> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.foundedbywomen.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Sofia Roberts Colmenero of ReelPlans on Turning Saved Reels Into Real Travel Plans - URL: https://www.foundedbywomen.org/next-gen-founders/sofia-roberts-colmenero-of-reelplans-on-turning-saved-reels-into-real-travel-plans/ - Published: 2026-11-09T02:30:37.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-09T02:30:37.000Z - Author: Editorial team - Tags: Next Gen Founders Sofia Roberts Colmenero is the 17-year-old founder of [ReelPlans](https://www.reelplans.com/?ref=foundedbywomen.org), a travel-tech app that helps people turn places discovered on social media into organized boards and real plans. A U.S. and Spanish citizen who grew up in Mallorca, Spain, she has travelled to more than 60 countries during a four-year world trip with her family, studying internationally through the Cambridge system along the way. In this Q&A, Sofia shares how a pile of forgotten saved Reels became the idea behind ReelPlans, what it is like to build a technology company while preparing for her A-level exams, and what comes next, including her trip to Web Summit Lisbon in November. ReelPlans is live now on the [App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/reelplans/id6823709272?ref=foundedbywomen.org) and [Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.reelplans.app&ref=foundedbywomen.org), with integrations with platforms such as YouTube and TikTok planned. Her story is a reminder that the gap between finding inspiration and acting on it is a real problem worth solving, at any age. > Know a woman leader doing incredible work? The Founded by Women Awards are open for entries - founders, executives, professionals and changemakers alike. Showcase your story, gain visibility and connect with a community of leaders. 👉 [foundedbywomen.org/awards](https://www.foundedbywomen.org/awards/) --- ### Q: What inspired you to start ReelPlans, and what problem were you trying to solve? ReelPlans came from a problem I kept having myself. I would find amazing restaurants, hotels, beaches, cafés and places to visit on Instagram, save the Reel or post, and think, “I definitely want to go there.” Then, a few weeks or months later, when I was actually trying to make a plan, I could never find half of them again. I had hundreds of saved posts, screenshots and links, but none of it was organised in a way that actually helped me decide what to do that weekend or where to go on a trip. That became the idea behind ReelPlans. I wanted the app to be really simple. If you find something interesting on social media that contains an actual place, event or experience, you share it to ReelPlans and the app does the rest. For example, you might find a Reel about the “Top 10 beaches in Hawaii” or “Hidden restaurants in London.” Instead of saving the Reel and trying to remember it later, you share it to ReelPlans. The app identifies the locations featured in the content and brings them into the platform for you. You can then organise those places into folders and collections, a little like Pinterest, and later turn them into actual plans. That could be a weekend idea, something to do with friends or family, or a much more detailed travel itinerary built around the places you have saved. The goal is to make the step between discovering somewhere and actually going there much easier. Travel has always been a huge part of my life, so it was a problem I noticed constantly. A few years ago, my family decided to set out on a long-term world trip. Over the past four years, that journey has taken us through more than 60 countries across Asia, Europe, South America, North America and the Middle East. We have always tried to travel quite independently. We like discovering places ourselves, meeting local people and finding the restaurants, neighbourhoods and experiences that make a destination unique. Social media has become a huge part of how I discover those places. The problem was that the tools for saving them had not really caught up with the way people now discover things. ### Q: What has it been like building a technology company at 17 while still being a student? I think the biggest thing I have learned is how many different problems you have to solve when you are building a product from scratch. At the beginning, I had a clear idea of what I wanted ReelPlans to do, but then you have to work out how to actually make it happen. One of the parts I have enjoyed most has been working with my engineer on the technology behind the app. We had to figure out how ReelPlans could identify locations contained within social media content, how to bring that information back into the application, and then how to make the whole process fast and easy for the user. At the same time, I had to think about the design, user flow, onboarding, testing, content and what someone experiences the first time they open ReelPlans. There were also all the practical things I had never done before, from registering as a developer to going through the process of launching an application on Google Play. I actually really enjoyed having to learn all of that as I went. Every time we solved one problem, another question appeared, and I started to understand how all the different parts of building a technology product fit together. At the same time, I am still very much a student, and school is a top priority for me. I study internationally through the Cambridge education system, mostly on a self-study basis. All I really need is my computer, my books and an internet connection. That way of learning has worked really well for me because I enjoy being able to study independently, learn at my own pace and organise my own schedule. The travel has also given me something I do not think I could have experienced in a normal classroom. I have met people from so many different countries, cultures and backgrounds, and I have been able to see different places and ways of life firsthand rather than only reading about them. The academic side is still challenging. I prepare independently for my A-level exams and then sit the official exams at British Council testing centres. I am also preparing for the SAT and looking forward to starting university next year. So I have to be quite strategic about how I balance ReelPlans with my studies. I always have a long list of things I could be doing for the company, so I try to ask myself: what are the one or two things that will make the biggest difference right now? I focus on those first, whether that means improving the product, solving something for our users or working on the next stage of the application. Once those are done, I go back to the list and choose the next few priorities. That helps me keep ReelPlans moving forward without letting it take over everything else I need to do. Now that ReelPlans is live, the learning has changed again because we are getting real user feedback. People use products differently from how you imagine they will, so we are constantly looking at what works, what is confusing and what we can make better. There is always something that can be improved. We are already thinking about the next stages, including expanding to other social platforms such as YouTube and TikTok. I am incredibly happy that we have been able to get the first version live. For me, that is a big milestone, but it feels much more like the beginning than the end. ### Q: Where do you hope to take ReelPlans next? The next challenge is getting people to discover it, use it and hopefully become as excited about ReelPlans as I am. ReelPlans has been accepted into Web Summit Lisbon’s ALPHA startup programme, and I will be travelling there from November 9th to 12th. As part of the programme, ReelPlans will have an exhibition booth for one of the days, which is very exciting for me! It will be the first time we put ReelPlans in front of a large international technology audience. I am looking forward to meeting other founders, mentors and people from across the startup world, but I am also especially excited to speak directly with potential users and start building a community around the product. Building an app is one challenge. Building an audience around it is something else, but I think of it as the next big thing ReelPlans can teach me. I am still only 17, so I know both the product and I have a lot of growing to do. But that is also what makes it so much fun. ReelPlans started with a very simple problem I kept experiencing while travelling. Now we have a real product, real users and a lot of ideas about where it could go next. > Are you a woman leader with an inspiring story? Founded by Women elevates the voices of women making an impact. > Breaking barriers or paving the way for others? We'd love to feature you. Get in touch! 👉 [hi@foundedbywomen.org](mailto:hi@foundedbywomen.org)