Gilbert Family Foundation Expands Venture 313

Farai Gundan, founder of Bhadala – the company behind MyRideWallet for Southeast Michigan public transit – built the platform to solve a problem many Detroiters know well: getting from one place to another isn’t always simple.

Detroit residents often rely on multiple transit systems – DDOT, SMART, the QLINE, scooters and bikes — each with its own payment process. For employers, transportation challenges can also contribute to employee turnover and attendance issues.

MyRideWallet was designed to simplify both.

“We’re creating a single payment platform that allows people to move seamlessly from one mode of transit to another without worrying about how to pay or what app to use,” says Gundan, founder and CEO of the Detroit-based mobility startup.

Like many first-time founders, however, building the product was only part of the challenge.

“Access to capital, understanding the funding landscape and building a network were all obstacles,” she says. “I’m a first-time founder, and there was so much I didn’t know.”

Support from Venture 313 helped change that.