Electrifying Urban Mobility: Embracing E-microtransit for a Sustainable Memphis
E-microtransit represents a new era in urban transportation, featuring electric-powered services designed specifically for city environments. This innovative mode of transit employs a range of electric vehicles, from vans to bicycles, tailored to operate with high efficiency. Its core advantages lie in its adaptability and eco-friendly nature, catering to the evolving needs of urban commuters. E-microtransit excels in improving overall mobility within cities. It provides critical first and last-mile connections that complement existing public transit systems, filling gaps and expanding access. This is particularly beneficial in Memphis, where areas underserved by traditional public transportation can experience enhanced connectivity. Its flexible nature allows for tailored solutions that meet unique community needs, promoting greater urban accessibility. Operating on a smaller scale with electric vehicles proves more cost-effective than maintaining large buses or trains, especially during periods of low demand. For individuals, e-microtransit offers a viable alternative to owning a car, potentially reducing personal transportation costs and the economic burden of vehicle maintenance. The operation of e-microtransit generates valuable data, including passenger demand patterns and preferred travel routes. This information is crucial for urban planners in Memphis to optimize transportation infrastructure. Integrating e-microtransit into the city’s mobility strategy can lead to a more efficient and sustainable transportation network. Examples of successful e-microtransit include innovative ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft, which offer electric vehicle options for shared rides. Additionally, many cities have integrated e-microtransit into their public transit strategies to boost accessibility and reduce dependence on private vehicles, especially in transit-desert regions. Despite
Drive Electric Tennessee’s Ambitious EV Goals: A Shift Towards Sustainability
Drive Electric Tennessee (DET), a coalition encompassing state agencies, electric utilities, various cities, universities, vehicle manufacturers, businesses, and advocacy groups, is setting an ambitious target. Their goal is to see 200,000 electric vehicles (EVs) cruising along Tennessee’s roads by 2028. This initiative reflects a broader commitment to enhance environmental sustainability and modernize the transportation infrastructure in the state. As of now, the adoption rate of EVs in Tennessee is on the rise, yet certain areas like Memphis are lagging. Currently, Memphis accounts for just over 11% of the state’s registered EVs, indicating a need to significantly boost vehicle production to meet statewide objectives. This calls for Memphis to nearly double its efforts if Tennessee is to reach its 200,000 EV goal. Infrastructure is a key piece of the puzzle. To support the growing number of electric vehicles, substantial investments are necessary in both public and private charging stations. While Tennessee already has over 1,800 charging stations, only a fraction of these is in Memphis. Enhancing this infrastructure will be crucial in ensuring EV users can charge their vehicles conveniently, thus reducing “range anxiety” — the fear of running out of charge mid-journey. Furthermore, as the number of EVs increases, so will the demand for electricity. Currently, the Tennessee Valley Authority manages a significant share of the state’s energy production, but it will need to scale up to meet the additional load from thousands of EVs charging daily. This is a critical factor in maintaining the reliability and affordability of transportation,
Believing in Individuals to Transform Memphis Mobility
As I was reading the first part of “Believing in Individuals: The Moral Case for Free Markets” by Robert Doar, the head of the American Enterprise Institute, one line stood out to me: “If structural inequities rendered individuals and communities powerless, only government action could end poverty.” In his observations of New York City, Doar was recalling President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society and the necessity for posing alternative civic solutions in the rebirth of New York City in the 1990’s and 2000s. Today we must ask, are we as communities building the right construct for individuals to succeed and contribute their part to the societal challenges we face? Or do we find ourselves waiting for government and business leaders to be the total solution? During the period of advancement that took place in New York City over the tenure of City Mayors Giuliani and Bloomberg, governmental investments in the workforce and immigrants required individuals to meet government half way which resulted in big workforce development shifts to fight poverty and immigrants becoming small business engines. These are but a couple of the successes. Today, I wonder if Memphis can learn these lessons of believing in people to better build the right constructs for success which result in dramatic growth for our individuals, small businesses, and nonprofits. In some areas, we are moving forward and in others we still have work to do. For example, our small minority and women owned business (SMWBE) community has not been materially supported for
Nailing The Memphis Challenge Application
The Ford Urbanite Challenge invites proposals for mobility solutions in Memphis. Funding will be allocated to pilot projects that address the community’s mobility needs. The application is now LIVE on F6S: https://www.f6s.com/urbanite-challenge-memphis . Here are some tips on how to ace your application: Read the explore report: Before beginning the application, take time to go through the Explore Report thoroughly (https://docsend.com/view/ufnypi9gfv6eay3j). It. gives an insight into the mobility issues faced by the communities we intend to serve. These findings have been categorized into four opportunity areas where we seek solutions. Identify your Opportunity Area: Identify the opportunity area your idea aims to address. This will give you clarity and direction to develop your proposal. Understand your Target Group: It is important to select the group of people you choose to serve. This will help gain an understanding of their needs and enable you to visualize their journey. By empathizing with their pain points, you will be better equipped to design solutions to alleviate their struggles. Set Goals: Setting milestones is essential to keeping track of progress and ensuring realization of the vision within the set timeframe, that is, 9-12 months for the pilot project. Start Early: You must start placing your thoughts and saving progress of the application and come back to refine it. It is advisable to start early instead of scrambling to put in an application at the last minute. Turn it in: There is no such thing as a perfect application. Have confidence in your idea and
The Memphis Mobility Challenge Launches
BIG NEWS! THE MEMPHIS MOBILITY CHALLENGE LAUNCHES An exciting collaboration led by Ford Urbanite to bring new innovative mobility solutions to life in Memphis. With Start Co. serving as the local anchor in concert with 12 local partners, we are bringing a shared vision of mobility innovation to ignite change in our community. $600,000 Imagine a Memphis with safe and accessible transportation, opening opportunities. That’s what we are aiming for with $600,000 in pilot funding and other support! CALL FOR INNOVATORS! We are looking for solutions. If you’ve got a spark for innovation and a dream for your community, we are looking for you! Pick one or more of the following critical areas to begin making a difference: Safe Access to Transportation: Providing a sense of safety to women, children and other vulnerable groups leaving home to get into a vehicle. Safety through the entire mobility journey: A door-to-door solution that ensures a safe and secure environment for commuting. Personal Vehicle: Accessibility to personal vehicles, where ownership may not be feasible. Understanding the total cost of mobility and car ownership: Affordable solutions to own a car that is legal and safe for the road, with insurance and regular maintenance. Selected innovators will embark on a five-phase journey designed to take your ideas from concept to reality. Explore Phase: We have heard the voice of the community. Propose Phase: We invite your proposal to make a difference. Refine Phase: We will groom, guide, and provide resource to finalists
Focus Groups To Understand the State of Black Business in Memphis
Start Co. along with the City of Memphis, Christian Brothers University, Black Business Association, the Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Memphis Commission, and Heartland Forward are doing data analysis on the state of Black businesses that goes beyond revenue and paid headcount. We are looking at: the complexities of starting a business out of economic necessity versus economic opportunity structural inhibitors such as technology and transit divides people falling through the cracks in our often siloed entrepreneurship and workforce solutions and more We want to test some of these theories and insights by talking to black businesses about it. The goal is to better understand your business journey, so that we deploy resources better, write better policies, and fund accordingly. This can only happen with your thoughts, feedback, and shared experiences. We seek to have a conversation with you through focus groups that will require an hour of your time. Know that your participation will contribute to a State of Black Business Report that will be released this fall. A $50 e-gift card will be provided to each participant. For questions, contact info@neverstop.co or Shannon Vantreese-Martinez (svantree@cbu.edu). Focus groups will be conducted throughout the week of June 26 @ 9 am, 12 pm, and 4 pm in various locations across Memphis. When you register, you can select the date, time and location that works best for you! Register here: http://forms.gle/EvwNj6rENcwqePwc6
SecondKeys, Start Co. Represented Memphis at NBA Foundation All Star Pitch Competition
Amber Hayes won second place at the inaugural NBA Foundation All Star Startup Pitch Competition for entrepreneurs of color. She got to pitch on stage in Salt Lake City along with 7 other finalists selected from all over the country; to a panel of judges. Her Memphis based company, SecondKeys, is a subscription based software company that provides property managers with an easy-to-use maintenance and repair platform. The platform lets tenants and owners stay updated on what’s going on at their property from water leaks to broken appliances. “It was a wonderful experience to participate in an event of this magnitude and to get to know all the companies in the finalist round was like meeting old friends again. The atmosphere was so welcoming and encouraging. As a long-time NBA fan, I was thrilled to meet so many big names for my company, SecondKeys, and introduce our entry into the FinTech market. It’s an exciting time for us, as we’re working on some great things for the industry,” says Amber Hayes of SecondKeys. The NBA Foundation came up with this pitch competition idea when attending the National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA) Scale-Up Pitch Challenge last fall in Atlanta. The NBA reached out to see if NBMBAA could host a similar competition as part of the events at the NBA All Star Week. Start Co. is the innovation and entrepreneurship partner of the NBMBAA and for over 3 years has expanded opportunity and access for diverse founders all over
Our Reading Recommendations for Innovators
Play Bigger – Dave Peterson, Al Ramadan, Christopher Lochhead, & Kevin Maney Creating something new is great but if you want to build a high growth company it is no longer enough to create great new products. Startups and innovative companies must create whole new categories that destroy old ones. That’s how Unicorns are made and this book is the guide to doing just that. The Power of Social Innovation – Stephen Goldsmith This book is great for any in the civic space or those trying to target the civic space such as governments, foundations, nonprofits. It does a great job of outlining the complex civic environments in which so many businesses are trying to navigate. Business Model Generation – Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur This book will teach you how to systematically understand, design, and implement a game-changing business model. It is a useful tool to understand at a deeper level your customers, distribution channels, partners, revenue streams, costs, and core values. The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Customer Development – Brant Cooper This easy guide provides a four-step framework for helping startups discover and validate their customers, product, and go-to-market strategy. It guides entrepreneurs through finding early adopters, building a minimum viable product, finding product-market fit, and establishing a sales and marketing roadmap. Lean B2B – Etienne Garbugil This is a great layout for selling on businesses; although it is rooted in selling software, the principles can apply to most all businesses. It gives a great mix of formulating a sell, information gathering, introducing a solution, thinking through your team
Ecosystem Building as it Relates to Go-To-Community Strategy
In nature, ecosystems are defined as being a physical environment in which organisms interact with each other. In business, the overall concept of the term “ecosystem” is more or less the same as in nature. In business, creating an ecosystem with which employees, partners, and customers alike all interact in a productive fashion can be a form of go-to-community strategy and can be very conducive to the success of a company. An ecosystem in the business sense of the word has many moving parts. There are the investors who, besides the entrepreneurs themselves, will be the first ones to see the vision of the company and help with funding and acquiring resources. There are mentors who will come in and help by sharing their wisdom and experience to make the company and the community in which it exists more efficient and successful. Having strong corporate partners will also be very significant for the synergy within the ecosystem. There will be the need for ecosystem builders and what is referred to as “cheerleaders.” “An ecosystem builder is a champion for others… Whether they’re referred to as cheerleaders or champions, many of the unsung heroes we interviewed believe that singing the praises of others and amplifying the voices of others in the system is central to being an ecosystem builder” (link to source). There will also be ecosystem support organizations, venture capital firms, angel networks and funds, first employees, advisors, and professional service providers. To summarize, a business ecosystem requires a multitude
Explanation of the Category of Community Growth Software
In my previous post, (link to post on go-to-community strategy) I talked about the exciting new business technique that is allowing us to rethink how we do business called go-to-community strategy. There are some key companies that have taken the initiative to help other companies develop their go-to-community strategies. They do this through community growth softwares that allow the user to learn and implement elements of communities that they previously could not have. “Community software refers to any software that allows users to interact and share data” (link to source). Essentially, community software helps the user learn things about their environment that previous outdated modes of information gathering simply could not, whether it be because of the sheer size, magnitude, or mode of data. There are several qualities that make community software unique. Some of the most notable include instant messaging, knowledge base, self-service portals, discussion forums, and collaborative real-time editors. An interesting subsection to this new business technique and the software that accompany this idea is what is known as “enterprise community software.” This type of software is all about connectivity. It facilitates a joint network between employees, partners, and customers with the ultimate goal of streamlining efficiency and communication in and surrounding a company. Right now, one of the largest promoters and developers of go-to-community software is a company called Orbit. Orbit is built around their concept of the Orbit model (see previous post). Orbit’s community growth softwares allows the user to do a multitude