Inspiring Conversations with Sara Schaer of Kango

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Schaer.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
The idea for Kango was born from my challenge as a working mother, trying to find a way to get my kids safely to and from school while I was at the office. I was a Product Manager at a startup in downtown San Francisco, my childrens’ school was across the city, and my husband’s job was an hour south in Silicon Valley. I decided to create a solution after years of complicated carpools and frustrating, unreliable experiences with babysitters.

Though this was pre-pandemic, the problem still challenges parents today, whether they work from home or from an office.

My co-founder/CTO and I initially created a prototype for a peer-to-peer app that would connect parents with kids in the same school, who lived near each other. However, it was quickly apparent that what was needed, was a technology-enabled service that would provide safe, vetted drivers who had experience with kids.

Fast forward to today: Kango primarily partners with schools to drive students to and from school and other locations, as an alternative to the school bus. But parents also can and do download the Kango app to request and track rides for their kids.

The metro LA area – from San Fernando Valley in the north, through Los Angeles itself, to Orange County in the south – is one of our largest service areas in California.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We pivoted the business twice : first from a peer-to-peer carpool app to a B2C service for parents; and then, post-pandemic to a primarily B2B student transportation service.

In the first case, customer feedback led us to launch a paid ride service for kids. When COVID struck, schools shut down, families quarantined, and our ride volume plummeted to nearly zero. Miraculously we made it through. However demand had shifted, and parents working remotely needed fewer rides overall.

Meanwhile, schools were struggling with bus driver shortages and hybrid schedules, and it was clear that providing flexible alternate (non-bus) transportation for students, would fill an acute need. Serving that segment was our second pivot.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Kango is a youth ridesharing service specialized in transporting children – from preschool to high school. Unlike other services, we are licensed and insured to drive unaccompanied minors of any age, though we ask that children under age 2 be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Car seats and/or boosters are provided as needed. Spanish language support is available.

Parents within our service areas in California (including the Greater Los Angeles area) can download the Kango app and request pre-scheduled rides. We recommend booking at least 1-2 days in advance if possible.

For schools, we specialize in driving students who need personalized rides, including students with special needs, foster youth, and students experiencing homelessness.

We are most proud of the personalized service we provide, the trust we have built with our customers and families over the years, and of our role in helping children who need rides, get to and from school.

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
At Kango, we have a mission: to help families and schools safely get children from A to B, with care.

As parents ourselves, we believe the entire family should be able to do the things they love without compromising the people they love.

We also strongly believe that all children should be able to access education, regardless of whether they need help getting to school.

As we say:

“Whichever direction you’re headed, we care about getting you there.”

Pricing:

• Ride fares are calculated based on time and distance. Fare estimates are displayed in the Kango app.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kangoapp.com
• Kango customer service : (844) 977-0443
• General inquiries about Kango: [email protected]
• Download the Kango app on the Apple App Store or Google Play