A start up run by Pakistani-American students has won a $1 million Hult Prize for social entrepreneurship. Representing Rutgers University's business school, the team created 'Roshni Rides', a rickshaw transportation business to help overseas refugees. This year's Hult Prize asked entrants to develop a business capable of restoring the dignity of 1 million refugees by 2022.
Led by a team of students including Gia Farooqi, new graduates Hasan Usmani, and Moneeb Mian, and alumna Hanaa Lakhani, the company uses a pre-loaded transaction card, encouraging ride-sharing and employs existing rickshaw drivers. The start up hopes to spread economic opportunity to groups disenfranchised by their location and a lack of other transport options. Usmani said, “When we went to Pakistan this summer, it really struck us that these people are isolated in their settlements and they can't move. We tried to think about how we can get them places they need to go.”
Roshni Rides is primarily aimed at women who feel uncomfortable sharing crowded buses with men and who can't afford to hire rides in their own rickshaws. The company plans to use the reward money in more market research, recruiting drivers, and setting up a base of operations.
