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Iowa City Mom Starts Iowa's First Child Ride Service App

anamika chandel
Katarina Sostaric
/
IPR
Anamika Chandel, founder of Bees Knees Drive, is launching her new company from MERGE in Iowa City.

An Iowa City mom is starting a company this summer that she describes as "Uber for kids." 

Bees Knees Drive will be Iowa's first child ride service app. When it launches in the Iowa City area, parents will be able to order transportation for their kids to school or activities.

Founder Anamika Chandel says she got the idea when she spent a few months working as an Uber driver.

"I met a lot of people, a lot of mothers, families, who said they'd like someone like me to drive their kids around," Chandel says. 

Chandel will hire female drivers who have child care experience and pass background checks. She says she wants the app to allow drivers to send photos of the kids to their parents.

"I have a son, so I wouldn't send my kid with just anyone," Chandel says. "So I'm going to make it so secure that I could send my kid anywhere with the care driver." 

She plans to offer the service to a few families by the end of June and launch the full app this fall. After that, Chandel hopes to expand the business to other cities in Iowa and outside the state. 

Katarina Sostaric is IPR's State Government Reporter