Meet Andrea Chase, who reckons that a great leader is one who knows their weaknesses, takes a collaborative approach (versus a hierarchy-based one), and encourages team members to take the lead. She admires those who recognize the importance of “all” players and that it takes a village to build a business. She mentions, “Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart. There have been many times where I’ve questioned if I can handle it.”
As a successful leader, she has encountered and overcome numerous challenges while building her businesses. One of the most important things that has kept her going is her desire to succeed. Andrea is the Co-founder and CEO of BAITS Global Inc. and the Founder & Head of Marketing at ProCabby Ltd.
ProCabby is a free mobile platform that connects professional taxi and Limo chauffeurs with passengers on demand. It offers the highest profit margin of all of the apps—92.9% of each fare goes directly to the driver. Andrea says, “We NEVER surge our pricing! In addition, we offer FREE SHARES to drivers who complete their registrations (the first 100 in each city).”The company aspires to help professional drivers earn supplementary income and rebuild their lost livelihoods while providing passengers with a safe, secure option for rides on demand. “Your anywhere, anytime modern taxi and limo app!” declares Andrea.
It also has some unique features built into its app, such as private ratings between drivers and passengers, FREE groups for corporations, governments, and families, and so on.It focuses on utilizing the existing chauffeurs who are already on the road, instead of adding additional vehicles and contributing to traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions. The company supports electric vehicles on its platform.
Andrea’s ProCabby was inspired by a personal situation—a family member who has been driving a taxi for over 30 years. His situation rings true for millions of professional drivers across the globe. He was in the unfortunate position of not being able to afford to retire while also not having enough funds to continue working (Taxi Drivers pay very high monthly fees, as opposed to Ridesharing Drivers).In addition, as a taxi driver, she wanted to create a platform similar to ridesharing but for professionals, where she could order her ride with the click of a button while supporting this 400-year-old industry.Andrea’s primary goal is to help these Drivers ‘get some skin back in the game’, and be able to compete in this ridesharing, digital era.
An avid leader
Andrea highlights that she has been unaware of her future and goals since childhood. In fact, she had many career aspirations along the way and has tried her hand in different industries and worked for mom-and-pop shops as well as larger corporations. “One thing that became apparent over time, however, is that I love being a part of building something from nothing,” she adds. After graduating from university with a degree in psychology, she worked as a marketing intern at a local theatre and fell in love with it. She eventually returned to school to study small and medium enterprise management. It gave her great building blocks to start a business. BAITS Global Inc., a professional services firm that specializes in IT, Business Analysis, and Marketing Solutions, was founded and has been in operation since 2011. It taught her the ins and outs of what running a business entails. It certainly helped her navigate the waters when ProCabby was born.
Andrea’s venture, ProCabby, has been filled with many obstacles, and it is a tricky industry to navigate. “Many chauffeurs have lost so much,” she adds. Couple that with ever-changing regulations and a resistance to change, and we are no strangers to challenges. She is fond of learning and taking on new challenges. Keeping up with industry standards, taking courses to upgrade her skillset, and networking with other women in tech through accelerators and groups have been most helpful to ensure that she continues to level up.
Andrea adores the arts of dancing, exploring the world, and experimenting with different types of cooking. For her, starting each day with a powerful workout helps her set her mind for a productive day. She believes that scheduling is non-negotiable and that family time is also essential for maintaining a sense of balance. She states that some of her biggest inspirations have been her parents, both professionals who have had their own businesses for 45+ years, as well as her partner, who has a work ethic like no other and who never gives up.
Future Endeavours
Andrea feels excited to share her message and experience with other women in tech and business. “You do not need to come from the tech space to work in it,” she suggests. She believes that the hustle culture is overrated and that in order to go the distance in business, one needs to continuously work on their mental stamina to keep it strong. Currently, she seeks to expand her public speaking initiatives. She advises the aspiring leaders to find a mentor in their space, which can be one of the most invaluable things to help one grow. Moreover, she advises that one must surround oneself with like-minded individuals and not be afraid to reach out to other leaders that they respect. She believes that the greatest leaders are those who continue to grow and evolve. “I have so much more I want to achieve, I believe this is only the beginning,” concludes Andrea.
