Today we’d like to introduce you to Joanna McFarland.
Joanna, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started the business five years ago with two other working moms. We were desperate for a solution that enabled us to make sure everyone could get where they needed to go without compromising our careers or sacrificing our kid’s needs due to busy schedules.
From the beginning, it had to be safe enough for our kids and we designed it from the ground up with safety in mind. For me, the question was “what would I need to see to feel comfortable putting Jackson or Sam in a HopSkipDrive ride?” Pretty quickly, we realized the solution we built for families was also a great solution for schools, who often have challenges managing all the varied transportation needs they have while also dealing with bus driver shortages. Safety is the underlying foundation of our business and has helped spur our growth as families and schools nationwide trust HopSkipDrive.
Five years later, our solution spans six states and the District of Columbia, and we’re growing faster than ever. We’ve saved tens of thousands of busy families 34 combined years of drive time, partnered with over 160 schools and districts, onboarded more than 5,000 CareDrivers, and driven over 5 million safe miles.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Every startup journey has its ups and downs, and we’ve certainly had our share. We had never founded a business before, and it was not easy to take the leap from the stability of corporate life to being an entrepreneur. But I was so compelled to solve this massive problem for families and for schools that I knew I had to create this company. And every day, we help thousands of kids get to and from school safely, and we hear stories of lives changed it’s a great reminder of how important this solution is and how worth it all the challenges have been.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about HopSkipDrive – what should we know?
HopSkipDrive is the innovator in youth transportation. We help families and schools get kids where they need to go safely and dependably. We do that by matching them to a network of highly vetted CareDrivers. We work with hundreds of thousands of families and more than 160 school districts across seven states. HopSkipDrive enables kids to reach their highest potential by removing mobility as a barrier to opportunity.
Everything starts with safety. We created HopSkipDrive on a foundation of safety that starts before the ride and continues during the ride. It starts with CareDrivers, the caregivers on wheels who help get kids where they are going safely. CareDrivers must pass a 15-point certification process that is the strictest in the industry. They must have a minimum of five years of caregiving experience and undergo strict background checks that includes fingerprinting, car inspections, driving record checks and in-person meetings. We do more than most do to vet a nanny or babysitter.
During rides, there are additional safety features. In addition to parents and schools being able to track rides in the app, our Safe Ride Support team monitors every ride in real-time to make sure everything runs smoothly. We’re the only ones in the industry with a Safe Ride Support team, and we combine that team with state of the art proprietary technology that gets more intelligent with each ride.
As a mission-driven company dedicated to providing access to opportunity through mobility, we’re also committed to connecting and serving communities for whom transportation is often a barrier. Through partnerships with districts, counties, and volunteer organizations, we help transport homeless kids and youth in foster care to their “schools of origin” so they can enjoy academic and social stability and consistency. CareDrivers especially love being a part of this work.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hopskipdrive.com
- Phone: 1-844-HOP-SKIP (467-7547)
- Email: support@hopskipdrive.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopskipdrive/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hopskipdrive/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/HopSkipDrive
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hopskipdrive/
Image Credit:
Sarah Huffman
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