Beginning today, Safr, a women-focused ridesharing service, will be available in downtown Orlando for limited scheduled rides with 24 hours’ notice, for customers who download their app, Go Safr, and use the hashtag, #welcomesafr.

In August, Safr will be available to everyone in Orlando on-demand through the app. 

In light of the recent sexual assault allegations on drivers of other ridesharing companies, Safr was built with the needs of women in mind and aims to improve the lives of women everywhere through safe transportation, job creation, and financial security. Safr intends to implement its services globally to help women avoid potential danger.

As part of Safr's Orlando launch, the company is partnering with the City of Orlando's After School All Stars program to provide limited free rides for high school students enrolled in the Opportunity Jobs Academy (OJA). 

The OJA is a program that partners with national hotel and retail brands like GAP and American Hotel & Lodging Association to provide an on-ramp to jobs for high school students from challenged backgrounds. OJA students take part in an eight-week course to learn skills for their first jobs, along with mentoring. 

The graduates are then connected with jobs. Safr will provide free rides for these students to classes.

Gert Garman will be spearheading community engagement in the Orlando market, having been actively involved in the community for over 20 years. She has worked for both University of Central Florida (UCF) alumni and UCF Athletics, before doing special events and marketing for the City of Orlando. Garman was on the innovation team at Disney and directed the collaborative design center at Valencia College before starting her own gig at Broad Perspective.