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{{Short description|American businessman}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name = Travis VanderZanden
| name = Travis VanderZanden
| image = File:Disrupt SF TechCrunch Disrupt San Francisco 2019 - Day 2 Travis VanderZanden cropped.jpeg
| image =
| image_size =
| image_size =
| caption =
| caption = VanderZanden speaking in 2019
| birth_name =
| birth_name =
| birth_date =
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1979}}
| birth_place =
| birth_place = [[Appleton, Wisconsin]], USA<ref name="Early Life" />
⚫
| education = [[University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire]] ([[Bachelor of Business Administration|BBA]]) <br />[[USC Marshall School of Business|University of Southern California]] ([[Master of Business Administration|MBA]])
| residence = [[San Francisco, California]], U.S.
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| education = [[University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire]] ([[Bachelor of Business Administration|BBA]]) <br/>[[USC Marshall School of Business]] ([[Master of Business Administration|MBA]])
| occupation = [[Entrepreneur]]
| occupation = [[Entrepreneur]]
| known_for = Founder of [[Bird (company)|Bird]]
| known_for = Founder of [[Bird Global|Bird]]
| networth =
| networth =
| relatives =
| relatives =
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| partner =
| partner =
| website =
| website =
| footnotes = <ref name=Crunchbase>{{cite web |url=https://www.crunchbase.com/person/travis-vanderzanden |title=Travis VanderZanden |publisher=[[Crunchbase]] |accessdate=2018-05-31}}</ref><ref name=LinkedIn>{{cite web |url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/travis1 |title=Travis VanderZanden - CEO & Founder - Bird |publisher=[[LinkedIn]] |accessdate=2018-05-31}}</ref>
| footnotes = <ref name=LinkedIn>{{cite web |url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/travis1 |title=Travis VanderZanden - CEO & Founder - Bird |publisher=[[LinkedIn]] |accessdate=2018-05-31}}</ref>
}}
}}
⚫
'''Travis VanderZanden''' is an American businessman, the founder and current CEO of [[Bird (company)|Bird]], a [[scooter sharing]] service. Before founding Bird, VanderZanden was Chief Operating Officer at [[Lyft]], then VP of International Growth at [[Uber]].


⚫
'''Travis VanderZanden''' (born 1979) <ref>https://www.cnet.com/google-amp/news/the-electric-scooter-invasion-is-underway-bird-ceo-travis-vanderzanden-leads-the-charge/&ved=2ahUKEwiCtsWqv9rsAhUFi6wKHef_CnsQFjADegQIAxAB&usg=AOvVaw1mIw1Bzf0q3ZxaG7ntLjVu&ampcf=1 {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}</ref> is an American businessman and the founder and former CEO of [[Bird Global|Bird]], a [[scooter sharing]] service owned by Third Lane Mobility. Before founding Bird, VanderZanden was Chief Operating Officer at [[Lyft]], then VP of International Growth at [[Uber]].
⚫
== Education and early career ==
VanderZanden attended [[University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire]] from 1997 to 2002, receiving a [[Bachelor of Business Administration]]. He worked as a product manager at [[Qualcomm]] starting in 2002, and received an MBA from the [[USC Marshall School of Business]] 2007 while working there.<ref name=Crunchbase/>


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== Education ==
⚫
After leaving Qualcomm, he was Chief Revenue Officer for [[Yammer]] from 2009 to 2011, then left to co-found Cherry, an on-demand car-wash service. He was CEO of Cherry until 2013, when the company was acquired by Lyft, and he was brought on as Chief Operating Officer.<ref name="Lyft Blog 2013">{{cite web | title=Lyft Acquires Cherry, Prepares for Lyft-off in Seattle | website=Lyft Blog | date=2013-03-26 | url=https://blog.lyft.com/posts/2013/3/26/lyft-acquires-cherry-prepares-for-lyft-off-in-seattle | access-date=2018-06-01}}</ref> He left Lyft for Uber in October 2014; Lyft sued him for allegedly breaking his confidentiality agreement, and the lawsuit was settled for undisclosed terms with VanderZanden denying any wrongdoing.<ref name="Kosoff 2014">{{cite web | last=Kosoff | first=Maya | title=Uber Has Hired The Former COO Of Its Biggest Competitor | website=Business Insider | date=2014-10-06 | url=http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-hires-former-coo-of-its-biggest-competitor-lyft-2014-10 | access-date=2018-06-01}}</ref><ref name="Levine 2016">{{cite web | last=Levine | first=Dan | title=Uber, Lyft settle litigation involving top executives | website=U.S. | date=2016-06-28 | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-uber-lyft/uber-lyft-resolve-litigation-involving-top-executives-idUSKCN0ZE0FP | access-date=2018-06-01}}</ref> VanderZanden then left Uber in October 2016.<ref name="Carson 2016">{{cite web | last=Carson | first=Biz | title=The only executive to hold a high-ranking position at both Uber and Lyft is leaving Uber | website=Business Insider | date=2016-09-30 | url=http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-vp-of-driver-growth-travis-vanderzanden-leaves-uber-2016-9 | access-date=2018-06-01}}</ref>
VanderZanden graduated from [[Appleton North High School]] in 1997,<ref name="Early Life">{{cite news |title=How Bird scooters CEO Travis VanderZanden went from Appleton to the head of a company valued at $2 billion |url=https://www.postcrescent.com/story/news/local/2021/09/22/bird-rides-ceo-travis-vanderzanden-went-appleton-tech-leader/5752616001/ |access-date=September 22, 2021 |work=www.postcrescent.com}}{{subscription required}}</ref> he later attended [[University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire]] from 1997 to 2002, receiving a [[Bachelor of Business Administration]]. He earned a [[Master of Business Administration]] from the [[USC Marshall School of Business]] in 2007.


== Bird ==
== Career ==
⚫
VanderZanden founded [[Bird (company)|Bird]] in summer of 2017. The company deployed its first scooters that September, before raising a $15 million [[Series A round]] of financing in February, 2018.<ref name="Loizos 2018">{{cite web |last=Loizos |first=Connie | title=This former Uber (and Lyft) exec just raised $15 million for his controversial e-scooter startup: Bird | website=TechCrunch | date=2018-02-13 | url=https://techcrunch.com/2018/02/13/this-former-uber-and-lyft-exec-just-raised-15-million-for-his-controversial-e-scooter-startup-bird/ | access-date=2018-06-01}}</ref> In October of 2018, Bird released its latest edition of the scooter, Bird Zero, which was designed and built in partnership with Okai. <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://social.techcrunch.com/2018/10/04/bird-unveils-custom-electric-scooters-and-delivery/|title=Bird unveils custom electric scooters and delivery|website=TechCrunch|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-07}}</ref> As of 2019, the company is now in 120 cities across the globe. <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://social.techcrunch.com/2019/02/03/bird-ceo-on-scooter-startup-copycats-unit-economics-safety-and-seasonality/|title=Bird CEO on scooter startup copycats, unit economics, safety and seasonality|website=TechCrunch|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-07}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.inc.com/magazine/201902/will-yakowicz/bird-electric-scooter-travis-vanderzanden-2018-company-of-the-year.html|title=14 Months, 120 Cities, $2 Billion: There's Never Been a Company Like Bird. Is the World Ready?|last=Yakowicz|first=Will|date=2018-12-10|website=Inc.com|access-date=2019-07-03}}</ref> The company is valued at $2 billion and taken in $415 million in funding. To date, Bird has provided more than 10 million rides. The company currently receives $1.27 on every Bird ride taken, which is inclusive of all costs. <ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/22/technology/bird-scooters-valuation.html|title=Bird Is Said to Raise New Funding at $2.5 Billion Valuation|last=Griffith|first=Erin|date=2019-07-22|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-07-31|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> VanderZanden was a speaker at [[TechCrunch|TechCrunch's]] Disrupt SF in October 2019. <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://social.techcrunch.com/2019/09/25/bird-ceo-travis-vanderzanden-to-talk-scooters-unit-economics-and-multibillion-dollar-valuation/|title=Bird CEO Travis VanderZanden to talk scooters, unit economics and a multi-billion-dollar valuation at Disrupt SF|website=TechCrunch|language=en-US|access-date=2019-10-06}}</ref>


=== Early career ===
On October 12th 2019 a bird Scooter was violently smashed into a parked car in Encino, California. Bird scooters are responsible for deaths, major physical injuries and costly body damage in over 100 cities around the world. Travis VanderZanden needs to man up and have his company take responsibility for the damages his bird scooters have caused. Terrible business model.
⚫
VanderZanden worked as a product manager at [[Qualcomm]].{{citation needed|date=September 2021}} After leaving Qualcomm, he was Chief Revenue Officer for [[Yammer]] from 2009 to 2011, then left to co-found Cherry, an on-demand car-wash service. He was CEO of Cherry until 2013, when the company was acquired by Lyft, and he was brought on as Chief Operating Officer.<ref name="Lyft Blog 2013">{{cite web | title=Lyft Acquires Cherry, Prepares for Lyft-off in Seattle | website=Lyft Blog | date=2013-03-26 | url=https://blog.lyft.com/posts/2013/3/26/lyft-acquires-cherry-prepares-for-lyft-off-in-seattle | access-date=2018-06-01}}</ref> He left Lyft for Uber in October 2014. Lyft later sued him for allegedly breaking his confidentiality agreement, and the lawsuit was settled for undisclosed terms, with VanderZanden denying any wrongdoing.<ref name="Kosoff 2014">{{cite web | last=Kosoff | first=Maya | title=Uber Has Hired The Former COO Of Its Biggest Competitor | website=Business Insider | date=2014-10-06 | url=http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-hires-former-coo-of-its-biggest-competitor-lyft-2014-10 | access-date=2018-06-01}}</ref><ref name="Levine 2016">{{cite web | last=Levine | first=Dan | title=Uber, Lyft settle litigation involving top executives | website=U.S. | date=2016-06-28 | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-uber-lyft/uber-lyft-resolve-litigation-involving-top-executives-idUSKCN0ZE0FP | access-date=2018-06-01}}</ref> VanderZanden then left Uber in October 2016.<ref name="Carson 2016">{{cite web | last=Carson | first=Biz | title=The only executive to hold a high-ranking position at both Uber and Lyft is leaving Uber | website=Business Insider | date=2016-09-30 | url=http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-vp-of-driver-growth-travis-vanderzanden-leaves-uber-2016-9 | access-date=2018-06-01}}</ref>

=== Bird ===
⚫
VanderZanden founded [[Bird Global|Bird]] in the summer of 2017. The company deployed its first scooters that September, before raising a $15 million [[Series A round]] of financing in February, 2018.<ref name="Loizos 2018">{{cite web |last=Loizos |first=Connie | title=This former Uber (and Lyft) exec just raised $15 million for his controversial e-scooter startup: Bird | website=TechCrunch | date=2018-02-13 | url=https://techcrunch.com/2018/02/13/this-former-uber-and-lyft-exec-just-raised-15-million-for-his-controversial-e-scooter-startup-bird/ | access-date=2018-06-01}}</ref> In October of 2018, Bird released its latest edition of the scooter, Bird Zero, which was designed and built in partnership with Okai.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2018/10/04/bird-unveils-custom-electric-scooters-and-delivery/|title=Bird unveils custom electric scooters and delivery|website=TechCrunch|date=4 October 2018 |language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-07}}</ref> As of 2019, the company is now in 120 cities across the globe.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2019/02/03/bird-ceo-on-scooter-startup-copycats-unit-economics-safety-and-seasonality/|title=Bird CEO on scooter startup copycats, unit economics, safety and seasonality|website=TechCrunch|date=3 February 2019 |language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-07}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.inc.com/magazine/201902/will-yakowicz/bird-electric-scooter-travis-vanderzanden-2018-company-of-the-year.html|title=14 Months, 120 Cities, $2 Billion: There's Never Been a Company Like Bird. Is the World Ready?|last=Yakowicz|first=Will|date=2018-12-10|website=Inc.com|access-date=2019-07-03}}</ref> The company has taken in $415 million in funding. To date, Bird has provided more than 10 million rides. The company currently receives $1.27 on every Bird ride taken, which is inclusive of all costs.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/22/technology/bird-scooters-valuation.html|title=Bird Is Said to Raise New Funding at $2.5 Billion Valuation|last=Griffith|first=Erin|date=2019-07-22|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-07-31|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> VanderZanden was a speaker at [[TechCrunch|TechCrunch's]] Disrupt SF in October 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2019/09/25/bird-ceo-travis-vanderzanden-to-talk-scooters-unit-economics-and-multibillion-dollar-valuation/|title=Bird CEO Travis VanderZanden to talk scooters, unit economics and a multi-billion-dollar valuation at Disrupt SF|website=TechCrunch|date=25 September 2019 |language=en-US|access-date=2019-10-06}}</ref>

During the COVID-19 mass layoff of Bird employees, VanderZanden was criticized for not informing employees in person about their dismissal, rather, delegating the task to the company's Chief Communications Officer.<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/23/21231802/bird-electric-scooter-company-workplace-culture-layoffs|title=Bird layoffs|website=TheVerge|date=23 April 2020|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-23}}</ref>

In September 2023, Bird was delisted from the New York Stock Exchange because of its low stock price. Its $7 million market capitalization is less than the value of the $22 million Miami mansion that VanderZanden bought in 2021. <ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/07/technology/tech-startups-collapse.html|title=From Unicorns to Zombies: Tech Start-Ups Run Out of Time and Money}}</ref> In 2024, Bird was acquired by Third Lane Mobility to avoid bankruptcy.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Blum |first=Sam |date=30 April 2024 |title=Bird Flies Again From Bankruptcy With a New, Regulator-Friendly Strategy |url=https://www.inc.com/sam-blum/bird-flies-again-from-bankruptcy-with-a-new-regulator-friendly-approach.html |website=Inc. Magazine}}</ref>

=== Personal life ===
In 2020, VanderZanden purchased a home in [[Bel Air, Los Angeles|Bel Air]] formerly owned by [[Trevor Noah]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.dirt.com/moguls/tech/bird-ceo-travis-vanderzanden-paid-21-7-million-for-trevor-noahs-bel-air-mansion-1203362519/|title=Bird CEO Travis VanderZanden Paid $21.7 Million for Trevor Noah's Bel Air Mansion|last=Mcclain|first=James|date=2021-01-26|work=Dirt|access-date=2021-01-26}}</ref>


== References ==
== References ==
{{reflist}}
<references/>


== External links ==
== External links ==
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[[Category:American transportation businesspeople]]
[[Category:American transportation businesspeople]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from the San Francisco Bay Area]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from the San Francisco Bay Area]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:1979 births]]
[[Category:People from Appleton, Wisconsin]]

Latest revision as of 15:03, 21 October 2024

Travis VanderZanden
VanderZanden speaking in 2019
Born1979 (age 45–46)
Appleton, Wisconsin, USA[1]
EducationUniversity of Wisconsin–Eau Claire (BBA)
University of Southern California (MBA)
OccupationEntrepreneur
Known forFounder of Bird
Notes

Travis VanderZanden (born 1979) [3] is an American businessman and the founder and former CEO of Bird, a scooter sharing service owned by Third Lane Mobility. Before founding Bird, VanderZanden was Chief Operating Officer at Lyft, then VP of International Growth at Uber.

Education

[edit]

VanderZanden graduated from Appleton North High School in 1997,[1] he later attended University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire from 1997 to 2002, receiving a Bachelor of Business Administration. He earned a Master of Business Administration from the USC Marshall School of Business in 2007.

Career

[edit]

Early career

[edit]

VanderZanden worked as a product manager at Qualcomm.[citation needed] After leaving Qualcomm, he was Chief Revenue Officer for Yammer from 2009 to 2011, then left to co-found Cherry, an on-demand car-wash service. He was CEO of Cherry until 2013, when the company was acquired by Lyft, and he was brought on as Chief Operating Officer.[4] He left Lyft for Uber in October 2014. Lyft later sued him for allegedly breaking his confidentiality agreement, and the lawsuit was settled for undisclosed terms, with VanderZanden denying any wrongdoing.[5][6] VanderZanden then left Uber in October 2016.[7]

Bird

[edit]

VanderZanden founded Bird in the summer of 2017. The company deployed its first scooters that September, before raising a $15 million Series A round of financing in February, 2018.[8] In October of 2018, Bird released its latest edition of the scooter, Bird Zero, which was designed and built in partnership with Okai.[9] As of 2019, the company is now in 120 cities across the globe.[10][11] The company has taken in $415 million in funding. To date, Bird has provided more than 10 million rides. The company currently receives $1.27 on every Bird ride taken, which is inclusive of all costs.[12] VanderZanden was a speaker at TechCrunch's Disrupt SF in October 2019.[13]

During the COVID-19 mass layoff of Bird employees, VanderZanden was criticized for not informing employees in person about their dismissal, rather, delegating the task to the company's Chief Communications Officer.[14]

In September 2023, Bird was delisted from the New York Stock Exchange because of its low stock price. Its $7 million market capitalization is less than the value of the $22 million Miami mansion that VanderZanden bought in 2021. [15] In 2024, Bird was acquired by Third Lane Mobility to avoid bankruptcy.[16]

Personal life

[edit]

In 2020, VanderZanden purchased a home in Bel Air formerly owned by Trevor Noah.[17]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "How Bird scooters CEO Travis VanderZanden went from Appleton to the head of a company valued at $2 billion". www.postcrescent.com. Retrieved September 22, 2021.(subscription required)
  2. ^ "Travis VanderZanden - CEO & Founder - Bird". LinkedIn. Retrieved 2018-05-31.
  3. ^ https://www.cnet.com/google-amp/news/the-electric-scooter-invasion-is-underway-bird-ceo-travis-vanderzanden-leads-the-charge/&ved=2ahUKEwiCtsWqv9rsAhUFi6wKHef_CnsQFjADegQIAxAB&usg=AOvVaw1mIw1Bzf0q3ZxaG7ntLjVu&ampcf=1 [dead link‍]
  4. ^ "Lyft Acquires Cherry, Prepares for Lyft-off in Seattle". Lyft Blog. 2013-03-26. Retrieved 2018-06-01.
  5. ^ Kosoff, Maya (2014-10-06). "Uber Has Hired The Former COO Of Its Biggest Competitor". Business Insider. Retrieved 2018-06-01.
  6. ^ Levine, Dan (2016-06-28). "Uber, Lyft settle litigation involving top executives". U.S. Retrieved 2018-06-01.
  7. ^ Carson, Biz (2016-09-30). "The only executive to hold a high-ranking position at both Uber and Lyft is leaving Uber". Business Insider. Retrieved 2018-06-01.
  8. ^ Loizos, Connie (2018-02-13). "This former Uber (and Lyft) exec just raised $15 million for his controversial e-scooter startup: Bird". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2018-06-01.
  9. ^ "Bird unveils custom electric scooters and delivery". TechCrunch. 4 October 2018. Retrieved 2019-05-07.
  10. ^ "Bird CEO on scooter startup copycats, unit economics, safety and seasonality". TechCrunch. 3 February 2019. Retrieved 2019-05-07.
  11. ^ Yakowicz, Will (2018-12-10). "14 Months, 120 Cities, $2 Billion: There's Never Been a Company Like Bird. Is the World Ready?". Inc.com. Retrieved 2019-07-03.
  12. ^ Griffith, Erin (2019-07-22). "Bird Is Said to Raise New Funding at $2.5 Billion Valuation". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-07-31.
  13. ^ "Bird CEO Travis VanderZanden to talk scooters, unit economics and a multi-billion-dollar valuation at Disrupt SF". TechCrunch. 25 September 2019. Retrieved 2019-10-06.
  14. ^ "Bird layoffs". TheVerge. 23 April 2020. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
  15. ^ "From Unicorns to Zombies: Tech Start-Ups Run Out of Time and Money".
  16. ^ Blum, Sam (30 April 2024). "Bird Flies Again From Bankruptcy With a New, Regulator-Friendly Strategy". Inc. Magazine.
  17. ^ Mcclain, James (2021-01-26). "Bird CEO Travis VanderZanden Paid $21.7 Million for Trevor Noah's Bel Air Mansion". Dirt. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
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