David Neeleman is an important figure in the world of air travel, and the founder of Morris Air, Jetblue, WestJet, Azul Brazilian Airlines, and Breeze Airways. Despite experiencing difficulties in school, which later turned out to be dyslexia, Neeleman didn't let that stop him from taking the airline industry to new heights.
Neeleman was born on October 16th, 1959, in São Paulo, Brazil. He moved to Cottonwood Heights, Utah around the time that he was five years old with his family. His grandfather owned several convenience stores in Utah, and David's brother, Stephen, became one of the founders of 'HealthEquity', an American healthcare company. Neeleman, who watched his family members experience success, knew he also wanted to be an entrepreneur.
However, as Neeleman remembers, “I struggled a lot in school. I really had a hard time with standardized tests, staying focused and absorbing information from a written page into my brain. It was tough. I thought I was stupid, that I didn’t have what the other kids had. In third grade, sitting inside at recess, not being able to go out, because I couldn’t get my work done.” He got very low scores on standardized tests, with one of his teachers telling him that he “just didn’t understand English.” While eventually he was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia, the early years of school were challenging and painful.
Nonetheless, Neeleman never gave up on his dreams of starting an incredible business. While Neeleman hasn't directly attributed his dyslexia to the success of his business ventures, it’s undeniable that it never held him back, and likely helped him develop the perseverence needed to achieve his dreams. His first foray into the airline industry was Morris Air, which he co-founded with June Morris. He eventually became the company’s president, and went on to found some of the largest airline companies in the world today.
In 2005, he received the Tony Jannus Award for his contributions to the commercial aviation industry.
His achievements are a powerful reminder to people with dyslexia that they can achieve their dreams as well.
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