The subject of this week’s post was going to be the purpose and possibilities of a generative economy. However, I read this article and it felt like a great way to share a story about the power of transformative capital to create a more inclusive solution to an issue faced by every community: how to provide safe transportation.
The article caught my attention with a very provocative headline: Here’s Why Women Everywhere Will Delete Uber On April 19. As a woman, I’ve always had to navigate the world presuming a higher risk to my personal safety. And, although I have friends who drive and utilize Uber in multiple cities, I have never had a good feeling about the company based on their extractive economic policies, whether in the form of financial, human or community capital. Naturally I read the article with great interest. What I discovered: Chariot for Women meets all my most important criteria for support. The company was borne out of personal experience, founded on a deep commitment to safety and committed to expanding its value through positive actions far beyond the vehicle:
- Wisdom – As an Uber driver, founder Michael Pelletz had experiences in which he felt endangered as a driver and, most importantly, he saw how women were at an even greater risk.
- Empathy – He felt those experiences would have been more dangerous if he had been a woman. As a father of 2 daughters he was inspired to create a solution.
- Community – He & his wife created a new service that strengthens the community in the form of safe transportation and charitable give back: 2% of the ride cost goes to local or national charities of the passenger’s choice.
Ultimately, the core of community lies in the power of family, whether a family of origin or a family of choice, expressed in the sharing of history, values and hope for the future. In relation to community, transformative is a term for our unbending intent to ground our post-event converged, coordinated and collaborative actions and targeted outcomes in our commitment to continually expand community wellbeing. Transformative Capital is captured in the elements we know as Wisdom (I care about my family), Empathy (I care about your family) and Community (We care about our families). It is this transformative capital that activates the crucible from which commitment to community wellbeing is born. It is the invisible capital that shapes our lives to reflect our most closely held values, making a house a home and bringing individuals into a true community. It is what we all need more of as our local economies emerge, develop and deepen.
I applaud this new venture created by Michael & Kelly Pelletz and hope it inspires others to activate this unseen capital that not only creates a better life for ourselves, but also allows us to join together with others with whom we come in contact, whether for a short ride or a long journey.