Social Entrepreneurship Lessons that Evolve with Us with Su Sanni (Dollaride) | #8

How can we provide equitable transit access to underserved communities? Su Sanni, CEO and Co-Founder of Dollaride, is tackling this challenge by modernizing commuter van networks through his social startup. In this episode, Su talks about innovating at the intersection of mobility and social impact, lessons for social entrepreneurs, and how to design long-lasting solutions.  

Su shares his origin story, growing up reliant on informal dollar van services in transit deserts of NYC. He later discovered family members were drivers, inspiring his entrepreneurial journey to improve the industry. Dollaride empowers drivers by providing software, financing, electric vehicles, and infrastructure to scale up operations.

We explore Su's philosophy on customer research and "failing forward" through constant iteration. He offers advice on skills like resourcefulness and adaptability that enable entrepreneurial success. Su also stresses the importance of work-life balance, having evolved from sleepovers at the office to more sustainable habits. 

What You'll Learn:

- How transportation deserts impact people and the solutions available to people currently

- Methods for deep customer research when developing new solutions  

- Su's lessons from evolving as a founder over 10+ years of startups

- The value of complementary partnerships that compensate for our weaknesses

- How entrepreneurs can find balance and avoid burnout

- Why impact-driven businesses need long-term sustainable models