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Pioneers & Protagonists

David Mahfouda, Founder of Weeels

Weeels aims to…
transform traditional taxis (and any private car) into nodes in networked “social transit” systems, starting with a free smartphone app. We’re trying to make our cars more efficient by building software to enable them to better serve wider populations, instead of individual drivers.

The idea came …
from when I became interested in mobility after spending a few months on trains in Siberia and China. When I came back to the United States, I was struck by the lack of public mobility infrastructure, and started to think about how we could better use the resources we have, like cars and roads.

I believe it’s the right moment for Weeels to take off because …
it must, it can, and sooner is better than later. Fuel costs are on the rise, Americans have less money to spend, geo-mobile and information technology are more sophisticated and more prevalent, social networks have made sharing easier, and more and more people are concerned about their fuel waste and pollution.

The easiest way to explain Weeels is…
do-it-yourself shared transit — order and share a cab with the push of a button. (Did I mention the app is free?)

The biggest misperception about Weeels is…
that it’s “just an app.” We envision Weeels as a utility that solves a transportation problem: How do you get around a city when and where public transit fails? How do you connect people who are going the same way, in real time? Weeels can find and deliver you a cheaper ride — and even a ride partner — wherever you are, whenever you need it.

The biggest challenge to overcome is …
that to provide service throughout all of New York City, we work with the taxi industry, which is generally reticent when it comes to innovation. We’re working hard to pass good car service on to our community, but it has taken time to develop the relationships that will make social transit.

The best moment so far is…
every time we hear from one of our users. This can help make our service better and remind us why we’re doing this to begin with.

Another example of Collaborative Consumption I admire is …
It’s hard not to think of another project I’m working on, Fixers Collective. It’s a weekly meeting in Brooklyn that brings people from the neighborhood together to repair and repurpose everyday items. In general, I’m a fan of projects that get people to consume & produce together. FEAST (Funding Emergent Art with Sustainable Tactics) is another really good example.

In the future for Weeels is …
that it is the future of social transit, not just for smartphone users, but for companies, organizations, events, and governments that want to smartly manage their transportation, and make their use of cars faster, more efficient and more cost effective.

Archive of Pioneers & Protagonists Interviews

  10 Questions for Benita Matofska, founder of The People Who Share

  10 questions for Marta Nowinska, founder of Swapsity

  10 questions for Ryan Rzepecki, founder of SocialBicycles

  10 questions for Jamie Wong, founder of Vayable

  10 questions for Theo Kitchener, founder of The ShareHood

  10 questions for Kelly Scales, founder of Bid & Borrow

  10 questions for Campbell McKellar, Founder of Loosecubes

  10 questions for Marcio Nigro, founder of Caronetas

  10 questions for Jess Ratcliffe, founder of GaBoom

  10 questions for Philipp Rogge, founder of frents

  10 questions for Tim Hyer, founder of Rentcycle

  10 questions for Barbara Pantuso, founder of Hey, Neighbor!

  Ella T. Gorgla, Founder of I-ELLA

  Cathy Tao, co-founder of Tourboarding

  Mike Karnjanaprakorn, cofounder of Skillshare

  Juha Koponen, Founder of Netcycler

  Michelle Shearer, Founder of MamaBake

  Leah Busque, Founder and CEO of TaskRabbit

  Ron J. Williams, founder of SnapGoods

  Stephen Rapoport, founder of Crashpadder

  Anthony Eskinazi, founder of ParkatmyHouse

  Drummond Gilbert, founder of goCarShare

  David Mahfouda, Founder of Weeels

  Andreas Randow, Founder of StudioShare.org

  Emma Jamvold, Founder of SwapItBaby

  Dave Llorens, CEO of One Block Off The Grid

  Orli Cotel, co-founder of Swap for Good

  Owen Rees-Hayward, Co-founder of Thingloop

  Juliette Anich, Co-founder of The Clothing Exchange

  Keara Schwartz, Founder of Share Some Sugar

  Hans Schoenburg, co-founder of GiftFlow

  Meriel Lenfestey, Co-founder of Ecomodo

  Steve Sammartino, Founder of rentoid.com

  Micki Krimmel, Founder of NeighborGoods

  Shelby Clark, Founder of RelayRides

  James Reinhart, Founder of thredUp

For a complete archive of Pioneers & Protagonists Interviews click HERE.