The Sharing Economy (Part 2)

(Let’s hope that you read Part 1!)

To continue along the lines of Rachel Botsman’s TedTalk….

We are ushering in a new era of trust among strangers in the digital age.  As you can imagine, reputation is key.  It facilitates the collaborative economy.  So, how can we capitalize on reputation?

Everyone leaves their trace on the internet, whether through their social media or other online marketplace interactions (Ebay, Airbnb, etc…).  At Coride, we leverage this digital equity so that users may get to know each other before choosing to coride.  

Ridesharing.  It’s more than just a monetary transaction and exchange of services- it’s a social interaction.

When users sign up on Coride.co, they have the option of linking their profile with their Facebook account.  They may also write reviews of other coriders to further build reputation.  By creating a more holistic user profile, riders and drivers are more likely to gain each other’s trust.   In the end, this will broaden the greater Coride community!

Osoride app featured in The Badger Herald

The Badger Herald, a University of Wisconsin Madison student newspaper, recently profiled Osoride creator Fei Ma and entrepreneur Adam Braus, who are developing a mobile app and website for ridesharing.

Osoride has since evolved into the company, Coride.

Fei envisions Coride as a 21st century solution for getting people where they want to go.  A “win win” situation, she describes, in which carbon emissions are reduced via carpooling, while drivers and riders lower their travel expenses.  Drivers can charge for a trip, reducing their own gas costs, while riders spend less than they would have via public transportation.

Calling upon her own travel experiences in Germany and Mexico, Fei describes the positive social and cultural exchange of carpooling, and why she wants to promote the ridesharing experience in the US.

Read more about the present and future of ridesharing here.