How This Female-Owned Aviation Business Took Flight An inspiring conversation with Lee Kapel, CEO & President of TSI Aviation Inc.

"To achieve success, you need to have respect for yourself and a passion for what you are doing."

Lee Kapel, CEO & President of TSI Aviation Inc., believes this with her heart and soul, and her faith in those two things has allowed her to achieve her goal of running an incredible woman-owned small business.

Born in Cuba, Kapel came to America at the age of two. Her father was an auto mechanic, and from a very early age, he taught her to keep her ears tuned to what was going on with their car. That nurturing led her to a love of mechanical engineering and eventually to the aviation business, where she now provides parts and services for military and commercial airlines.

Her career started at a company called Technical Service International, where she learned to fight for what she believes in. Kapel recalls, "I really loved sales, and I remember going to the president of the company at the time and asking for an opportunity to sell. And he said, 'Um, no. This is aviation — aviation is a man's world.' And I said to him, I respect myself as a woman and I demand respect from people I deal with and I will be fine.'"

That fierce determination paid off. Some years later, that old company closed down and TSI Aviation was born. Kapel has thrived in the so-called man's world her former boss described, and today she is on speed dial for generals and military leaders who are constantly in need of her assistance.

Kapel is happy to help when she can and is grateful for the help she has received along her journey of growing her company. "When I took over, I was reaching out to see who would help us and the only one who was incredibly supportive was Chase." She explains that over the years it has become more than just a business relationship. "The person who was assigned to my account became my friend."

During the pandemic, Kapel says, Chase for Business was there for her. "They held our hand during the toughest times." Without the infrastructure that a lot of larger companies have, they have gone above and beyond to help keep TSI's business moving forward. "They even get on the phone with clients of mine when things need to be explained, so that we can remain focused on what needs to get done at the company."

Kapel says that these days, her passion is two-fold: aviation and spreading the word to young women that they have the ability to accomplish whatever they set their goals to be. She was thrilled when her granddaughter told her that she wanted to be a CEO when she grows up. "There's an old saying in this industry that I love," says Kapel. "'Your attitude determines your altitude.' Keep going, be positive, confront challenges head-on and you'll reach your altitude."

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