Invest: Miami speaks with Kasra Moshkani, South Florida General Manager
Uber’s mission is to make Miami more livable and better connected. South Florida is one of the company’s fastest-growing markets, driven both by local and tourist demand. Tourists think of Miami as a world- class city and expect transportation options like Uber to exist here. Meanwhile, local riders tell us that Uber complements existing public transit options. Because ours is a 24/7 service, we are also providing an alternative to drunk driving, which has traditionally been a concern for a city like Miami, which is known for parties and nightlife.
Over the next few years, we want to continue to leverage our partnerships with the government and the private sector and launch initiatives to create transportation solutions for the community. The transit challenges in the region mean that South Florida offers many opportunities for innovation. This is one reason that Miami is the eighth city where we’ve launched UberPOOL, our carpooling service. During Art Basel Miami Beach 2015, we launched UberBOAT in partnership with Stella Artois to provide an alternative transportation option connecting the mainland to Miami Beach. Innovation is also fostered by the fact that Miami is emerging as a center for tech innovation and entrepreneurship. This allows us to forge creative partnerships with those who want to change the area for the better.
Our impact on the local community is also seen in the economic opportunities we generate. Our driver-partners come from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds—some are students at Miami Dade College, while others are retirees looking for extra income. In 2015, Uber launched UberUP (our urban partnership program), an initiative to work with urban communities to recruit 50,000 drivers in the U.S. East Coast region by the end of 2016, and we expect to meet at least 20 percent of that target in South Florida.
