Andri Kristinsson
Andri is the CEO of Travelade, an avid outdoor enthusiast and entrepreneur. He's an Icelandic guy living in the San Francisco Bay Area who just embarked on a journey to build out a new travel company to help like-minded travelers discover what to do and see in the world - in a personal way.
What places and activities do you specialize in?
"Everything to do and see, specially in Iceland - particularly if it involves anything in the great outdoors. Hiking, trekking, mountaineering, sightseeing, road-trips, local food, you name it. "
How did you get involved in travel?
"Over the last decade I've slowly becoming more and more involved with the travel space. First as an avid adventure traveler myself (~50 countries and counting!), then later by organizing small and large trips for friends, classmates and colleagues - to help friends experience the best of my native Iceland. Most recently, I took the final step into the travel space by leaving my comfy tech job at LinkedIn (btw, loved it there!) to travel the world and start my own startup, Travelade, based on my personal travel experiences."
Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.
"So many to pick from! ...One that comes to mind is from a backpacking trip to Hornstrandir in the Icelandic Westfjords. I was leading a group of twelve friends around this hiking paradise when a massive storm hit from the North Atlantic. My four season alpine tent blew into pieces and most of the group ended up huddling into a nearby shelter snacking on a few remaining energy bars as the boat which was supposed to drop off our supplies midway through the trip had to cancel due to the weather. Regardless of these adventures, everyone was well prepared, warm and we shared travel stories and had an unforgettable time together."