Transportation is now more available than ever thanks to a plethora of rideshare options, but have any of them allowed you to take flight? Electric scooters are the latest innovation in accessible transportation, and Blue Duck Scooters is the local brand allowing you to “fly wild.”
Eric Bell, CEO and President of Blue Duck Scooters, is committed to helping his hometown succeed in the fight for meaningful transportation reform. His dedication and expertise, combined with a talented team, is helping transform urban living in not only San Antonio but cities worldwide.
What do you think caused this boom in the scooter industry?
I think people are tired of not having real, green solutions for getting around urban spaces. I don’t know that the scooter is the solution, I just know that it is the solution we are using today. There are a lot of people who are using this as a form of transportation when they ordinarily would have been in their car. The experience of riding a scooter is a lot of fun if you do it responsibly and safely. It seems to take people back to their childhood. I had a razor scooter as a kid. I associate these scooters with a different place and time. When I am in my car I don’t have that experience. When you get on an electric scooter, it is transformative.
What made you decide to get into this business?
I grew up in a family that was very politically involved. One thing that was bouncing around my living room when I was a child was thoughts on addressing real policy. One of the things that policymakers have been unable to address in the South is meaningful transportation reform. I became aware that it was not just possible, but plausible and realistic. That sense of being able to be involved in a movement that could help alleviate problems including parking congestion, pollution, and traffic, was really powerful and has remained steadfast.
What is the most challenging part of this business?
We are a startup, we are inventing an industry that didn’t exist a year ago. The problems we have to solve are huge not only for us but at an industry level and a community level. It is incumbent upon us as corporate citizens to be good partners. We want to be proactive and work with the cities and elected officials. It is the right thing to do, and more important, it is the right way to do business. We are a hardware company, a software company, a logistics company, a real estate company, a data company, a transportation company, an insurance company. All of these things are incredibly challenging individually. When you put them together, it is exponentially challenging. But we have had the ultimate luxury to be able to hire the brightest people to come to help us solve these big, tough problems. Over the course of the past few months, we have seen the company come together as a unit to do some things that are truly remarkable. Like all things, we are all getting better at it day by day.
What are your goals, not only as a business owner but as an individual?
I have some things I check off. If you can do something that is really fun, you can do it with people you love, and you can make an impact – you’re doing the right thing. If it doesn’t check those boxes, I don’t care what it is, I have no interest in doing it. It has nothing to do with having a larger house or more cars. Those are not the point. If we are lucky in the end, we get a paragraph. I would hope that when that paragraph gets written, it checks those boxes.
By Gabrielle Hernandez
Photography by Janet Rogers
