What does your company do?

Dollaride founder and CEO Su Sanni: Dollaride uses data intelligence to fill public transit gaps. 

A question we love to ask every founder: why New York?

SS: I was born and raised in NYC. So it’s not only the best place to start an enterprise business on the East Coast, but it’s also always been home for me. 

NYC has a long and rich history with “dollar vans,” which commuters found largely via word of mouth. How is Dollaride updating that infrastructure for a 2022 New York and beyond?

SS: Dollaride is adding digital and physical infrastructure enhancements to NYC dollar van networks. This will include mobile apps, digital public maps, electric vehicles, and charging infrastructure to position dollar vans for the future. 

What has activity on the app — or the dollar van industry in general — been like through the pandemic? Are you preparing for any ridership changes when we get to a post-pandemic time?

SS: During the pandemic, ridership constantly fluctuated and reached lows that many drivers hadn’t seen in years. But once Dollaride pivoted to partnering with local businesses, ridership activity in our app steadily grew and exceeded all previous records for daily and monthly riders. 

We expect ridership to return to 100,000-plus daily riders once the pandemic fully subsides and workers feel comfortable enough to take public transit and work from an office. So right now we’re preparing for this growth by seeking more partnerships and relationships with larger employers and fleet owners, respectively. 

What’s an idea or piece of advice you got during the NYC Recovery Challenge program you’re most excited to implement?

SS: I’m most excited about obtaining City and State certifications as a minority and women-owned business enterprise (MWBE). That’s one resource that’s been advised on multiple occasions during the fellowship program. 

What’s one top growth goal you hope to achieve by the end of 2022?

SS: We hope to have 500 drivers on our platform by the end of 2022. 

Okay, three rapid-fire questions.  First: where do you get your favorite pizza slice?

SS: Grimaldi’s Pizza in DUMBO. 

What’s the best place in New York for a coffee or lunch meeting (remember in-person meetings)?

SS: Felix Roasting Co. on Park Ave. and 32nd St. 

What’s your favorite remote work or productivity hack?

SS: Listening to podcasts & audiobooks on 2x speed to consume the content faster.