Ami Arad, Founder & Modern Gentleman

Renaissance man; raconteur; male chauvinist pig. These are just some of the words people have used to describe On The Fly's founder, Ami Arad. On any given weekend he may be playing soccer or cheating at golf, tailgating at a Cal football game, reading the lastest business best-seller, shopping for a loyal customer, or even officiating a friend's wedding (he has done twelve and counting).

Grinding his teeth in the gritty underworld that was Berkeley's premier men's store -- George J. Good -- instilled certain qualities in Ami as a young man: expensive tastes (especially as they pertained to tailored clothing), a nostalgia for the men's haberdashery, and a desire to exceed customers' expectations. The grasshopper learned quickly, evidenced by twice being named a regional finalist in Esquire's "Best Dressed Real Man in America" competition.

The "cigar boom" of the mid-1990's drew Ami to what Forbes magazine would rate "one of the Top 10 tobacconists in the world" -- Sherlock's Haven in downtown San Francisco. More bad habits were nurtured at the cigar shop, including a penchant for super-premium cigars, small batch bourbons, and a medium rare Poterhouse (sometimes all in the same evening).

Prior to starting On The Fly, Ami was a top sales engineer at several high-flying software companies during the Internet boom that marked the late 90's and early 00's.

Ami attended the University of California, Berkeley where he studied Political Science which is why you will always find a fresh-pressed copy of the New York Times and a flat-panel TV tuned to the BBC and Bloomberg at Wingtip.

Sam Neth, Co-Founder & Technology Architect

Sam has been building enterprise software and web commerce applications for the internet since before most people heard of the World Wide Web, first at Accenture (fka Andersen Consulting), later at Netscape and Actra Business Systems, and then at Blue Martini Software, where he was one of the founding members of the engineering team and served as Principal Engineer for Commerce Applications. He has since done stints writing AI for poker software, and building an online trading community for virtual currencies, prior to making On The Fly his day job for a while in 2007. 

By the end of the 2008 holiday season, Sam was ready to rejoin the software-industrial complex, spending two years at big data leader MarkLogic, and currently spends his days at CDN innovator 3Crowd Technologies.  In his occasional spare moments, Sam still turns the crank for On The Fly.

Jesse Potterveld, Director of Operations

Jesse is an artist and entrepreneur focused on pushing the limits of popular culture and rethinking its place in our everyday lifestyles. After several years of touring the country in successful bands and moonlighting in the culture industry (galleries, museums, bars and coffee shops), Jesse co-founded Entry Label, LLC, an independent record label and book publisher. Through his involvement in media, retail and the arts Jesse has cultivated working relationships with forward thinking businesses and creative communities worldwide. From his time spent working at Sherlock's Haven (Forbes Magazine: Top Ten Tobacconists in the World) as the 90's cigar craze was catching fire, to his successful genre bending collaborations and hybrid projects, Jesse proves to have a knack for creating success today in tomorrow's ideas.

An avid writer, reader and performer, Jesse is also a member of the neo-punk band GDT. He studied Art History and Sociology at New College, the Honors College of Florida.

Brad Johnson, Stunt Driver & Wingtip GM

A southern gentleman and avid car enthusiast, Brad was raised on a high octane diet of German sports cars in Kentucky's horse country. After a chance encounter with Damon Hill in 1999, he moved to San Francisco where he helped establish the fractional luxury car share industry so aficionados could enjoy all the benefits of exotics without the inconvenience of ownership.

Though his tastes in clothes and spirits trend toward the traditional, his culinary palette travels down a more adventurous path. When he's not writing automotive reviews for AcquireMag, Brad can be found in the kitchen working on new gastronomic creations and experimenting with some exotic meats or spices he has discovered during his travels. 

As Wingtip's General Manager, Brad takes a serious approach to ensuring members get the most out of their club experience. His prior military service helps him take a focused and disciplined approach to developing processes which keeps all aspects of the club humming along like a well oiled M1 Abrams --which is to say, don't let him zero his sights on a problem because it won't withstand the impact.

Jennifer Phoenix, Concierge

That's Tiffany Case from "Diamonds Are Forever", and Jennifer is similarly a jewel for Wingtip. Here to make your life that much better, Jennifer is the queen bee for all your concierge needs. Recently working to improve the lives of top-notch residents, she created the concierge program from scratch after the 2007 renovations of Martin Building Company's Mint Collection at Mint Plaza and co-founded the San Francisco Residential Concierge Association where she partnered up with Wingtip. There is no job too small or too big for dear Jennifer; she is the answer to your everyday needs and special requests: dinner reservations, travel plans, personal care services, tee times, show tickets, party planning, you name it! Jennifer has worked her magic with hard-to-get show tickets, arranged travel packages for trips around the world (with very specific requests), along with coordinating a range of events; from intimate wedding receptions to grand corporate fundraisers.

Hugh Redford, Chief Customer Advocate

Raised in New England by a family of academics, Hugh's gateway drug to the world of the modern gentleman was a bow tie. He absorbed traditional preppy culture before heading to college in rural, small-town Iowa to study Philosophy and Organizational Theory with a healthy dose of midwestern hospitality. Once his time in Iowa came to an end, he worked as a manager for the top restaurants of a national restaurant group in South Florida. As a restauranteur, he was drilled in the importance of details, follow-up, and clienteling.

Hugh joins On The Fly with a playbook of creative solutions to difficult problems and a nose to how every decision affects the customer experience. His across-the-board training in people and pursuits shaped his belief that a business begins and ends with its customers.

When not fighting tirelessly for our customers, Hugh is on his bike in Marin, reclining with a dram of scotch, or behind the lens of a camera (but not all three at the same time).

Ellen O'Brien, Personal Shopper

Depicted as Miss Mary Goodnight from "The Man with the Golden Gun", Ellen returns to her native San Francisco after stops in New York and Los Angeles to help the fashion weary (and overworked) enjoy the full breadth of On The Fly?s offerings. Life in a a variety of cities, extensive international travel, and experience in the men's division at Nordstrom have combined to give her a thorough knowledge of and appreciation for the needs of a modern gentleman. She can help you update your professional wardrobe, spiff up your weekend wear, or make sure you're the best dressed duffer in your foursome. Ellen?s strengths lie in saving you time, and more importantly, helping you develop your own sense of style. She is available by appointment at On The Fly or Wingtip.