The founder
Joana Carolina
I've started from zero twice. This time I'm building something that's mine to keep, and something people can trust.
Short bio
Joana Carolina is the founder of Azure Collection Yachts, a Miami yacht charter concierge. A single mother who moved to Miami at 19 with $700, her puppy, and her two-year-old son, she spent years running operations inside start-ups before building a service that protects clients from charter scams and plans their special occasions on the water.
Full bio
Joana Carolina grew up around her parents' family business and has been building ever since. At 19, after her marriage ended, she moved to Miami with $700, her puppy, and her two-year-old son, choosing the Sunshine State so he could play soccer and be outdoors all year.
She went on to work inside a series of start-ups with big ideas and little capital, running operations and wearing every hat it took to build and scale a business from scratch. In the yacht charter world she saw clients lose hard-earned money to scams and fake listings, and she began connecting them directly with trusted yacht owners and planning their celebrations herself.
After starting from zero a second time, she founded Azure Collection Yachts to give clients one trusted concierge, one clear price, and a day planned around their occasion. She lives in South Florida with her son and volunteers in her community through Christ Fellowship.
Quick facts
Azure Collection Yachts at a glance
- What it is
- A private yacht charter booking and concierge service
- Founder
- Joana Carolina
- Based in
- Miami, Florida
- Service area
- Miami, Miami Beach, and Fort Lauderdale
- Fleet
- More than 90 private yachts, 30 to 130 feet, with captain and crew
- Occasions
- Birthdays, proposals, bachelorettes, corporate events, sunset cruises, sandbar days
- How it works
- Clients get one written quote; charters are run by independent, licensed and insured operators
- Company
- Azure Collection Yachts, LLC, a Florida limited liability company and subsidiary of John-X Holdings, LLC (Wyoming)
Story ideas
Angles for your audience
Started from zero, twice
A 19-year-old single mom arrives in Miami with $700, a puppy, and a toddler, and years later builds a luxury concierge business of her own.
How not to get scammed booking a yacht
Fake listings and deposits sent to strangers are common in Miami. Joana shares the red flags and how to book safely.
Celebrations on the water
Proposals, birthdays, and sunset cruises on Biscayne Bay, with visuals of the yachts, the skyline, and the sandbars.
Building a business with no capital
Lessons from years inside lean start-ups: doing every job, keeping costs low, and growing from scratch.
Photos & logos
Media assets
Free to use in coverage of Azure Collection Yachts. Credit: Azure Collection Yachts.
