Austin entrepreneur mourns second friend lost in a plane crash in less than five months

Austin entrepreneur Brett Hurt, CEO of Love Conquers Fear, reveals he learned of Adam Robinson’s death after already honoring another friend killed in a plane crash. Robinson was among nine people aboard a Learjet 60 that left Austin and crashed in Palm Beach County, Florida, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

The accident that claimed Robinson’s life follows news of Capital Factory co-founder and CEO Joshua Baer dying in a separate business-jet crash onto a highway in Laredo, in June. Hurt notes that many in Austin’s startup community were affected by Baer’s death, with a large service attended by about 1,200 people.

Robinson’s professional background includes leading RB2B and Retention.com, and Hurt highlights his approach of building companies without outside investors and using artificial intelligence to grow them. Hurt says Robinson’s impact extended through his willingness to share knowledge via LinkedIn videos and his spirituality discussions with Hurt.

The Learjet departed from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport around 10:37 a.m. Sunday, heading toward North Eleuthera in the Bahamas. About two hours into the flight, the crew reported clear ice and turbulence at 35,000 feet, requested to climb, then indicated the plane was descending rapidly at excessive speed; two crew members and seven passengers were aboard.

Hurt notes that he did not watch video of either crash, saying the images are too hard to see. He emphasizes that both men demonstrated what can be built with modern technology and that their deaths underscore the importance of valuing relationships and leaving a meaningful legacy. A fund is being established in honor of rescuers from the Baer crash to support students in Laredo.