Splitting Fares

3 Reasons You Should Carpool by SPLT's HS Intern

We are fortunate to have a dedicated intern on our team, Alexis Plascencia.

Alexis is a freshman at the Detroit Cristo Rey High School. He joined our team last fall as part of the school's Work Study Program, which aims to provide a real-life work experience for every student. Through this program, students build the knowledge, skills, and self-confidence to be successful in higher education, in the workplace and in life. Alexis is with us five days a month and plays a critical role in administrative tasks that are a part of the everyday startup grind here at SPLT. We couldn't be more proud of his progress. View his latest contribution below.

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3 Reasons You Should Carpool

by Alexis Plascencia

For many years now we have greatly harmed the environment through the use of modern technology, including the use of vehicles. When the first automobile ever was made, people viewed it as an incredible feat of human invention that could do no wrong. As a rideshare companies based in Detroit, The Motor City, we know it’s history well. We graduated Techstars Mobility and were mentored by some of the best minds in mobility and automotive alike.

The automobile has indeed been one of the most innovative developments in history. But, what they didn’t know way back when is that this great invention could one day harm the very Earth we inhabit. With great power comes great responsibility. Thankfully, there are many existing solutions to control pollution levels and climate change. However, a solution that has been standing out for years is Carpooling. This is where SPLT comes in.

 

3 reasons why you should carpool:

 

1. A Greener Planet  

Earth’s temperature has risen in recent years, putting in danger lives and resources. Studies have shown that when just 10% percent of Americans decided to carpool, 85 million gallons of gasoline were saved in a single day, a nonrenewable resource. Carpooling also allows for less wear and tear on our roads and highways. By connecting with people through carpooling you are making a healthier environment for the future and for yourself.

 

2. Save Money  

Whether you are the driver or the rider, carpooling will save you money and lots of it. In fact, we estimate that if you use SPLT moderately for your commute, you can save $5000 per year.  When carpooling, you effectively “SPLT” the cost of fuel, tolls, and other related expenses, putting money back in your pocket to direct towards where you want it to go. By carpooling, you could also avoid possible damages to your car as it will remain safe and sound at home. Carpooling can even reduce the amount you pay on parking spaces and most expenses car related. Sounds like a no-brainer, right? Well, it is!

 

3. Time is Money

Don’t you just hate being stuck in traffic? Wasting valuable time because of traffic on the road is anything but fun. Carpooling reduces the amount of cars on the road, therefore making daily transportation faster for everybody. With big cities now incorporating carpool lanes your daily route could now be even faster.


If you’re concerned you’re doing it wrong, just look at these guys! Or, let us know and sign up your corporation for SPLT today. It’s easy is as ready, set, go!

SPLT Makes SXSW Debut: TechCrunch, IOT Panel and Hatch Pitch

In our first appearance at SXSW in Austin, we made the most of a tremendous opportunity. We networked emerging companies from all over the world and learned from tech gurus and industry giants. We can't wait to be back in 2017 and even announced that we are putting down roots in Austin because the experience was so impactful. Austin here we come!

We were honored to be noticed and covered by TechCrunch's Haje Jan Kamps in
SPLT brings ridesharing to you and your colleagues. It didn't stop there, Anya was served on an IoT panel with Zane Claes, Software Engineer at Airbnb at SXSW for some awesome conversation! Then Anya crushed it at Hatch Pitch where we received feedback from some of the best judges in the world. See the video here

Startup Grind, powered by Google for Entrepreneurs, Hosts Anya Babbitt

Startup Grind is a global startup community designed to educate, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs. The Director of Startup Grind Lansing, David Smith, invited Anya for an interview to learn about her experience as a battle-tested entrepreneur. Anya shared about her early inspirations to build things and ongoing philanthropic work, as well as how she overcame unique challenges with perseverance and strength. 

You can watch the interview here.

SPLT selected Finalist for the Clean Energy Trust Challenge

After a rigorous selection process and months of preparation, SPLT is thrilled to announce that we have been selected to compete in the 6th annual Clean Energy Trust Challenge, the largest cleantech single-day pitch competition in the nation. The Clean Energy Trust, an impact investor that fuels innovation and launches, funds, and grows early-stage clean energy startups in the Midwest has chosen us to compete against 14 other cleantech startups on Tuesday, April 12 at the full-day event in Chicago.

As finalists, we will present our business plan to top cleantech industry investors and venture capitalists for a chance to win up to $1 million in funding – a record amount for the Clean Energy Trust Challenge. 

The Clean Energy Trust Challenge will take place on April 12, 2016 at Venue SIX10 at the Spertus Institute located at 610 South Michigan Avenue Chicago, IL 60605. Tickets are available for a limited time at https://cetchallenge2016.eventbrite.com. Get yours today!

We hope we can count on you to cheer us on!

SPLT named Regional Finalist for the Hult Prize in Shanghai!

SPLT has been selected as Regional Finalists for the Hult Prize Challenge in Shanghai! With 50 finalists per five regions and over 25,000 applicants, we are the 1% of all applicants to be selected! This year, applicants were asked to propose a solution to the world’s polluted and crowded urban spaces problem. In our application, we addressed SPLT’s potential impact in cities around the globe, as well as articulated our dedication to solving the transportation problem in Detroit. The Hult Prize is sponsored by the Clinton Global Initiative and our CEO & Founder, Anya Babbitt, had the pleasure of meeting Hillary Clinton when she was in town for Detroit Auto Show. The SPLT team will be traveling to Shanghai to compete in the regional round in March 2016.

The Hult Prize Foundation is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to launching the world’s next wave of social entrepreneurs. It encourages the world’s brightest business minds to compete in teams to solve the planet’s biggest challenges with innovative ideas for sustainable start-up enterprises. Annual Hult Prize winners can make their ideas reality with the help of $1 million in seed funding

More information about the Hult Prize can be found here: HultPrize.org

 

SPLT goes to CES with Techstars and Ford’s Smart Mobility

Team SPLT is grateful for the opportunity to join Ford at their Mobility and Connected Vehicle display at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and represent the Techstars Mobility Class of 2015. The Ford Media center published news from CES on Techstars Mobility. SPLT’s founding team, Anya Babbitt, Yale Zhang, and Ben McMillan are all featured in the discussion with Bill Ford.

View the video here.

SPLT CEO & Founder, Anya Babbitt, quoted in Xconomy article

SPLT CEO & Founder, Anya Babbitt, was asked to comment on Sidecar’s fall in Xconomy.

Yesterday, news came across the transom that San Francisco ride-sharing serviceSidecar would shutter its operation, effective tomorrow. The news wasn’t a complete shock—though Sidecar launched at roughly the same time as Uber and Lyft, it failed to inspire the billion-dollar valuations, user adoption rates, and investor backing that those two peer-to-peer ride-sharing startups did. It also operated in a comparatively small number of markets…

Read full story and Anya’s comments here.