2008 Woodie Awards
Pedal to the people
Kellie Woodhouse
Issue date: 5/15/08 Section: News
"It was like destiny," Eisenberg said.
weBike subscribers will have I.D. cards to swipe to get into the bike stations, allowing the company to electronically track each person who uses the bikes and account for lost or stolen equipment. The team still expects quite a few bikes will be stolen, but said they are accounting for that in their costs.
To fund what will be a very expensive start-up, weBike has solicited organizations such as the Al Gore Foundation and the Lance Armstrong Foundation, both of which support student-run and green businesses.
"We think we can get donations for this because we are a system derived by great values," said Tchompalov, weBike's program manager. "We're really hoping there are some people out there who can help us make change."
The students' efforts began last fall in a pilot course taught by QUEST director Gerald Suarez, called "Systems Thinking for Managerial Decision Making." QUEST is a hands-on learning program run by the business school that allows students to engage interactively with everyday business principles.
"The idea behind it was to help students connect with initiatives that they care about, that have meaning for them and that they're passionate about," Suarez said.
"This has honestly been the best team I have ever worked with, because we all care about it," Eisenberg said. "We're not really about making money; we're about making it happen, making biking a viable transportation option in the country and on this campus."
If DOTS doesn't accept weBike's proposal, team members said they would be willing to pitch the idea elsewhere, and they said they are confident someone will realize its potential.
woodhousedbk@gmail.com
Correction: The original version of this story misnamed the course in which the students began weBIKE, as well the school on the campus responsible for QUEST. The errors have been corrected in the above version.
weBike subscribers will have I.D. cards to swipe to get into the bike stations, allowing the company to electronically track each person who uses the bikes and account for lost or stolen equipment. The team still expects quite a few bikes will be stolen, but said they are accounting for that in their costs.
To fund what will be a very expensive start-up, weBike has solicited organizations such as the Al Gore Foundation and the Lance Armstrong Foundation, both of which support student-run and green businesses.
"We think we can get donations for this because we are a system derived by great values," said Tchompalov, weBike's program manager. "We're really hoping there are some people out there who can help us make change."
The students' efforts began last fall in a pilot course taught by QUEST director Gerald Suarez, called "Systems Thinking for Managerial Decision Making." QUEST is a hands-on learning program run by the business school that allows students to engage interactively with everyday business principles.
"The idea behind it was to help students connect with initiatives that they care about, that have meaning for them and that they're passionate about," Suarez said.
"This has honestly been the best team I have ever worked with, because we all care about it," Eisenberg said. "We're not really about making money; we're about making it happen, making biking a viable transportation option in the country and on this campus."
If DOTS doesn't accept weBike's proposal, team members said they would be willing to pitch the idea elsewhere, and they said they are confident someone will realize its potential.
woodhousedbk@gmail.com
Correction: The original version of this story misnamed the course in which the students began weBIKE, as well the school on the campus responsible for QUEST. The errors have been corrected in the above version.
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