Lucy Gao, Canadian Global Curator, visited various companies in three U.S. cities as part of a Sharing Economy tour sponsored by The Washington Foreign Press Center, visiting New York, Las Vegas and San Francisco. This is part 2 of a 3-part series showcasing companies she visited in each city, featuring familiar incumbents and new startups to look out for.
Part 2: Las Vegas
Las Vegas may be a surprising city to think about as a sharing economy hub. However, the Downtown Project, launched in January 2012 and led by Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh, has created a thriving entrepreneurial and tech ecosystem that’s attracting startups, investors and new ideas. While not at the same level as New York or San Francisco, the Downtown Project has made significant improvements in revitalizing downtown Las Vegas, which was once a desolate and dangerous area. $350 million dollars was invested in land purchases, construction projects, health, culture and education initiatives, small businesses and tech startups. “Think of the city like a startup,” stated Tony Hsieh at a recent Tech Cocktail conference, where he also announced he is not stepping down from the project, despite recent news in the media. See below for 3 up and coming collaborative consumption companies that received funding from the Downtown Project in Las Vegas.
What is it? Stitch Factory is a fashion co-working space and creative education centre. Founder Meghan Boyd Mossler was inspired by the tech co-working movement, which allowed members to come together to collaborate and accelerate their business. Stitch Factory provides a designer ready studio and offer services like educational and design workshops, production and manufacturing consulting, and mentorship opportunities for their members. They also have pop up shops and events and host a fashion-focused speaker series for the Downtown Project greater community.
Some insights: Stitch Factory has over 5000 square feet of studio space, 6000 square feet of office space and 14000 square feet of factory and warehouse space. Cirque du Soleil designers have used the co-working space to create costumes for their Las Vegas shows.
Why it’s relevant: There’s a growing trend towards smaller-scale, handmade and locally-produced products, given the rise of companies like Etsy for example. Stitch Factory allows entrepreneurs, fashion designers and experts to launch their product lines and helps incubate and accelerate their business. They aim to showcase products that are “Made in Las Vegas.”
http://www.stitchfactory.com/membership2/designer
What is it? Surf Air provides an “all-you-can-fly” membership service where users pay a membership fee for luxury travel between 8 South western U.S. cities and growing, saving time, eliminating the hassle of catching flights and providing exceptional service.
Some insights: There are currently up to 28 daily departures between Burbank, Oakland, Carslbad, Hawthorne, San Carlos, Santa Barbara, Truckee Tahoe, and Las Vegas. Membership costs $1750 per month, and travelers get up to four reservations at a time. Surf Air flies out of under-used private airports, which allows passengers to show up just 15 minutes before their flight departs. Luggage fees, snacks and beverages are all included in the membership fee.
Why it’s relevant: This is an idea that has the potential to redefine how people fly, taking an experience that is tedious, complex and frustrating, and simplifying it by using a membership model that makes use of underserviced private airports and technology to make booking flights easy and painless. Surf Air has maintained the convenience and luxury of flying private, without the expensive cost of flying a private jet. While the service is only affordable for higher income individuals, this could change if Surf Air expands to other cities in the U.S.
Surf Air aims to disrupt the big airlines with an executive membership service
What is it? Shift Connects combines shared electric vehicles, bikes, buses and drivers under a single monthly membership. It includes aspects of Uber, Zipcar and bike-sharing, which together form a system that aims to reinvent how people get around in Las Vegas. Using their mobile app, Shift Connects guarantees a user the ability to reserve a vehicle or driver within five minutes if located in the city centre.
Some insights: Shift Connects is home to the largest private electric charging vehicle station in the U.S, with a fleet of electric cars consisting of Tesla Model Ss, Smart Electric Drives and Chevrolet Volts. The company estimates that owning a car costs about $800 per month, however using Shift Connects can cut this down to $400 per month, a significant cost savings. Another interesting aspect is their 35-person bus that will be used when there is high demand, acting as a pressure reliever to the network when necessary. Think of it as an on-demand bus service that moves greater amounts of people.
Why it’s relevant: Corey Schreiber, Member Support & Training comments that “millennials now are more attached to their phones than their car. Shift Connects is replacing car keys with an app, allowing people to have access to cars whenever they need, and removing burdens of ownership like parking, insurance, gas, etc.” As well, Las Vegas is a city that is fairly spread out and lacks a solid public transportation system, making car ownership necessary for most residents. A city like this is ideal for Shift Connects, as they are able to present an alternative to car ownership and disrupt the current system. Using Las Vega as a pilot program, they’re hoping to launch in other cities that share these same characteristics. Finally, given their fleet is comprised of all electric vehicles, their system can make a significant environmental impact as well.
Next up: San Francisco
