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Company: Zum - Redwood City, CA
Nomination Submitted by: Method Communications
Company Description: Zum has reimagined student transportation, the nation's largest mass transit system. With an integrated, end-to-end cloud-based platform, Supported by best-in-class technology and a multi-sized vehicle approach, Zum partners with drivers, schools, and parents to reduce commute times by up to 20% and transport children safely with increased visibility and personalized care.
Nomination Category: Company / Organization Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Company of the Year - Transportation - Medium
 Nomination Title: Zum
- Which will you submit for your nomination in this category, a video of up to five (5) minutes in length about the achievements of the nominated organization since January 1 2020, OR written answers to the questions for this category? (Choose one):
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the nominated video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video.
N/A
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this first question: Briefly describe the nominated organization: its history and past performance (up to 200 words):
Total 200 words used.
Zum’s helping solve a problem hiding in plain sight: the outdated, inefficient, environmentally wasteful and socially inequitable student transportation system. CEO Ritu Narayan founded Zum in 2014 after noticing how often she and her fellow working parents struggled to manage their children’s transportation needs. When she started peeling back the layers, she discovered the true magnitude of the problem — an archaic $28 billion U.S. student transportation ecosystem lacking in the technology, sustainability and flexibility required for today’s world.
In modernizing the nation’s largest mass transit system, Zum offers an integrated, cloud-based platform purpose-built around the needs of kids, their families and the community of teachers, administrators and drivers intent on making the best educational use of children’s school days. Through its tech-powered optimizations, Zum aims to divert millions of dollars back to the classroom, enhance student safety, promote educational equity, and be a leading force for sustainability — all while granting parents the peace of mind that comes with greater visibility into their children’s whereabouts. In the 4,000 U.S. schools that have partnered with Zum, commute times have been reduced by up to 20% and school districts’ annual transportation costs have decreased by up to 40%.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this second question: Outline the organization's achievements since the beginning of 2020 that you wish to bring to the judges' attention (up to 250 words):
Total 249 words used.
2021 was momentous for Zum. We made substantial progress toward our mission to promote a more sustainable, safe and equitable future for our children and communities. In June 2021, Zum launched its comprehensive student transportation platform. Zum currently partners with 4,000 U.S. schools, including two of California’s largest districts: the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) and San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD). Since partnering with Zum, OUSD has seen the share of students who spend over an hour a day commuting to school plummet from 70% to 10%. For SFUSD, on-time arrival rates have increased to 97%, and the district expects to save $15 million over the next five years by optimizing routes and fleets.
In mid-2021, Zum announced its Net Zero initiative, pledging to offset 100% of carbon emissions from 2021 onward and transition its fleet to 100% EVs by 2025. The company also partnered with AutoGrid’s Virtual Power Plant platform. Besides managing the battery-charging needs of the 10,000 electric buses that Zum intends to use, AutoGrid will also use idle buses as batteries to send power back to the grid. This will create over one gigawatt of flexible capacity — equivalent to powering more than 1 million homes for up to four hours. Investors clearly see value in our vision. In 2021, we raised a $130M Series D round led by Softbank Vision Fund 2 and joined by existing investors including Sequoia and BMW i Ventures. That brought Zum’s total valuation to $208 million.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this third question: Explain why the achievements you have highlighted are unique or significant. If possible compare the achievements to the performance of other players in your industry and/or to the organization's past performance (up to 250 words):
Total 249 words used.
The educational, societal and environmental problems plaguing the student transportation system transcend state and national borders. Only Zum provides a digitally-driven platform that can enhance any district’s ability to bring school transportation into the modern era. In the US, 27 million children ride the school bus. It is the second-largest budget item for districts, yet it’s plagued by underused assets and wasted money. With Zum, shared infrastructure between districts, use of appropriately-sized vehicles and efficient routes can save millions of dollars that can be poured back into the classroom.
The current system also heightens inequity: Children from low-income households and those with special needs are more likely to depend on yellow buses for transportation, and they often have especially long commutes. For the 4,000 US schools partnered with Zum, on-time arrivals have increased to 97% and commute times have been reduced by up to 20%, helping rectify inequities and set students up for educational success. Almost all US school buses now operate on diesel, emitting exhaust particles and 8.4 million metric tons of greenhouse gas annually. Through carbon offsets, switching to EV, and repurposing idle buses as batteries, Zum is leading the charge to meaningfully shrink school transportation’s environmental footprint and create healthier communities.
To date, Zum has completed 8 million miles of safe rides for students. As Zum works toward partnering with local entities worldwide to create solutions tailored to individual community needs, Zum’s system has the potential to make a life-changing difference around the world.
You have the option to answer this final question: Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
Total 121 words used.
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