Meet Mitchelle Lyle: The Tech CEO Whose App Will Make You Stand On Business When Moving Abroad

Good Morning /CW Fam. I have a question for you all. What’s the one thing everyone highly anticipates every year, no matter their age, gender, or state they reside in? Correct! You guessed it right: A vacation to another place they do not live in, specifically out of the country. Stem advocate, engineer, and CEO of ITA (International Travel Advisor), Mitchelle Lyle, is no exception to this unspoken and worldwide commonality. For millions around the world and even a few thousand right here in Milwaukee, traveling abroad is viewed as an escape, a chance to be a new person in a different environment where little to nobody knows you, or simply a chance to discover yourself in a unique way. A different story was written for the motivation and dying love Lyle has for destinations abroad. It goes beyond loving the surface-level perks of traveling, which has not only inspired her business but also Lyel’s personal life journey.

Her first taste of living abroad started with a leadership and empathy group Lyle was involved in throughout College. She traveled alongside nine other students and lived in Cape Town, South Africa for a month. The tech advocate and engineer’s journey throughout Cape Town was far from what anyone; including Lyle expected. She noticed several similarities between it’s history compared to America but also the interpersonal communication between its people, whether in churches singing the solace and soulful hymns she grew up on or young girls playing hand games on the sidewalk. This was the first place she learned the true difference between traveling and living abroad.

"Immersing yourself in a culture and what your significance is throughout that culture is the value of living abroad. It’s different than staying at a resort and chilling on beaches all day”-CEO, Mitchelle Lyle

Although living in South Africa was the spark that encouraged Lyle to living in three other abroad countries including France,Brazil, and Martinique, she quickly learned it’s not always a movie once you get off the plane and begin living in a completely different country. [Those 16 hour plus plane rides are also no fairytale] Some eye-opening challenges Mitchelle faced were sustainability, money management, but most importantly limited job opportunities. Since being 18 years old, the CEO knew her life was meant to be experienced beyond the borders. This is why the hardships and lessons she learned over the years did not discourage Lyle rather they became the foundation for one of her greatest ideas yet (with the help of a call from her best friend): launching her own business, ITA (International Travel Advisor).

ITA is designed for young professionals, digital nomads and retirees who are seeking to move abroad but don’t know where to start and need hands-on guidance to turn their dreams into reality! Granting a smooth transition but also setting up one for long-term success while living abroad is the company’s top priority. From supporting services such as visa assistance, job placement, and tax consulting, Lyle wants to emphasize this is not an extended vacation; this will become your new home so preparation, comprehension and honesty are key. Just as there will be key elements of the culture you move to; there will be things that are different or will take time adjusting. With the concierge service of ITA, their team provides a financial health review, 3-day itinerary tailored for you, travel logistics and identifying counties that best suit you!

“Yes, it may be fearful but I truly want to help others break free from traditional living and thinking. I want everyone to get a taste of and embrace the transformative power of global experiences” -CEO, Mitchelle Lyle

After launching this innovative and life-changing business in 2022, Lyle always had a roadmap to buildout an app for ITA. The unique vision and landscape never came into fruition until this past August at a NSBE conference (National Society of Black Engineers). It was the CEO herself who built the app while taking a workshop. She explained to me how exciting yet surprising it was how her vision came to life in a one day workshop after hiring professionals for years to get to the job done. This is when Mitchelle knew she had exactly what she needed to take her business to the next level. What better time than to launch her latest creation during this year’s Wisconsin Tech Month?

Introducing ITA ACE. It is a groundbreaking app that serves as a digital companion for the modern traveler. It provides a unique blend of personalized travel advice and powerful, intuitive planning tools, allowing users to obtain answers for nearly 70 countries from vaccines to visa. The app is designed to transform the way travelers discover, plan, and book their global adventures. ITA ACE offers a nomadic buffet of resources such as summaries of vaccines, experts of countries, budgeting and a direct chat line.

“As a digital nomad myself, it was a time and energy intensive task to find the info I needed. With my expertise in Systems Engineering, I created the app and platform to help people like me travel. We've combined our human expertise with seamless digital experience, giving users the power to plan their dream their dream trips from the palm of their hand. This app will separate the dreamers and the doers ” -CEO, MITCHELLE LYLE

Are you ready to become confident enough to take the leap into living abroad? Do you want access to resources such as language learning, job placement and financial health? There are a few ways to get the ball rolling:

• Thursday October 9th, 2025 CEO of ITA app will be hosting a launch event right here at CopyWrite Magazine [2201 N Dr Martin Luther King Drive, Milwaukee, Wisconsin] from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Come enjoy mimosas, light pastries and a live experience of the app!

• Test the ITA app yourself: Web App

• Explore the ITA website: visit www.internationaltraveladvisor.com.

• Follow ITA on all social media platforms @intltraveladvisor

Mitchelle is committed to helping others live their "yes" and realize the transformative power of international living, whether they are seeking personal growth, career advancement, or a renewed sense of purpose. Through International Travel Advisor, Mitchelle shares her expertise and passion, guiding her clients every step of the way toward a life of freedom and adventure.

Desriana Gilbert | Entertainment & Social Journalist for /CW

"WI Has All Hands On Deck When It Comes To Tech" | w/ Nadiyah Johnson

Who are the big dawgz that come to mind when you hear the word technology? Is it Thomas Edison, Steve Jobs, the Wright Bros, or Alexander G. Bell? Or maybe it’s not who but what comes to mind? Many think of science labs, China, and the latest iPhone. For technology to consume, intrigue, and play a pivotal role in everyone’s life from Michael J. Fox to Jamie Foxx, why does the industry seem so black & white? What if I told you MKE had it’s very own tech mogul not only making noise in the city but who is also a black woman [whose hair is always laid]?

Nadiyah Johnson. That’s her name!

Although the Marquette University grad’s initial major was international politics; her first love was technology. Johnson has always stood on business when it comes to her goals and vision: to put Wisconsin on the map for changing the way the tech world looks and operates; meaning inclusivity for Black and Brown people. This initiative drove Nadiyah to fall in love with technology. She states, “I fell in love with technology when I saw its potential to transform communities. Growing up, I was always fascinated by how things worked, but it wasn’t until I realized the power of tech to create equitable opportunities and solve real-world problems that I truly fell in love with it.” Johnson’s father introduced her to the versatility and significance of tech when she was young, and her fascination happened quickly. It wasn’t until halfway through college that she realized tech not only solves many problems throughout the world but the industry also has its own challenges; A lack of representation and diversity are on the top of that list. 

I had a front-row seat to witness Nadiyah in action at the Equity In Tech event at the University of Wisconsin (October 9th, 2024). No matter if you are as tech savvy as a 10-year-old on TikTok or someone who needs their niece to help them write a text; any and everybody could relate to one another at her event. From the moment I walked in the door, there was a spread of good food, desserts, business pop-ups, and engaging conversation. The event kicked off with keynote speaker Agustin Lopez, Assistant Special Agent for the FBI, sharing both hilarious and jaw-dropping career stories that gave him the strength and motivation to stay in the field and never give up on his dreams or vision for the life of everyday people that make up cities just like ours!

Lopez didn’t just keep my attention, everyone else in the audience were at the edge of their seats with his life story and nerve-wracking career highlights but also by introducing the topic of Artificial Intelligence [AI]. With its function to simplify and perform has excited millions across the board since it seems it’ll make life easier. However; you may hear about AI in convos throughout MKE usually starting with “I’m gonna lose my job to a robot.” or “There’s no real connection with AI.”. The list of issues arising within AI that myself and the rest of Johnson & Lopez’s audience discussed could be considered longer than Hip Hop’s Top 100 rappers. From invasion of privacy, voice-cloning, financial theft, and blurring the lines of what’s real and what’s not; I learned a valuable lesson in that moment. Yes, artificial intelligence will indeed be a force to be reckoned with when it comes to tackling 414’s biggest issues such as food scarcity but it is also will fire up fear and confusion if not used properly and intentionally. I believe the logic and computational science behind it is a genius foundation for a brighter future but it’s also very easy to become dangerous if we all don’t become educated and in the driver's seat of what exactly AI can contribute to all dope cities including MKE. This is why I’m glad Nadiyah introduced exercises that made everyone in attendance go to the drawing board and see how each one of us would utilize AI when it comes to solving problems knocking on our own doors in WI.

Johnson broke the participants into four teams as she lead her hackathon (a collaborative event where a group of people come together to create a prototype or product in a short amount of time). She allowed each of them to utilize AI resources such as ChatGPT to create phone apps, websites, and other solutions to Milwaukee’s biggest issues they could think of. The room felt like a mecca of brown and black people coming together with out-of-this-world ideas and questions to take on any conflict or problem head-on. The room was full of unique and widespread perspectives that deepened the convo even further time and time again. Although the breakout session was supposed to make the event more active and engaging; they did something even better: create the spark in the minds of tech entrepreneurs, business owners, and those in the corporate world to start to apply how they could solve their very own issues in that moment. I’d say it was a success! 

The Equity In Tech event raised several questions but one rang in my head loud & clear: what keeps Nadiyah motivated to tackle such a challenging journey to diversity in tech and the economy? Johnson quickly replied, “My motivation stems from the people I serve. Seeing the talent and creativity in underrepresented communities, yet knowing that these individuals often don’t get a fair chance in tech, drives me every day. Hope drives innovation.” One would think the break-out groups or keynote speaker Agustin Lopez speaking on AI-powered fraud was the highlight of last week’s WI Tech Month event but in my opinion, it was Johnson’s empowering remarks about how the ecosystem is evolving into a more optimistic light rather than negative. “Organizations like Milky Way Tech Hub and Latinos in tech have emerged as top leaders in our state-wide ecosystem. The question that we are solving for now is -- how do we sustain and scale this momentum?  I envision a future where Milwaukee, and Wisconsin as a whole, becomes a hub for Black tech talent, where underrepresented groups are not just participants but leaders in the industry. We have the potential to set the standard for what an equitable tech ecosystem looks like”. Nadiyah Johnson has made it her mission to continue to stand on business when it comes to showcasing just how bright Wisconsin’s present and future will be once everyone sees their is magic in representation, equal opportunity, and diversity!

Desriana Gilbert | Entertainment & Social Journalist for /CW

Governor Tony Evers Declares October WI Tech Month

*Info provided by Nadiyah Johnson, CEO, Founder Jet Constellations

Governor Evers has proclaimed October as WI Tech Month in the state of WI. WI Tech Month is being presented by the Milky Way Tech Hub and Wisconsin Voices. Nadiyah Johnson, the founder of the Milky Way Tech Hub, feels it is necessary to celebrate and amplify Wisconsin’s Tech ecosystem. “We’re excited to be working with organizations throughout the state to drive awareness around the importance of technology and highlight its role in decreasing racial wealth and achievement gaps.” says Johnson.

More than 20 events have been coordinated around the state. Eau Claire, Beloit, Milwaukee, Madison, Platteville,  and Kenosha are among the many participating cities. The month will kick off with Milwaukee Tech Advocacy Week (October 1st-10th). This will be a week of civic tech events that aim to equip the general public with the tools and knowledge necessary to find their voices in technology through advocacy, policy, and legislation. The week's events will lead up to Lobby Day at the Wisconsin State Capitol building on October 8th. 

Featured events of WI Tech Month include:

October 2nd - NASA Space Apps Challenge -Milwaukee

October 8th – MKE Tech Lobby Day - Madison/Milwaukee

October 13th Smart Cities Design Thinking Workshop – Kenosha

October 14th WiSys Venture Home Technology Showcase -Platteville

October 15th Using Data Wisely to Help Communities of Color: What You Need to Know -Milwaukee

October 19th Tech Connect - Beloit

Events are now open for registration. For a growing list of events visit:

https://milkywaytechhub.com/witechmonth/

To participate in the month's events submit the event concept here:

https://milkywaytechhub.typeform.com/to/t6z00C9L

About Milky Way Tech Hub

The Milky Way Tech Hub is realizing the vision that Milwaukee is a tech hub where Black people and POC are able to thrive in the field of technology. Through a community-based grass-roots effort Milky Way Tech Hub has begun attracting national and international entrepreneurs to Milwaukee in addition to supporting the local talent already here. The Milky Way Tech Hub’s goal is to use its resources, programs, and community partnerships to create equitable opportunities for Milwaukee’s tech ecosystem.

About Wisconsin Voices

We unify a dynamic network of progressive nonprofits in Wisconsin around achieving shared goals to build a better democracy. We build our partners’ capacity, amplify their impact, nurture new leadership, promote racial equity, champion transparent policies, and foster civic engagement so that everyone has an equal voice.