John Doan says he was practically raised by his older brother. The two boys, just two and a half years apart in age, came to the U.S. with their mother when Doan was 5 years old. They were refugees from Vietnam. He remembers his brother, Roy, taught him to ride a bike and drive a car while their mother worked two jobs and took classes to learn English.
Roy led John through life. He was the first in their family to go to college, and John followed suit. But in their early 30s, Roy was diagnosed with dementia and multiple sclerosis (MS).
“All of a sudden, I realized my brother needed me,” Doan said. “I became his big brother and primary caregiver.”
Transportation posed a consistent problem. His brother doesn’t have a smartphone, so he can’t hail an Uber – not that Doan would want him to get into a car with a stranger who likely isn’t trained to care for someone with disabilities. Other options, like Metro Mobility in the Twin Cities, are difficult to plan around, Doan said. Roy could depend on family, but not everyone can.
With his brother and others like him in mind, Doan founded Mobility 4 All, an app, web portal, and call center that offers a “kinder, gentler” ride-hailing service providing on-demand and scheduled rides. The startup was one of three finalists in this year’s Impact Ventures division of the Minnesota Cup.
They go the extra mile, calling it door-through-door service instead of curb-to-curb.
After a successful pilot that helped prove the concept, Doan and his team paused operations in August to focus on fundraising. With a strong finish guaranteed in the Minnesota Cup, he’s turning his attention to expanding operations. Their goal is to raise $250,000 from all sources this year.
Mobility 4 All specializes in driving seniors and people with disabilities by partnering with professional driving services, including NewTrax and Transportation Plus. To serve riders through the Mobility 4 All platform, called MO for short, drivers have to pass a full state background check and get additional special transportation training.
“Unlike Uber or Lyft where their drivers can be just anyone off the street ... we wanted more of a professional contract fleet,” the CEO said. They go the extra mile, calling it door-through-door service instead of curb-to-curb.
Mobility 4 All has found a sweet spot building relationships with senior living facilities and medical facilities. They ran a pilot program from February through August. They partnered with with senior living facilities in the north metro and NewTrax, a nonprofit transportation service for people with disabilities. Over that period, MO logged more than 300 trips for 40 riders. Their most popular trip was to church on Sundays, Doan said.
Rather than paying per ride, the service offers MO points – a system that includes all ride fees at a cost of $3 per mile or 10 minutes of service. There’s a 5-point minimum per ride. The service time accounts for instances when a rider wants the driver to wait, during a doctor’s appointment, for example.
“The driver is there right when they get out of the office. It’s more like a chauffeur or family member providing the trip.”
Doan said MO points can be purchased ahead of time, allowing institutions and facilities to purchase, say, 300 points and offer them to their residents. He also envisions family members gifting MO points to their loved ones who want the freedom to get around on their own time.
As the pilot showed, the service appeals to repeat users, who can even request a favorite driver for each trip. So, riders can expect a familiar face to meet them at their door, help them to the car, bring them right to the reception desk at their appointment, and maybe even wait in the lobby.
“The driver is there right when they get out of the office,” Doan said. He thinks there’s peace of mind in that. “It’s more like a chauffeur or family member providing the trip.”
