Victoria O’Connell is an entrepreneur with over 17 years of experience co-founding and managing JDP Global, an international e-commerce and real estate company. With vacation rentals in Malta, London, Dubai and Miami, she’s long been a customer of alternative accommodations. In 2017 her new London flat was burglarized and completely destroyed by a group of men that booked her home via a major home share site. This horrible experience made Victoria think about how she - and many women - feel vulnerable while both traveling and renting out one’s home. How would she feel comfortable renting her place again? What would make her feel safe staying at someone else's rental? She realized that knowing more about who is renting your property, who you are renting from, and having a connection to that person through a private club, was the answer.

Applying inspiration from the community aspect of women-focused coworking spaces, Victoria, along with her co-founder and a team of industry experts, decided to create a platform that connected women through travel; listing only women owned and managed rooms and properties. After months of research and planning, Golightly was born.