This Nashvillian’s App Helps Travelers Feel at Home Anywhere

Growing up on a Navajo reservation — coupled with extensive travel and exposure to multiple languages and cultures early on — gave Traci Snowden a unique perspective on the world. Now, she’s bridging the equity gap through Apto Global, a non-political platform dedicated to travelers and those relocating abroad. It’s designed to help them adapt and overcome cultural differences.

Encouraging us all to “speak human,” Traci’s approach moves far beyond just the logistics of travel. And thanks to her incredible efforts to support local internationalization and diversification, Mayor John Cooper recently declared June 12 through 19 “Speak Human” Nashville week. Please welcome this week’s FACE of Nashville, CEO and co-founder of Apto Global, Traci Snowden. 

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What was the journey that led to creating Apto Global?

I grew up with a lot of love, but not a lot of money, straddling multiple cultures and languages. By the time I was 12, I had traveled to all but 10 of the 50 states while accompanying my parents on the pow wow and native American art circuit. When I was 13, I was put into an exploratory course for German, and thanks to my teacher and parental support, I was able to travel to Germany for two summers in high school and my first full year of university. I also started working at age 13. I gained a lot of rudimentary business skills by helping and learning from my parents and my friends’ parents.

When I returned to the U.S. to finish my studies at Miami University of Ohio, I started teaching at an immersive language school in downtown Cincinnati. We catered to Procter & Gamble expats from all over the world. That exposed me to the world of global mobility. It taught me two things: one, that learning how to adapt to a new community, language, and culture within the context of that location was powerful and effective, and two, that there was little to no equity in that approach. I saw executives and upper management getting access to relocation services and resources that would set them up for success and everybody else getting a one-day training or nothing at all.

That stuck with me. Later, I would remember that and ponder how technology could solve that equity gap in a world with 2.8 billion humans needing some variation of these services — from students to employees to expats, travelers, and people in diaspora.

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Apto Global’s tagline is “Speak Human.” Can you tell us more about that concept?

For millennia, humans have shared authentic stories to adapt, connect, and succeed. It’s part of our evolution, survival, and progress. So are war, genocide, and fear-based nationalism. These polar opposites have both advanced and destroyed us. Yet, I’ve been to over 50 countries, and everywhere I’ve traveled, all humans have something in common. They want to be healthy and happy. They want the best life possible for their families. When we, as communities, seek to provide that for everyone, it statistically yields better results for our local economies.

“Speak human” means a lot of things to a lot of people. Like art, we often want people to interpret it for themselves. Internally, we hope it will inspire people to find common ground to overcome our differences — like language, culture, and geography. We are an apolitical platform with no hidden agendas. We want people to explore culture together by sharing and listening to discover how to adapt to life anywhere.

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What do you feel are the biggest challenges for those who are traveling or relocating abroad?

We’ve interviewed thousands of travelers and identified three common areas of challenge: logistics, language, and culture. People need to answer the question, “How do I get prepared to travel, relocate, live, adapt, connect, and succeed?” Organizations need to help them answer that question to attract, onboard, and retain. Cities need their organizations to do that to effectively thrive economically, including attracting Foreign Direct Investment.

Most individuals recognize that logistics planning is hard because it’s the first thing that comes to mind — “I need housing, cell phone service, a bank account, a driver’s license, access to healthcare.” But it’s so much more nuanced than that. Most people simply do not have the time, energy, or funds to pull it all together for themselves. That’s why Apto exists, to make it easy to know what to do, what to say, and how to act, so you can feel like yourself and at home.

You’re a world traveler. What is your favorite place thus far?

That is a crazy tough question. I love so many different places for so many different reasons! I love the warmth and hospitality I felt in Ghana, the joy of food and music I experienced in Brazil, and the attention to detail and remnants of ancient culture that linger in the modern society of Japan … Don’t make me choose!

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Where do you eat or shop for a dose of cultural diversity and flavor when you have the traveling bug but can’t leave Nashville?

I love Sonobana and Anatolia for Japanese and Turkish, respectively (conveniently located in the same nondescript strip mall in West Nashville). [I love] Nolensville Road and Plaza Mariachi for street tacos and all things Hispanic, not to mention there are some halal shops where you can get a whole sheep butchered, which brings me back to my childhood on the Navajo reservation. I go to Korea House for my kimchi fix … I could go on and on.

What’s next on the horizon?

Growing the company. That means ensuring that Apto helps Nashville succeed in its mission for deep prosperity and international recognition. The mayor recently declared June 12 through 19 “Speak Human” Nashville week in honor of our efforts to support the internationalization and diversification of our beautiful city.

We’d like to see all universities, multinational companies, travel, tourism and hospitality entities, and non-profits taking advantage of our platform to further their goals and help local, diverse, and international communities interact successfully. Let’s make Nashville a model city. Then let’s do that in roadmap cities across the globe. If we do that successfully, we’ll also make our investors very happy.

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What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

“Happiness is a choice.” That’s stuck with me since my mom told me that at age 12. It’s especially applicable to the life I’ve chosen. Entrepreneurship is HARD. You have to choose how you feel in response to all the hardship that will surely come your way; that’s the key to being both resilient and happy throughout that process. I’ll add to that, don’t let a bad 24 hours turn into 48, and celebrate all the tiny victories along the way.

Outside of faith, family, and friends, what are three things you can’t live without?

Good music, good food, and problems that need solving in order to make something about the world better.

You can download Apto Global’s smartphone app for free to experience the magic of this concept firsthand!

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Nashville women are doing inspiring work. Meet more of them over at our FACES archives!