Santa Monica is at the center of a tech revolution. Hundreds of startups are based in the city, part of the Westside of L.A. County that has been dubbed “Silicon Beach.”
Our new weekly Tech Tuesday feature will introduce you to some of the cutting-edge tech startups cropping up in our back yard.
This week, we chatted with RideAmgios, a company that’s trying to make the daily commute better — and greener — for everyone.
What does RideAmigos do?
We are a national leader of web-based, multi-modal transportation solutions, providing regional commuter networks, multi-modal travel dashboards, certified transportation commute surveys, trip trackers, reward systems, and GIS reporting tools, specifically for projects.
How did you come up with the idea?
CEO Jeff Chernick wanted to share a cab to work eight years ago. The CTO [Chief Technology Office] at the time, now COO [Chief Operating Officer] Evan Meyer built him a system to do just that. We have evolved to provide access to such an idea across many markets, particularly government.
Why did your company locate in Santa Monica?
We have six employees located in Bloomington, IN. Jeff and Evan run the company in Santa Monica simply because we live here. 🙂
What’s the biggest challenge your company is facing?
This would have to be phrased nicely, but the crux of our problem is long government sales cycles and slow moving bureaucracies.
How could the city of Santa Monica help your company thrive?
We are working with around 60 of the larger employers in Santa Monica. Santa Monica could work with us to support more programs with employers to help reduce SOVs [single-occupancy vehicles].
Where do you see your company in a year?
[Getting] cities to work together, using our platform, sharing their databases, and leveraging one another’s best practices across the industry. In other words, [getting] government to quit reinventing the wheel and work together on problems that have already been solved.
