Blade’s first foray into entrepreneurship began in grade school when he purchased a vending machine. After majoring in geological sciences and archaeology at George Washington University, he subsequently worked in the insurance, consulting, manufacturing, and education industries. He served as a teaching assistant as an undergraduate in addition to working as a substitute teacher for elementary, middle, and high schools prior to pursuing an associate's degree in Instrumentation and Automation Engineering from Idaho State University. While studying at ISU, Blade held the position of Laboratory Assistant, working on an instrumentation engineering proof-of-concept project for the Idaho National Laboratory. In developing his skills as a project manager, Blade has completed coursework at the University of Chicago and the University of Pennsylvania and is currently focusing on strategic management at the Harvard Extension School.

Blade currently resides in Connecticut with his wife and two kids.

Education

• Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Geological Sciences and Archaeology — The George Washington University
• Associates of Applied Science (A.A.S), Instrumentation and Automation Engineering Technology — Idaho State University
• Master of Liberal Arts (ALM) in Extension Studies; field: Management — Harvard Extension School (Ongoing)