Taxi Magic names former ZipRealty chief, Go-Gurt creator as CEO, rebrands as 'Curb'
Joanne S. Lawton
Patrick Lashinsky, former chief of ZipRealty and creator of Go-Gurt, was named CEO of Taxi Magic on Wednesday. The company is being rebranded as "Curb."
- Bill Flook[1]
- Staff Reporter- Washington Business Journal
- This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.[2] | Twitter[3]
Taxi Magic on Wednesday named a new CEO: Patrick Lashinsky[4], former chief of ZipRealty[5], creator of Go-Gurt and a relative newcomer to the e-hailing industry.
That is, he's is taking over the company formerly known as Taxi Magic. Coinciding with the CEO announcement, the Alexandria-based business is rebranding to "Curb" and adding a bundle of upgrades aimed at making the service more reliable and easy to use.
Curb, while not yet profitable, has achieved an enviable scale among D.C. tech companies, counting in its network 35,000 taxis and 6,500 sedans. It offers both an e-hailing app — competing in a crowded consumer field that includes Uber[6], Lyft, Hailo and others — as well as in-cab credit card swipers. Unlike Uber, Curb partners with existing taxi fleets and doesn't look to upend existing regulations when it moves into a new city. That won't change under the rebrand, Lashinsky said in an interview. "Our focus is going to be that we're going to play in the current environment and the current structure that's there and the rules that are established," said Lashinsky.
Lashinsky has a long history in food service and real estate technology, but only recently turned his attention to taxi-tech. His resume includes stints at General Mills[7] — where he says he conceived and helped develop the on-the-go yogurt that became Yoplait's Go-Gurt — as well as Taco Bell[8] and Del Monte Foods[9]. He rose through the ranks at Emeryville, California-based ZipRealty over 11 years, becoming CEO in 2007 and departing in 2010. Asked about the diversity of subject matter in his career, Lashinsky said "It's not so much about the business, the product, as what you're trying to do."
Bill Flook covers technology, biotech and venture capital.
References
- ^ Bill Flook (feeds.bizjournals.com)
- ^ This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (feeds.bizjournals.com)
- ^ Twitter (twitter.com)
- ^ Patrick Lashinsky (feeds.bizjournals.com)
- ^ ZipRealty (www.bizjournals.com)
- ^ Uber (www.bizjournals.com)
- ^ General Mills (www.bizjournals.com)
- ^ Taco Bell (www.bizjournals.com)
- ^ Del Monte Foods (www.bizjournals.com)