Veyo president Josh Komenda was recently interviewed by Neal Bloom of Fresh Brewed Tech on how Veyo is connecting those in need with medical transportation. Check out the podcast and interview here or in your latest The Local Buzz email. A recap of the podcast is reprinted below.

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“Josh Komenda is the Co-Founder & CEO of Veyo, an affordable rideshare program for those who rely on Medicaid and Medicare. Like Uber/Lyft, the company has a call center that runs a technology platform, but delivers a service in partnership with existing health plans. Veyo is available in the app store.

When Josh’s cab-hailing startup was overshadowed by emerging rideshare startups, his team began looking at other opportunities in the ride-hailing market. That’s when They  realized there was a need in the  medical transportation sector.

4:17 Josh shares details about the start of his entrepreneurial career as an intern at Qualcomm in San Diego. At the tech giant, he led a global engineering team from 2004-2010. Technology interested him from a young age, so Qualcomm gave him a chance to get familiar with the industry to eventually start his own venture.

6:40 Josh discusses his first startup idea, GoFastCab, which he and his friends launched in 2009 to make the ordering of cabs and taxis easier. Little did they know rideshare startups would disrupt the entire ride-hailing industry. Total Transit eventually hired him and his team, allowing them to further explore their goals.

11:10 In 2013, Total Transit acquired GoFastCab, and hired Josh and his team to ensure more widely available and higher quality service in a new health care transportation venture, Veyo.

15:28 Josh explains Veyo’s business model. Like Uber and Lyft, a plurality of the company’s employee population runs its call center.

17:39 Veyo’s average customers are health payers, so the transportation benefit is primarily catered towards those who struggle with gaining access to transportation services in the moment. Healthcare providers partnered with Veyo help book and manage claims/trips, taking into account the customers’ insurance and maximum benefit. Company growth is generally geographic and insurance based.

23:55 Covid has pushed the startup to make a significant amount of adaptations, as there is a concern regarding the risk of infections spreading. Recently, Veyo contracted with Meals on Wheels to help the nonprofit deliver thousands of meals. Veyo drivers also delivered PPE to at-risk Medicaid members. Lastly, the startup also started an initiative to safely transport those who have been infected by Covid. Josh plans for Veyo to continue taking some of these safety precautions even after the pandemic ends.

Listen in as Josh takes us through his entrepreneurial journey, going from cab-hailing to health care transportation, and the changes he has had to make in light of the pandemic.”