Member Spotlight

Hytch Rewards


In this week’s Member Spotlight we sat down with Hytch Rewards, one of the innovative solutions that is working towards mitigating traffic congestion in Williamson County and all of Middle Tennessee. See how their idea became a reality and is now used by more than 6,000 people to earn money as they share rides.

What is your organization and how/why did you start your organization?

Hytch was created by Robert Hartline and Mark Cleveland, two Nashville entrepreneurs who believe in leveraging technology to help relieve congestion. Hytch’s free app for iOS and Android validates, logs trips and rewards our users’ ridesharing behavior.  Hytch users are friends, neighbors and co-workers who earn cash rewards for sharing rides they log through the app.  Business and community leaders use Hytch as a tool to encourage carpooling, van sharing, public transit, and ride-hailing services.

Hytch creates evangelists for sustainability by incentivizing shared mobility.  “Everyone can see how incentives create action toward any goal you set,” says Mark Cleveland, Hytch Co-Founder and CEO.  “Our customers use incentives to beat traffic congestion.”

As a former member on the Williamson, Inc. board, Mark repeatedly heard concerns about traffic and workforce mobility from area leaders, prompting him to consider a technology solution.

The root cause of congestion is a single occupant vehicle and so many people hitting the roads at the same time.  We should all be on a mission to motivate people to put a few million of those empty seats back to work, commuting to the job.

“Our goal is not only to reduce traffic but also to protect clean air. Every car we take off the road does just that by cutting emissions, and reinforcing more eco-friendly behavior.”

Tell us about the events that led up to where your organization is now.

After two years of development, Hytch Rewards launched in February 2018 with support from partners such as Nissan, Sprint, Lipscomb University, Franklin Synergy Bank, and the Tennessee Department of Transportation.  Today, users of the app have shared over 2 million miles and racked up $73,000 dollars in cash rewards. 6,000 people in Middle Tennessee are using the app and doing their part to beat traffic.

What is unique about your organization (what sets you apart from the rest)?

The concept behind Hytch Rewards is simple:  influence positive transit behavior, reduce fuel emissions and alleviate traffic through sponsored cash rewards.  Because Hytch buys carbon credits to retire with every ride logged using Hytch, our community is driving change and each mile logged is a carbon neutral mile. We are the only ones currently doing this.

Hytch Rewards is a smartphone app that tracks and rewards ridesharing behavior using first-of-a-kind technology developed in Nashville, Tenn.  Winner of the 2016 Nashville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s “Innovation Award,” 2018 Nashville Technology Council’s “Emerging Company of the Year,” 2018’s “Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Award” from the TN Dept. of Environment and Conservation, and recipient of a 2016-2017 Federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Grant, Hytch is quickly validating the platform and business model in Nashville with plans for nationwide expansion.  Launch partners include the Tennessee Department of Transportation, Nissan North America, Franklin Synergy Bank, Lipscomb University, Reliant Bank, Goodwill Industries of Middle TN, Onin Staffing, and Sprint Absolute Wireless with the goal to reduce traffic congestion in Middle Tennessee.

“Hytch Rewards isn’t your ordinary ride sharing app. Users will get rewarded for changing their behaviors through incentivized carpooling,” says Cleveland. “We look forward to seeing the positive impact Hytch will have on people and communities in Tennessee.”

Speaking to Transportation, what is your organization doing to alleviate the transportation issues we see in Williamson County?

Williamson County was the launch place for Hytch, LLC for several reasons.  First, we have about 30,000 cars going back and forth between Nashville and Williamson County.  Hytch is a smart, affordable solution that can get results right away.

Second, Hytch obtained a grant from the Tennessee Department of Transportation that helps the company grow a user base in Davidson, Montgomery, Rutherford, Sumner, Williamson and Wilson counties, which each have air quality issues.

Third, we found that companies headquartered in Brentwood are very forward thinking and are industry leaders that believe in our mission.

Nissan North America headquartered in Franklin was the first major market sponsor of Hytch. Nissan offers 1 cent across the state of Tennessee, and 5 cents in Williamson County, per mile for each passenger when traveling in a vehicle with two or more people.

“Hytchers” can also earn additional non-cash rewards and perks such as exclusive Hytch parking spots marked at Hill Center Brentwood, school campuses, malls, and others.

How has being a part of the overall business community in Williamson County helped you?

We have been able to identify industry leaders like Nissan who are forward thinking and believe in what we’re doing. Our partnership with Williamson, Inc. has given us a platform to establish relationships with businesses who seek to address sustainability, employee retention and other issues.

Why did you choose to become a member of Williamson, Inc.

We believe communities are stronger when we come together and build a vision for growth. Williamson, Inc. provides the perfect environment for collaboration and action.

Given your expertise and the nature of what you do, what advice (general or specific) can you offer to the readers?

Remember that the battle, any battle, is never hopeless. From our perspective, the battle against traffic can be won, one shared ride at a time, especially when we put into the practice the fact that rewarded behavior gets repeated. Business owners and leaders make decisions every day about how to best motivate customers and employees. Hytch offers another option for incentivizing positive behavior.

How can readers take advantage of your services? How can they get involved?

Anyone can join Hytch Rewards. Just follow the quick and easy steps to connect, jump in a carpool or bus, and enjoy the ride! By doing so, users are conscientiously making smart mobility choices and are playing a role in shifting the culture around transportation and mobility.

More specifically, companies and employers have an industrial development opportunity before them. By funding the rewards rule and being in control of how and when employees get rewarded, employers can use this app as an incentive when recruiting and retaining personnel.

Business contact information (phone, address, website, email, etc.):

Mark Cleveland

Co-Founder and CEO

Hytch Rewards

615 Main Street, Suite 126

Nashville, TN 37206

markacleveland.com

615-519-9294

mark@hytch.me