After college, Justin Boogaard lived with his grandmother, in California, for three years to save money. During this time, he saw firsthand the challenges seniors face with modern technology.
Justin noticed that while he could easily access rides and meals from his smartphone, his grandma Betty wasn't as confident using such technology or trusting it to meet her needs.
One evening, after Betty mentioned she was afraid of driving at night, she suggested Justin start a business that wouldn’t require an app.
This inspired Justin to create a ride service tailored to her and other seniors.
To test the idea, Justin and his co-founder David Lung sent a postcard to Betty from a faux company, advertising a service that lets you order an Uber by calling a phone number.
Betty tried it and loved it, without knowing Justin was behind the idea. She became the first customer and BAM! GoGoGrandparent was born.
Today, simply dialing a phone and requesting a ride has allowed Grandma Betty, and hundreds of thousands of others across America to lead active, independent lives.
"I'd really be house-bound without GoGoGrandparent," Betty said. "I couldn't just depend on friends and family all the time to get me here and there."
In the end, Betty was able to depend on family–through her grandson, Justin.
