If you notice a batch of Land Rovers topped with a school bus sign, the following must be true: you're in Newton, Mass., and local startup Sheprd is open for business.
Launched in 2017, Sheprd is a transportation system for students to get from school to soccer practice and everywhere in between. Currently, it mainly operates in the greater Newton area – but it's eyeing other local communities like West Roxbury and Brookline.
CEO and Founder Nicholas Jasset began working on the idea while at InMotion Ventures, a London-based venture capital group backed by Jaguar. The group has provided the company with over $1 million in funding and a discount on their cars, on a non-exclusive basis. As the transportation industry changes with the advancement of driverless cars and ride sharing services, Jaguar Cars wanted to make sure they still have a seat at the table, according to Jasset.
Jasset was focused on child mobility opportunities. After speaking to companies in the field like Kid Car in New York City and Shuddle in San Francisco (which closed down in 2016), Jasset realized that the models being used just weren’t quite right.
“A lot of what people were doing was taking the Uber-model and applying it to kids,” Jasset said. “That was sort of the main innovation that you see in the space. People were saying ‘Well Uber works.’ And what they mean by that is push a button, get a ride. That works, so let’s just do that for kids.”
The Sheprd-model works a little differently. It’s run through an app and a website where parents can schedule rides between their homes, schools, and the over 70 registered destinations. Children will be picked up in a 2016 Land Rover LR4 equipped with leather seats for easy mess cleanup, snacks and water, and Kindles with Wi-Fi to keep kids entertained and less tempted to distract the driver. Each van is topped with a school bus sign.
A single ride within the Newton range costs $17, which breaks down into the cost of gas, vehicle maintenance and driver’s pay for each ride, according to Jasset. Rides out of the range of Newton are possible, but more costly.
Sheprd currently operates 11 vehicles with 13 drivers. These drivers are heavily background checked before being hired, according to Jasset. They must be 7D license certified, which means they have to pass the state's physical and written knowledge exams to become a school transportation driver. Once hired, they are subject to random drug testing and a breathalyzer test before each shift. The vehicles are also inspected before each shift.
Christine McNamera has been a driver for Sheprd since November. As a former Massachusetts state police captain for 25 years and currently minigolf course owner, she was looking for something to do in her off times.
“I have three kids of my own and, working full time, it was always a hassle to try to arrange childcare, and getting them to school and to their activities,” McNamera said. “So I very much understand the concept, and I think it’s a wonderful idea.”
Each pickup and drop-off point receives an email each morning of what students will be using the service that day to make sure the transitions run as smoothly and safely as possible.
Currently, the service only operates in Newton, where Jasset grew up. Jasset said that Newton was a perfect place to launch as it has 12,000 families with children and a midsize city model. He added that he has his sight set on neighboring communities like West Roxbury, Brookline and Wellesley.
“I think that they really have caught onto something,” McNemera said about Sheprd. “A very valued and very needed service. I really enjoy working for them.”
