Caryn Seidman-Becker

A former hedge-fund manager, Caryn Seidman Becker bought the airport-focused biometric-identity company Clear out of bankruptcy in 2010 with a plan to turn it around. At the time Clear’s focus on speeding travelers through security lines had become increasingly niche, especially given the rollout of the TSA’s PreCheck program, but Seidman Becker had a bigger vision for the technology, which uses iris and face scans along with fingerprints to verify identities of its vetted, $179-a-year members. Not only has she reestablished Clear as a leader in airport security, with dedicated lanes at 25 hubs across the country, but through a new partnership with Delta Air Lines, Clear is using biometric verification to automate everything from baggage check to the boarding process, part of her plan to offer totally frictionless “curb-to-gate” experiences for travelers.