Last updated: 9:00 AM ET, Tue October 28, 2025
David Shull, Tern (Photo Credit: David Shull)
Bio
David Shull is the co-founder and CEO of Tern, the modern workspace for travel advisors. In just two and a half years, it’s grown to become the platform of choice for over 6,000 travel businesses, and Tern was honored with the 2024 Entrepreneur of the Year award by the American Society of Travel Advisors.
Shull’s background spans engineering and go-to-market leadership, including being the first employee at Handshake. He’s passionate about building tools that help advisors thrive, combining deep industry empathy with a love for creating elegant, efficient software that powers the future of travel. Tern has also been at the forefront of applying AI in ways that save advisors real time.
What makes Shull stand out is how hands-on he is with the community. He doesn’t just lead from behind the scenes. He hosts Tern’s podcast, joins onboarding calls, and spends hours listening to advisor feedback. That connection fuels innovation at Tern and keeps the company focused on what matters most: helping travel businesses thrive.
David is 34 years old.
"It’s an honor to be recognized alongside so many leaders shaping the future of travel,” said David Shull. “At Tern, we believe technology can supercharge the advisor community, helping agencies grow and advisors focus on what they do best. Being named one of travel's 40 under 40 is a testament to the impact we're already having. We're grateful for the recognition and thrilled to keep building alongside this amazing community. We’re just getting started."
Industry References
“I work closely with David every day and have seen firsthand how his leadership, creativity, and vision are reshaping what is possible for travel advisors,” said Grace Van Hollebeke, Head of Marketing, Tern. “David leads with equal parts ambition and empathy. He has guided Tern through an incredible period of growth, including our recent $13M Series A, while never losing sight of the people behind the business. Whether it is a new advisor just starting out or a long-standing agency owner, David listens deeply and builds solutions that make their lives easier.
“What excites me most about David’s leadership is his ability to take big, complex problems in travel and translate them into simple, elegant tools that advisors want to use. His vision for Tern is about more than technology. It is about giving advisors the confidence and freedom to grow thriving businesses, and that impact is already being felt across the industry.
“David is also a natural mentor. He invests in our team at Tern, challenges us to think bigger, and celebrates our wins. Beyond Tern, he is generous with his time in industry conversations, always sharing insights and supporting peers. His authenticity and humility make him someone people trust not just as a CEO but as a leader in travel.
David Shull exemplifies what the TravelPulse 40 Under 40 seeks to recognize: innovation, influence, and an ability to elevate the entire industry. I wholeheartedly recommend him for this honor,” finished Van Hollebeke.
“He's not just another tech founder; in under three years, David has genuinely become one of the most trusted partners in the travel advisor community, and now is the time for the rest of the industry to recognize the immense impact he's made,” said Scott Wismont, CTIE TravelPulse 40 Under 40 Honoree - 2024 and Founder of Rainbow Getaways.
“When David first entered this industry, he had no travel background – a significant disadvantage that would normally be a massive hurdle. Instead, he leveraged that fresh perspective to create something the trade didn't even realize it desperately needed: Tern: a fresh CRM built from the ground up to equip travel advisors with the 21st-century tools we truly deserve. From day one, David surrounded himself with a smart, adaptable team, and together they've built a platform that has truly changed how advisors run their businesses. He brought in not just experts in their respective fields, but also those who are passionate about solving a problem that our industry has faced. They set out to modernize our tools and eliminate the ghost work that drains our time day after day.
“What makes David stand out isn't just what he's built, but how he inspires his team to build. He leads by truly listening. Rather than assuming he knows best, he consistently turns to travel advisors and agency owners to find out what we actually need. And then, he acts on it. He's cultivated a culture where it's okay to ship features quickly, gather real feedback, and continually refine. That kind of responsive, iterative mindset is rare in any industry, and it's precisely why Tern has been able to evolve so rapidly while staying laser-focused on usability and core function.
“And honestly, David might be more active in the Tern Facebook group than any other member… It truly feels like he's online 24/7, answering questions, collecting feedback, and offering help without a shred of ego or condescension. He genuinely cares about the success of the advisors using his product, and it absolutely shows. David Shull is the kind of leader who propels the entire trade forward, not just his own company. As a 2024 Honoree, I wholeheartedly believe that he absolutely deserves a spot on this year’s 40 Under 40 list,” finished Wismont.
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