In a candid conversation on the Invest Like the Best podcast, CLEAR CEO Caryn Seidman Becker opens up about building a company that’s transforming how we move through life, and why identity is the foundation of the modern world.
Today, CLEAR is known as a trusted brand in the airport, but that’s just the beginning. With over 31 million Members, CLEAR’s secure identity platform is helping partners in healthcare, financial services, the workforce, and more – places where secure identity is critical and increasingly under threat.
The vision for CLEAR was shaped by Caryn’s years on Wall Street, where she watched products like Amazon, Apple, and Priceline evolve into platforms. She saw how these companies won by creating value far beyond their original categories.
In 2010, Caryn had a hunch that the struggling airport fast pass service could become something much bigger, so she bought the company out of bankruptcy.
“A product that could become a platform that could make our country safer, make consumers' lives easier. It was biometrics… the convergence of my entire professional career.”
In the early days, Caryn was boots on the ground, doing whatever it took to get CLEAR up and running. She personally answered customer emails, scoured airport storage rooms for hardware, and rolled up her sleeves to train the first hires. It was about grit, resourcefulness, and an unshakable belief in the vision of CLEAR.
CLEAR continued to grow and scale, building its Member base and adding strategic partners like Delta and United, while moving from a physical CLEAR card to a cloud-based platform.
Most recently, CLEAR has unveiled face-first verification Pods called EnVes, unlocking an even faster Member experience and the highest fidelity digital identity at scale.
Built upon the foundation of CLEAR’s proven and trusted experience in the airport, CLEAR1 - the company’s identity solution for businesses - brings that same standard to some of the most sensitive and complex industries, such as financial services, the workforce, and healthcare.
“I know that our healthcare system needs extraordinary help to create safer and easier experiences, and to connect it all."
CLEAR sees opportunities to transform identity verification and check-ins, secure telehealth, and clinical trial enrollment through biometrics, all while putting control in the hands of patients.
What makes a great leader? For Caryn Seidman Becker, it’s a blend of curiosity, humility, and what she calls, “bias for action.”
“Every week is 2% of the year. If someone says, ‘let’s meet in three weeks,’ that’s 6% of the year gone. That’s insane.”
And for Caryn, building great experiences starts with something deeper: honoring her values, staying mission-driven, and showing up—no matter what.
Looking ahead, Caryn sees the upcoming World Cup and Olympics in the U.S. as a chance for CLEAR to showcase its innovations in travel, ticketing, and entry—offering secure identity solutions to a global audience. Beyond these landmark moments, Caryn and her team continue on their path toward providing total identity integrity across all facets of life for a safer and frictionless future.
Click here to listen to the full interview.
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