdoors.

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Jonathan Friedman — Senior Travel Advisor

When Jonathan plans on a trip, he seeks to change the way people travel, from the moment they first step into the airport. Jonathan prides himself on his unique ability to leverage frequent flyer miles and incentives/benefits to create ultra-luxury experiences for his clients, while saving them money. Jonathan knows premium cabins and luxury hotel markets like the back of his hand, from what champagne Singapore Air serves in Business Class to which hotel is the best urban retreat in Hong Kong. Jonathan first started working with miles when he was 12 and claims that he has gotten the best sleep of his life in Cathay Pacific First Class.

Sam Dorfman — Travel Advisor

During her time at the University of Maryland, Sam studied abroad in Barcelona where she caught the travel bug. In 5 short months, she traveled to 45 cities in 16 countries. After graduation, Sam’s passion for travel turned into a full time career, planning itineraries for clients around the globe. Sam’s favorite travel experiences include skydiving over the Swiss Alps, watching a bull fight in Madrid, and road tripping down the Pacific Coast Highway. Her current travel goal is to hit every continent by the time she’s 30!

Arthur Belfer — Travel Advisor

Arthur is a junior at Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration. He is from New York City and spent last summer interning with the Philadelphia Union professional soccer team. While he recently worked in sports, Arthur has spent multiple summers interning with travel agencies in NYC. Arthur has traveled to 22 countries and really enjoys helping people find the best routes and aircraft to fly to their destination. In his free time, he can be found trying out new hotels and restaurants as well as attending sporting events throughout the country.

Sam Moser — Travel Advisor

Sam is a student at Cornell’s Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management. He has loved flying from a young age, which later manifested itself in a passion for all things miles and points. Sam recently spent a semester in Italy and is counting down the days until he can go back. Outside of MilesAhead, he can be found reading, going to concerts, and spending time with friends.

concierge team

Michaela Petigrow

Michaela is a senior majoring in Hospitality and Communication at Boston University’s School of Hospitality Administration. Michaela studied abroad in Sydney, Australia and enjoyed visiting Tokyo, Bali, and snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef. In her spare time, she enjoys playing with her golden doodles Milo and Theo, being a foodie and dreaming of her next adventure.

George Sotelo

George has been involved in the hospitality industry since a young age leading him to move around to places such as Los Cabos, Miami and Puerto Rico. This is George’s first job in the travel sector as his previous experiences have been in the hospitality industry. He loves to embark on culinary adventures and hopes he can share these experiences with our guests. Outside of traveling, George enjoys playing golf and fighting for diplomacy on his Model UN Team.

Spencer Jimenez

Spencer is a Freshman at Cornell's School of Hotel Administration. He is from Greenwich, Connecticut and has lived in England and Guatemala. Travel has always been an important aspect of his life, as he has traveled to 38 different countries. He is always eager and excited to customize the best travel experiences.

VIP TEAM

Alexa Bianco

Alexa has worked in the travel industry for a few years now and if she has learned anything—it's that the fine details really make a trip. That's why Alexa works with our VIP team to make sure everything is set for our clients prior to departure to make for a stress-free and memorable trip. In her time outside of work, Alexa loves to travel and meet new people. One of her favorite things is living abroad and being able to immerse herself in different cultures.

Emma Hart

Emma is a student at the College of Charleston studying International Business and Hospitality and Tourism. Born and raised in Charleston, SC. Hospitality is in her blood. Emma is eager to be a part of the MilesAhead team and to help make sure your next adventure is splendid. When not helping with your VIP experience, she’s busy practicing her Spanish or planning out her next adventure.

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Rachel Grosso

Rachel is a senior at Farmingdale State College and loves all things travel and culture. She studied abroad in Dublin, Ireland where she got to travel around Europe and learn about all the best spots. Outside of MilesAhead, Rachel loves reading, playing with her dogs, and watching the New York Yankees.