Aslyne Rodriguez is the Co-Founder and CEO of EmpowerBus, an organization that strengthens the roads to social mobility by providing dignified, reliable, and on-time transportation to and from employment, education, and healthcare opportunities. They use clustering and strategic partnerships to address the transportation barriers, such as extremely long commute times, that are facing under-resourced communities in Ohio.

We sat down in the 200 Proof Life studio to chat with Aslyne about EmpowerBus and her journey as an entrepreneur that led her to this point, and we were really impressed with her approach to living and impacting the communities of which she’s a part. You’re going to love her sense of humor and sense of purpose, and her approach to serving her country really resonated with us. She’s a game changer for sure!

Enjoy!

Show Notes

2:26 Aslyne’s first memory is… her feet in the grass?
4:58 How Aslyne’s grandparents shaped her future, and became the model for the people EmpowerBus wants to serve
6:07 It’s not about a handout, it’s about a hand________?
9:35 An interesting perspective on the evolution of diversity and inclusion
12:30 “I knew that I wanted to serve my country but I wasn’t going to pick up a weapon to do that.” Find out how she chose to serve instead.
13:09 Dora the Explorer (minus the monkey), a drowned rat, and Aslyne’s first experience in New York City.
17:25 Too white for people of color but too dark for white people… the predicament.
23:18 The Prom Queen in Poland, Ohio
26:46 Why didn’t Aslyne pursue her dream of creating educational policy?
28:45 I almost died at age 4.
31:44 What do you do when your first business doesn’t work out?
34:29 The power of surrounding yourself with people willing to tell you the truth.
36:28 EmpowerBus
42:26 Wait, what do you mean “first mile last mile” transportation?
44:15 Corporate partners: Abercrombie & Fitch, Whirlpool, COTA, Ohio Means Jobs
48:38 Aslyne’s core values!