Empower CEO: If Uber and Lyft Leave, Empower is Ready and Capable of Serving Minneapolis

Innovative Ridehail Solution Lets Drivers Set Rates & Keep 100% of Fare

Washington, D.C. – In advance of the City Council’s planned vote to override Mayor Jacob Frey’s veto of Ordinance 2024-00146, Joshua Sear, CEO of Empower, a peer-to-peer alternative to Uber/Lyft, today released the following statement to reassure the residents and lawmakers of Minneapolis that Empower is at the ready to provide a solution to the city and surrounding areas that will ensure ridehail services are not disrupted:

“Empower has built a solution that is better for drivers, riders and cities. Rest assured, if the City Council overrides the veto and Uber and Lyft actually leave, Empower has a turn-key answer that enables drivers to set their own rates and receive 100 percent of the fare, which enables riders to save money as well.

Empower’s solution has been used by over 10,000 drivers to provide nearly 5,000,000 rides to over 200,000 riders in the D.C. metro area. This past month, alone, drivers using Empower in D.C. provided over 200,000 rides to over 25,000 riders.

As we have shared with local decision-makers, we have complete confidence that there will be no disruption in access to ridehail services should Uber and Lyft leave Minneapolis.”

About Empower

Empower is currently available in Washington D.C., New York City, and Winston-Salem / Greensboro, North Carolina. Drivers using Empower have provided nearly 5,000,000 rides to over 200,000 riders. Empower’s mission is to transform the “Gig Economy” so that hard-working Americans can earn a sustainable living. To do that, Empower has built innovative software that allows drivers to set their own rates and get 100% of the fare. Drivers pay Empower a subscription fee, which is significantly less than the 40-50% that Uber/Lyft withhold on average from drivers from each ride. Empower takes ZERO commission from rides. Empower’s software also enables riders to request a favorite or same gender driver so that they feel safe. To learn more about Empower visit www.rideempower.com