35. Rob Wiesenthal of Blade

How I Got Here - Inside stories behind innovation and startups in travel

You can probably count on one hand the number of entertainment executives who've switched their careers to enter the world of travel startups.

Rob Wiesenthal is one such entrepreneur.

He left a career with Sony and later Warner Bros to launch Blade, a platform for booking helicopter commutes.

The New York, U.S.-based company was created in 2014 and has got the financial support of some of the biggest names American business (Google's Eric Schmidt, IAC's Barry Diller and AOL's Bob Pittman).

Blade has become of the leading arrangers of helicopter flights between downtown New York City and its associated airports (JFK, La Guardia and Newark) and it also operates in other states on both coasts of the U.S.

His experience in the corporate world often puts him at odds with some of the thinking that emerges in the startup world from Silicon Valley, thus why his story about building a business and his views on the market are so interesting.

Wiestenthal is the latest guest on How I Got Here.

HIGH is a weekly show produced by PhocusWire and Mozio, aimed at getting the inside stories behind startups and innovation in travel and transportation.

It's hosted by PhocusWire's editor in chief, Kevin May, and Mozio co-founder and CEO David Litwak.

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