The Flying Standby Team

We’re a small and dedicated group of travel junkies constantly on the search for great travel experiences - wether that’s a new small hotel, a great meal, or a guided tour of a never-seen-before archeological dig. Helping people travel well is our mission.

Josh Spear, Founder & CEO

As one of the youngest marketing strategists in the world, Josh is regularly sought out for his fresh perspective and no-holds-barred style of consulting on everything from design and gadgets to authenticity and word-of-mouth. His recent focus has been the power of social technology, and the impact this new digital landscape is having on the world. In addition to JoshSpear.com, his internationally recognized trend-spotting blog, he is a Founding Partner and serves as Chairman of Undercurrent, a strategy firm that applies a digital worldview to the challenges and ambitions of complex organizations.

Nominated as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, Josh serves on the Global Agenda Council on Marketing and Branding. He has been an active participant in the World Economic Forum in Davos from ‘08, ‘09, ‘10 and ‘11. Most recently, he has been advising Millennium Promise, helping apply digital technology to the eradication of extreme poverty and the completion of the Millennium Development goals.

Josh has appeared in Time Magazine, the New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, Inc and many other major media outlets. A passionate and well received speaker, he has presented for such diverse clients as McDonald’s, Leo Burnett, Columbia College, NBC, Pepsi, Virgin, The American Advertising Federation, The Google Zeitgeist conference, The International Advertising Bureau and more. He currently serves as an advisor to startups in the gaming, social and commerce sectors, as well as for the Nest Foundation, focused on raising the public’s awareness of the commercial sexual exploitation of children and human trafficking.

Aaron Rutledge, Founder & CTO

Aaron is a seasoned founder with over 15 years experience in inventing, building and scaling digital platforms for businesses of all sizes. With a deep understanding of both the cognitive psychology behind digital user experience, and the technical skills to actually develop it, Aaron has helped companies bring digital innovation to life.

Aaron started building platforms in the mid 90’s in the nascent field of corporate web development with Agency.com. Recoiling from the tech bubble collapse, Aaron and a few partners founded and built the largest e-commerce platform for the wine industry in just five years. He then returned to Madison Ave to build intelligent ad platforms for the likes of British Airways, Discovery Networks and CNN. In 2007 he co-founded the New York office of digital boutique agency POKE, leading creative technology projects for American Express, Dell, Sephora, Johnson & Johnson, and others.

Aaron is actively involved in the New York City tech scene, attending meet-ups, hack-a-thons, leading workshops, and developing classes with SVA, Miami Ad School, and others.