This Black-Woman-Owned Rideshare Company Just Secured A Partnership With ATL Airport

Madeline Holly-Carothers
·2 min read
woman smiling while holding steering wheel of a car
woman smiling while holding steering wheel of a car

HERide, a Black-woman-owned rideshare company is now an official transportation option at one of the busiest airports in the world. The Georgia-based app is currently available for service in Athens and the metro Atlanta area. In an Instagram post, the company announced that it is now available for passengers leaving the Atlanta-Hartsfield Airport (ATL). The landmark partnership makes it the first Black-owned rideshare app to do so.

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A post shared by HERide- Rideshare App (@getheride)

Inside HERide the App

HERide is an app-based rideshare service that was made by women, for women. The service hires works exclusively with women drivers and is “focused on the safety and empowerment of women,” according to its website. The app was designed with women’s needs in mind and exists to create safer transportation options for them.

Drivers on HERide are personally vetted by the company, the website says. It also mentions that drivers undergo “comprehensive background checks” to ensure peace of mind

“There were a lot of women that were hesitant with riding with men at night using Uber and Lyft. I realized that this was just a consistent problem that those platforms did not have any intention on solving. So I decided to solve it myself,” Jillian Anderson, 31, the company’s co-founder and chief technology officer, told AFROTECH about the app’s beginning.

HERide co-founder DeVynne Starts, 29, told AFROTECH that the company’s focus is on women because of the safety issues women face.

“Women have had more issues at an alarming rate than men have. But that is not to disregard that men have not had similar issues. Our focus right now is on publicizing these issues, tackling them, and creating solutions for them in order to make rideshare safer for everyone,” Starks told AFROTECH.

Using the App

“With safety at the center of our ride experience we promise you won’t be disappointed,” the Instagram announcement read. It noted that the app is available in the Google Play and Apple App stores.

Joining rideshare giants Uber and Lyft, HERide users can now utilize the app for rides from the designated area at the airport. All travelers need to do is download the app and schedule a ride. Users are recommended to schedule rides at least 90 minutes in advance to ensure a driver accepts in time.