LA Pride: Meet Erika Simone

The Lyft community has always been one where people feel free to be themselves. This pride month, we’re partnering with six major pride festivals across the nation to make sure you have a ride as unique as you are. Each week, we’ll highlight an LGBT driver to bring you their story.

Los Angeles driver Erik Koral is known for being a passenger favorite. His real claim to fame, though, is why.

For the past year, Erik’s been making passengers’ days through his alter ego, Erika Simone. Called Driving is a Drag, the themed Lyft ride includes a Prius filled with beads and boas, driven by Erika, a taxi-costumed drag queen. It started when Erik began to experiment with cross-dressing, and he realized it could be a fun way to interact with his passengers. “It was like a big neon sign lit up in my head, and I thought ‘that’s just crazy enough to work.’” he recalls. “So I tried it, and everyone loved it! The response has been insanely positive.”

Aside from being quite possibly the most fun Lyft ride in Los Angeles, Driving is a Drag has another purpose. “It’s half entertainment, half education. I get a lot of people that ask me about being bisexual, and the difference between cross-dressing, being transgender, et cetera,” Erik says. “The great thing about it is that people see I’m totally comfortable with myself, and it makes them drop their walls and open up. We have some really important conversations.”

What advice would Erik give his passengers this pride month? “Find your tribe. Find what makes you happy, and go where that community congregates. There are people in the same world out there to venture with, and they will welcome you with open arms. Just be yourself and be happy!”

Lyft for Good: Drivers Repair Flood Damage

Last week, deep in the heart of Texas, Austin drivers gave back to their community in the wake of bad weather. After the last few weeks of heavy rain blanketed the Lonestar state, severe flooding left Pease Park devastated. That’s when 35 Austin drivers jumped on board to help with the flood cleanup efforts.

Just in time for Lyft Austin’s one year anniversary, drivers rallied together, partnering with Pease Park Conservancy, to repair flood damages, clean up debris, and help repave trails throughout the park.

Austin residents started Pease Park Conservancy in 2008 in an effort to save the park from harsh weather damage and prevent further degradation over time. The combined efforts of these drivers and the Pease Park Conservancy left the park clean with freshly-paved trails, and were much appreciated by the many Austin residents who run along them.

We’d like to thank these drivers for volunteering their time and energy to restore Pease Park, and encourage other drivers across the country to find local volunteer initiatives that allow them to give back to their communities.

The Lyft for Good program grew from self-led volunteer initiatives we've seen from Lyft drivers in their communities. Lyft drivers have gone above and beyond in communities nationwide to perform these acts of kindness, so we wanted to support those efforts by creating a channel for even more drivers and passengers to give back in the future. Every two weeks, our Lyft for Good series will highlight these remarkable drivers and their impact in their communities.

#MoreGoodDays with Nashville Driver Natasha

Natasha Young was diagnosed with breast cancer last year, shortly after helping her mother battle leukemia. As her own health came into question, Natasha relied on her parents to support her through her own treatment.

They settled Natasha into their home, supporting her every minute of the day: through meals, appointments, and even downtime. “They had the most comfortable recliner set up for me,” Natasha says, laughing. “I don’t know what I would’ve done without them.”

Now in remission, Natasha knows firsthand that everybody needs a support system, especially those living with cancer. Through #MoreGoodDays, Ford Warriors in Pink® is donating up to 10,000 Lyft rides to breast cancer patients in need. Natasha's paying it forward, too: When she’s not working full-time at her local bank, Natasha’s on the road with Lyft.

“It doesn’t matter if they’re just sitting with you in the car, not saying a word,” Natasha says. “ Having someone there for you makes all the difference. That’s the secret.”

Share Your Glow with Lyft x Julep

Get ready to glow. We’ve joined creative forces with female-powered beauty brand Julep to launch “Glow,” a limited-edition nail color in Lyft’s iconic magenta.

 

Glow was inspired by the electric hues of the Lyft Glowstache and the amazing female drivers behind it. From leading students to dominating roller derby rinks to just being total bosses, Lyft drivers make their mark on our communities every day. They uplift others. They take roads less traveled. They follow their dreams, and are bold in their self-expression. Glow is a polish to match.

Find Glow exclusively on Sephora.com while supplies last, and #ShareYourGlow.

#MoreGoodDays with Sacramento Driver Teresa

When Teresa Morgan first spotted Lyft's pink mustache on the road, she fell in love. It spoke to her as a breast cancer survivor — and matched her pink hair, which she sported for awareness. Teresa says, “All I could think was, I need one for my car.”

Teresa is a survivor through and through, having won two battles against breast cancer. Her secret weapon? A positive attitude. It wasn’t easy, she says, but her decision to stay optimistic allowed her family to feel better about the situation: "It helps them help you."

Today, Teresa’s been cancer-free for nearly a decade, and her positive attitude is still holding strong. She became one of Lyft Sacramento’s first drivers, finally getting her hands on one of those pink mustaches.

A few months ago, she decided quit her full-time job as a bus driver and dispatcher. With the flexibility of Lyft, she can drive on her own time and spend afternoons with her daughters and grandchildren. "You can choose to be happy," Teresa says. "As long as you stay optimistic, you can do anything.

A #LyftPitch Dream Come True

Last week, we took over the home of the San Francisco Giants to add a little pink to #OrangeFriday. It was a night filled with ‘staches, prizes, and good ol’ fashioned baseball fun.

The Giants beat out the Atlanta Braves, but no one felt more like a champion than #LyftPitch contest winner, Lyft driver Erin Kennedy.

As a mom to two teenage athletes, Erin’s local baseball diamond is practically her second home. “I’ve spent the last sixteen years washing uniforms!” she jokes. But Erin is more than just her sons’ number one fan—she’s also an avid baseball player and has even coached in the past. When she’s not cheering on her family, she’s cheering on the Giants. “The Giants are a real tradition for our family,” she says. “We can always come together over baseball.”

Erin threw the first pitch right before her 50th birthday, and she and her boys received the royal treatment in front-row, fur-lined seats. She’s used to giving passengers memorable rides, but on Friday, the memories were all hers: “In a few years, my kids will be telling their own kids that Grandma threw out the first pitch!”

Thanks to all of our #LyftPitch participants who shared their dreams with us.

#MoreGoodDays with LA Driver Trielle

Trielle Lewis is a fighter. The breast cancer survivor battled surgery and chemo, beating Stage 1 breast cancer into remission, and even took funding her treatment into her own hands.

She didn’t take the backseat during her year-long healing process, either. Trielle got behind the wheel, driving with Lyft to cover her hospital bills.

With a flexible way to cover the cost, Trielle powered through a mastectomy, serving as a symbol of strength for her friends and family. But, there was one challenge she couldn’t conquer on her own: rides to chemotherapy. Trielle had to rely on her daughter-in-law for those trips. “Sometimes your family can’t make it,” she says. “I know how important it is to have a support system and a reliable ride.”

Trielle supports #MoreGoodDays because it helps breast cancer patients reclaim their independence.

“With Lyft, that feeling of being a burden is completely removed from the equation. Patients regain the space and strength they need to heal.”

Trielle remains unstoppable to this day. Now that she’s won her fight against breast cancer, she’s shifted her focus to spreading happiness to others. She’s big on family time, planning road trips across the state to see her kids.

And she’s taking on social media: Find her on Instagram as @trielleisfree, where she shares uplifting messages for current breast cancer patients — and firsthand tips for having #MoreGoodDays.

Two New VPs Join Lyft Leadership

As we usher in the future of transportation, our executive team continues to expand. In 2015, we’ve already welcomed new leadership to guide Lyft’s Operations, Engineering, Brand Strategy, Communications, Product, and Partnerships teams. Today, we’re thrilled to welcome two more seasoned leaders to the family who will help us bring the most enjoyable, efficient rides your way – Mary Winfield, VP of Customer Experience and Trust; and Kelly Kay, VP of Compliance and Payment Operations.

Both Mary and Kelly are on a mission to bring even more seamless experiences and personal touches to Lyft’s operations – and to carry that culture forward as we continue to grow and scale.

Mary’s passion for empowering people and communities carries over from the 11 years she spent overseeing Customer Care for small- to medium-sized businesses and consumers at Intuit. Most recently, she was Senior Vice President Global Technical Services at Sophos. At Lyft, Mary oversees the Customer Experience and Trust & Safety teams, which work every day to deliver the perfect ride to drivers and passengers.

Kelly leads compliance and payment operations at Lyft, bringing the new rules governing Lyft to life. Most recently she was the President and COO of YapStone, a payments company. She also served as General Counsel and Secretary of the Board of YapStone. Kelly brings almost 20 years of management and financial services experience to to Lyft. She has held senior legal, compliance and government relations roles at eBay, PayPal, MasterCard, and Wikimedia and helped those businesses expand internationally. Kelly was named one of the Bay Area’s most influential women in business by the San Francisco Business Times in 2014.

In a recent San Francisco survey, we found that 96% of drivers who drive for multiple platforms prefer driving with Lyft because they trust the company. Since day one, we set a high bar for our safety requirements and operations processes, but our work is not done yet. As we look forward, we’re dedicated to making investments in talent and programs that keep us at the front of the pack when it comes to earning and keeping the trust of drivers, passengers, regulators, and community members. We’re honored to have Mary and Kelly leading that charge.

Make Way for the Wildcard

Calling all creative whiz kids, idea-inventors, and agency hotshots: You’re invited to blow our minds.

Lyft is looking for an Agency of Record for 2015. We’ve already sent out requests for proposals (RFPs) to several large, impressive agencies, as organizations in our position traditionally do. But since doing things the traditional way has never been our style, we’ve decided to mix up the RFP process. Welcome to the wildcard.

Have what it takes to join us in this adventure? Jump in. We’re not looking for 60 seconds of rehearsed reasoning why you’d do a good job. We don’t want a presentation with numbers and graphs. We don’t want endorsements from former clients or your grandmother. We want pure, unadulterated Lyft spirit, whatever you think that may be. So hit us with your best shot.

All videos must be tweeted @Lyft with #LyftWildcard by Tuesday, June 9, 2015. The next day, we’ll select our favorite submission, and the creative behind the video will have the chance to compete against four other agencies to become our Agency of Record.

Don’t know where to start? Well, we’ll give you extra points if you include a silver spoon, a cameo by Snoop Dogg, or a unicorn (stuffed or real). You take it from there.

For full terms and conditions, see rules.

The Happiest Tweets of May

April showers brought May flowers—and good times galore. You explored your city, read from cover to cover, celebrated the boss moms in your life, and set out to brighten breast cancer patients’ days. Somewhere between letting out your inner geek, taking notes on entrepreneurship, and lending a helping hand, you found time to tweet. Here are your happiest moments of May:

When you realized your true love is actually a burger:

Shoutout to my lyft driver for taking us through @innoutburger last night after seeing @JessieJ #holla #bangbangtoinnout

— Maddie Weber (@madelicious90) May 19, 2015

Today me and my friend got a lyft to take us through the Wendy's drive-through and I felt infinite

— Delia Van Praag (@DeliaVanPraag) May 31, 2015

And the kind soul that gets you there:

Just remembered I got jack in the box with my lyft driver last night

— Grillin n' Chillin (@mdeacs) May 24, 2015

When you were transported back in time:

Lyft driver is playing BSB's "As Long As You Love Me" en route to the airport. It's a good sign.

— Mica (@micaswyers) May 8, 2015

And remembered no debate will ever be as great as Nick vs. Justin:

Our lyft driver just said his favorite artist is Justin timberlake #fate

— Lauren (@laurendavis1110) May 31, 2015

When you threw it back to high school:

Lyft driver and I drove around for an hour listening to blink 182 with icees from the gas station

— Lex M. (@AlexisMontano1) May 23, 2015

And got older in style:

A Lyft driver just sang me a rock and roll version of happy birthday so I'm chalking this day up as the greatest day ever

— Amber Phillips (@amm_burrr) May 8, 2015

When your jam came on:

My Lyft driver is slapping California Love by Tupac so he's for sure getting an extra star for that

— B e c c a ✨ (@becksbby28) May 21, 2015

And truly YOLO'd:

when your lyft driver has a container of starbursts in the backseat and you promptly fill your purse

— Jessica Holli (@j_holli) May 30, 2015

When you made a new friend:

my @lyft driver this morning offered to buy me coffee. . . and that kids, is my morning made. YAAAS. #Lyft

— Chelsei Elizabeth (@cheeeekies) May 14, 2015

And found your long-lost twin:

Tonight while driving for @lyft I came across my tattoo twin! Same left wrist same word :) @tloh so great to meet u

Lyft and Southwest Partner at Love Field

Lyft and Southwest Airlines are coming together to make your Dallas Love Field travels easier than ever.

We know airport parking can be a challenge. Why not skip the traffic jam and parking tolls and hop in a Lyft ride? Starting on June 2nd, we’ll be working with Southwest to simplify airport travel to Love Field. Dallas travelers: beginning this week, keep an eye out for Lyft ride discounts in your Southwest flight confirmation emails.

Southwest and Lyft share a commitment to reconnecting people and communities through better transportation and we’re thrilled to call them a partner in helping to make your trips through Dallas Love Field easy, hassle-free, and fun.

Love Field also recently included ridesharing in its policies. If you’re taking a Lyft ride from DAL, make sure to head to the designated Transportation Network Company zone on the Arrivals level.

In the coming weeks, we’ll share more exciting details about our work with Southwest in our effort to save you time and money while traveling this summer. Bon Voyage!