# Caroline Shin

> Caroline Shin is the CEO and co-founder of Vacatia, a San Francisco-based marketplace reinventing the $35 billion timeshare industry. A MIT nuclear engineering graduate who cut her teeth building Hotwire from the ground up and running global CRM at Starwood Hotels, she launched Vacatia in 2013 to apply technology-first thinking to an industry that had barely touched the internet. Under her leadership, Vacatia has raised $46.8M across multiple rounds, acquired several resort management companies, grown to 750+ industry partners, and expanded to manage 4,750 resort units across eight states.

- **Role:** CEO & Co-Founder at Vacatia
- **Organizations:** Vacatia, ARDA (American Resort Development Association), Korean American Community Foundation of San Francisco, Store Vantage
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Bachelor of Science, Nuclear Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
- **Known for:** Co-founded Hotwire as lead website architect; team sold it to Expedia, Named to ARDA (American Resort Development Association) Board of Directors in 2017, Led Vacatia to raise $46.8M across multiple funding rounds

## Career timeline

- **1997-2000** — Technology and strategy consultant at Accenture
- **2000-2003** — Lead website architect on startup team at Hotwire.com; later managed product and supplier relationships. Team sold Hotwire to Expedia.
- **2003-2007** — Corporate Director of Pricing and CRM at Starwood Hotels & Resorts, managing global CRM and revenue management
- **2007-2012** — SVP of Client Management & Flight Operations at Sentient Jet (Sentient Flight Group)
- **2012** — Co-founded Store Vantage, serving as Co-Founder and Chairman
- **2013** — Co-founded Vacatia, a vacation ownership marketplace
- **2015** — Vacatia closes $7M Series A funding
- **2017** — Named to ARDA Board of Directors; Vacatia wins ACE Innovator Award
- **2021** — Vacatia closes $20M Series B and simultaneously launches $60M acquisition and development fund
- **2022** — Vacatia acquires VSA Resorts (Virginia Beach), adding 21 timeshares and 42 whole-ownership HOAs
- **2024** — Vacatia acquires The Berkley Group, Inc. and Daily Management, Inc.

## Achievements

- Co-founded Hotwire as lead website architect; team sold it to Expedia
- Named to ARDA (American Resort Development Association) Board of Directors in 2017
- Led Vacatia to raise $46.8M across multiple funding rounds
- Grew Vacatia to 750+ industry partners and 4,750 managed resort units across 8 states
- Secured Disney's endorsement for managing DVC timeshare resales through Vacatia
- Vacatia won ACE Innovator Award at ARDA Awards 2017
- Vacatia earned 13 finalist honors in the 2026 ARDA Awards
- Board Member, Korean American Community Foundation of San Francisco
- Launched $60M acquisition and development fund alongside Series B in 2021

## Latest updates

- **2024-12** — Vacatia acquires The Berkley Group, Inc. and Daily Management, Inc., expanding resort management footprint
- **2022-08** — Resort Trades Magazine feature: 'Caroline Shin Leading Vacatia to a Bright Future'
- **2022-01** — Vacatia acquires VSA Resorts in Virginia Beach, adding 21 timeshares and 42 whole-ownership HOAs with 4,750 units and 50,000 owners across 8 states
- **2021-11** — Vacatia closes $20M Series B financing and launches $60M acquisition and development fund

## Links

- Website: https://vacatia.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolineshin/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/Vacatia
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carolinekshin/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/caroline-shin
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-27