This partnership puts meals on wheels in Watts

A partnership between Mastercard and Thinkwatts Foundation to help support and sustain small businesses through the Business Builder Program proved vital beyond its initial promise. 

Mastercard initially brought in Uber for Business to address the transportation needs for Thinkwatts’ Business Builder program, which delivers training in cybersecurity, digital readiness and more to entrepreneurs in the Watts community of Los Angeles. But due to unreliable transportation, small business owners were missing classes, resulting in some being unable to complete training. The Mastercard-Uber for Business partnership filled that gap by providing free rides to the business owners.     

In addition to the transportation support provided to the Business Builder Program, the Mastercard-Uber mobility assistance was extended to the Thinkwatts Foundation’s food distribution program, which addresses food insecurities within Watts and in New York’s Harlem. With the Uber Central product, community residents who are unable to travel to Thinkwatts’ headquarters to pick up the 38-pound boxes of non-perishable food can have the food delivered to their homes.

The solution proved to be priceless not only for the normal distribution program, but also during the recent Los Angeles Unified School District strike. With the school closures, the daily free or discounted meals relied on by thousands of students were unavailable in an already food-insecure community.

“Working with the Uber Team is like working with your best friend,” says Sherri Haymond, executive vice president for Global Digital Partnerships, North America. "Uber for Business and Uber Central products, level of support, and willingness to ideate truly embody partnership. Teamwork makes the dream work.” 

Brandon "Stix" Salaam-Bailey, the founder of the Thinkwatts Foundation, helping distributing food in the Watts community of Los Angeles. (Photo courtesy of Thinkwatts)