Joanna McFarland found. The idea for HopSkipDrive came about in 2014 because she wanted to solve a problem that many working parents like herself face: How do you get your kids where they need to be on time?
The idea was sparked at a birthday party she attended with one of her children. The subject of moving children around came up and every mother there had their own story of feeling like they had to leave their child because they had no way to get to their destination.
McFarland started HopSkipDrive Along with Carolyn Yashari Becher and Janelle McGlothlin — the three of whom have eight children between them — they’re trying to solve this problem safely by hiring safe third-party drivers to drive their kids around.
Little did he know at the time that HopSkipDrive was stepping into a vacuum where startups would soon raise venture capital to solve the problem. Newton, Massachusetts-based Sheprd wanted to solve the problem by driving kids around in tricked-out Land Rovers equipped with snacks and iPads. Los Angeles-based Shudle seems to be more of an Uber for kids, offering on-demand rides.
Many of the startups have gone out of business. HopSkipDrive did not. why? This is because their sole customers are opening up new revenue streams and the company is far from just focusing on the parent to outlast the many companies that have failed.
