CEO
Retrievair
Benton Miller is the Founder and CEO of RetrievAir, a mission-driven public charter airline created to make pet-first air travel safe, humane, and joyful. What began as Benton’s personal struggle to fly with his two Labrador Retrievers, Maple and Willow, has grown into the first airline built entirely around the needs of pets and the people who love them.
Since launching RetrievAir, Benton has led every part of the company’s early growth: developing the business model, securing regulatory approvals, raising capital, building the brand, and overseeing flight operations. As CEO, he sets the strategic vision, drives operational and fundraising decisions, and ensures the entire team is aligned around delivering an exceptional travel experience. His day-to-day ranges from working with operations and customer-experience teams to engaging investors, managing partnerships, navigating compliance, and actively listening to customers to improve their experience. In true startup fashion, he jumps in wherever momentum is needed.
After graduating from Baylor University with a degree in Professional Selling, Benton joined 3M and quickly rose through the organization, ultimately becoming one of the youngest Regional Sales Managers in company history. Those early experiences with leading teams, managing complex operations, and building customer trust became the foundation for his entrepreneurial leadership today.
He later earned his MBA from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, where his entrepreneurial journey took shape. In the Silicon Venture Program, Benton created the first version of RetrievAir, transforming a three-month venture challenge into a real, venture-backed business.
Professionally, his greatest accomplishment has been launching RetrievAir from scratch, despite entering two highly regulated industries with no prior experience. From navigating DOT requirements to raising capital and flying the company’s first full rescue mission, Benton’s journey has been defined by resilience, rapid learning, and a relentless focus on the customer.
His guiding principle: Know your customers better than anyone else.