• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Pioneers & Protagonists

Stephen Rapoport, founder of Crashpadder

Crashpadder aims to…
offer business and leisure travelers a cheaper, friendlier and more sustainable alternative to hotels in the form of hospitable locals’ spaces.

The idea came …
from my time in Sydney during the 2000 Olympic Games; all the hotels were overbooked and available beds were commanding eye-watering prices. The bar staff in my local pub started offering their spare bedrooms to the tourists who came through the doors and soon most of us had guests in some form or other.

I believe it’s the right moment for Crashpadder to take off because …
of the feedback we see every day from users and visitors. The economic downturn, disenchantment with the ‘service’ provided by big business, a keener eye on environmental issues and the talk of nurturing the Big Society have all fueled demand for a service like ours, and the internet provides the perfect platform.

The easiest way to explain Crashpadder is …
an accommodation network that enables guests to save, hosts to earn and everyone to make new friends.

The biggest misperception about Crashpadder is…
that the rooms we offer are less comfortable than hotels. Through Crashpadder.com you can rent 5 Star yurts, million pound yachts and stunning city penthouses as well as private double bedrooms in over 1,200 cities worldwide.

The biggest challenge to overcome is …
spreading the word! It seems that the sea-change of opinion is firmly underway with increasing numbers of people booking spare rooms not once, but every time they travel. The challenge now is letting the world know we exist which is a massive challenge. But as my sister always says, “there is only one way to eat an Elephant; one small bite at a time.”

The best Crashpadder moment so far was…
hosting my first Crasher back in 2008. They were over from New York for a week of sightseeing and tourism and had plans to see the usual London landmarks - Big Ben, The Tower of London. *YAWN* Together we tore up their inventory and wrote a new one that was personal to them. I now host for 20+ days every month and still get excited about sharing my knowledge as a Londoner with tourists who are coming to visit my city.

Another example of Collaborative Consumption I admire is …
ZOPA; the daunting task of competing with corporate hotel chains must seem pretty small-fry to cutting financial institutions out of money-lending. The public perception shift must have been hard too but they seem to be flourishing despite these challenges.

I believe the future of sharing …
lies in the hands of a small number of early adopters who are learning to lead a mainstream life whilst cutting out their dependency on corporate business. This is no longer about hippies in hemp or communal living. For Collaborative Consumption to have a significant impact will take everyday people, from city professionals to home county housewives, realizing how satisfying it can be to cut out corporate margins.

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.