BHM Founders Features: Lisa Bailey, Founder of FeatureFirst Auto
February signals the start of a month of celebration and reflection on the many contributions Black Americans have made to the United States and the world. Indeed, the man credited as the visionary for this annual celebration, Carter G. Woodson, hoped to educate young black people about their rich heritage and the achievements of their ancestors.
This February is like no other. The globe is nearly a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, which has disproportionately impacted a multitude of areas of the Black community, including health, racial equity, and economic prosperity.
Monica Motivates was created by founder Monica McCoy to help women, Black and Latinx, and underrepresented founders gain critical access to capital and successfully launch their dreams.
Throughout February, in honor of the spirit of Black History Month, and adding to the body of knowledge the accomplishments of Black people, we will feature founders who are making incredible strides in their businesses.
Lisa Bailey is the founder of FeaturesFirst Auto, a consumer information tool that aims to improve motor vehicle safety through the power of education to progress towards a zero-emissions future.
Monica Motivates had the opportunity to ask Bailey to share a little about her journey as a founder.
In a few sentences tell us a little about your business — the clients you serve and the services you provide.
Our mission is to bring order to the chaos and fear consumers feel about autonomous vehicle technologies by simplifying information, bridging driver understanding gaps, and effectively introducing positive experiences in the rapidly emerging automotive markets in the United States to promote safer cars, together with safer road users. The lack of consumer education has contributed to the underutilization of autonomous vehicle technologies that were created to improve vehicle systems that assist drivers for a safer and better driving experience. The FeaturesFirst Auto tool takes the consumer on a journey of understanding autonomous mobility and safety systems through an interactive learning experience that empowers and educates them to become a “smart” driver. The FeaturesFirst Academy partners with the thought leaders of the transportation industry to bring the consumer voice to the supply chain, allowing stakeholders of the transportation industry to implement strategies that create value throughout the supply chain to the consumer.
Describe the moment you decided to start your business and what was the inspiration behind it?
FeaturesFirst Auto was created out of my own frustration, as a millennial, learning how to operate my new vehicle. As a tech-savvy millennial watching the rise of smart technologies literally transform the way we live and drive, I was left at a crossroad. In a moment of excitement for the future of the “driving experience”, I knew if I, as a tech-savvy millennial, could not understand the features in my vehicle that assist me in driving safely, how could my parents and children be expected to understand? I came up with the really cool idea of creating a community of “smart” drivers, where everyday drivers of all generations have the opportunity to learn about autonomous vehicle technologies. Autonomous vehicle technologies will eventually dominate the driving experience as consumers know it and even more importantly the role as the driver will evolve into a connected experience.
All great businesses, at their core, are providing solutions to life’s challenges. What challenges does your business aim to solve for your customers/clients?
Our mission is to bring order to the chaos and fear consumers feel about autonomous vehicle technologies by simplifying information, and bridge driver understanding gaps that are contributing to the underutilization of autonomous vehicle technologies created to improve motor vehicle safety. We are keeping the human involved at some capacity on all levels of automation by providing intentional information about what the technology is, what it is doing and what will happen next to build the relationship that will determine the success of adoption for the future.
What does being a founder/entrepreneur mean to you?
Being a founder and entrepreneur means that I am a builder. I am building dreams, I am building opportunities, I am building legacy, I am building the future! A good founder knows that their vision will outlive them. A good founder knows to accept every triumph for the current and future generations who will be valued by their building! A good founder is caught living life on the edge of the future with the present in mind. I am a good founder and it is my birthright. We know that founders of color face a number of challenges in not only creating but successfully operating their own business.
As efforts are made nationally, and globally, to creating racial equity across industries, what role do you believe founders of color can have?
I believe founders of color are held to the same standard of creating employment opportunities within their businesses. I see founders like early adopters, you are the standard and in that knowing, there is action to create the standard. FeaturesFirst Auto is a certified minority and women business enterprise creating employment opportunities for diverse engineers and women in tech.
Is there a founder of color, historically or present day, who inspires you? And why?
Rebecca Enonchong is a Cameroonian born technology entrepreneur and also the founder and CEO of AppsTech. She is best known for her work promoting technology in Africa. Rebecca set up AppsTech in 1999 to provide enterprise software solutions, going up against some huge, powerful competitors. Rebecca is an inspiration to me because like many women founders she started with literally no money and despite her best efforts, never raised any funding. She was a woman tech founder, a Black woman tech founder, and a Black African woman tech founder. Rebecca overcame and built a company that, 20 years later, has offices in three continents and a client list that includes some of the biggest corporations in the world. Forbes listed her as one of the 10 Female Tech Founders To Watch In Africa during 2014. It is through perseverance that we triumph!
What’s your one piece of advice to someone who dreams of becoming a founder/entrepreneur?
Build your dream one step at a time because it is through perseverance that we triumph!
Learn more about FeaturesFirst Auto by visiting their website: https://featuresfirstauto.com/
In a few sentences tell us a little about your business — the clients you serve and the services you provide.
Our mission is to bring order to the chaos and fear consumers feel about autonomous vehicle technologies by simplifying information, bridging driver understanding gaps, and effectively introducing positive experiences in the rapidly emerging automotive markets in the United States to promote safer cars, together with safer road users. The lack of consumer education has contributed to the underutilization of autonomous vehicle technologies that were created to improve vehicle systems that assist drivers for a safer and better driving experience. The FeaturesFirst Auto tool takes the consumer on a journey of understanding autonomous mobility and safety systems through an interactive learning experience that empowers and educates them to become a “smart” driver. The FeaturesFirst Academy partners with the thought leaders of the transportation industry to bring the consumer voice to the supply chain, allowing stakeholders of the transportation industry to implement strategies that create value throughout the supply chain to the consumer.
Describe the moment you decided to start your business and what was the inspiration behind it?
FeaturesFirst Auto was created out of my own frustration, as a millennial, learning how to operate my new vehicle. As a tech-savvy millennial watching the rise of smart technologies literally transform the way we live and drive, I was left at a crossroad. In a moment of excitement for the future of the “driving experience”, I knew if I, as a tech-savvy millennial, could not understand the features in my vehicle that assist me in driving safely, how could my parents and children be expected to understand? I came up with the really cool idea of creating a community of “smart” drivers, where everyday drivers of all generations have the opportunity to learn about autonomous vehicle technologies. Autonomous vehicle technologies will eventually dominate the driving experience as consumers know it and even more importantly the role as the driver will evolve into a connected experience.
All great businesses, at their core, are providing solutions to life’s challenges. What challenges does your business aim to solve for your customers/clients?
Our mission is to bring order to the chaos and fear consumers feel about autonomous vehicle technologies by simplifying information, and bridge driver understanding gaps that are contributing to the underutilization of autonomous vehicle technologies created to improve motor vehicle safety. We are keeping the human involved at some capacity on all levels of automation by providing intentional information about what the technology is, what it is doing and what will happen next to build the relationship that will determine the success of adoption for the future.
What does being a founder/entrepreneur mean to you?
Being a founder and entrepreneur means that I am a builder. I am building dreams, I am building opportunities, I am building legacy, I am building the future! A good founder knows that their vision will outlive them. A good founder knows to accept every triumph for the current and future generations who will be valued by their building! A good founder is caught living life on the edge of the future with the present in mind. I am a good founder and it is my birthright. We know that founders of color face a number of challenges in not only creating but successfully operating their own business.
As efforts are made nationally, and globally, to creating racial equity across industries, what role do you believe founders of color can have?
I believe founders of color are held to the same standard of creating employment opportunities within their businesses. I see founders like early adopters, you are the standard and in that knowing, there is action to create the standard. FeaturesFirst Auto is a certified minority and women business enterprise creating employment opportunities for diverse engineers and women in tech.
Is there a founder of color, historically or present day, who inspires you? And why?
Rebecca Enonchong is a Cameroonian born technology entrepreneur and also the founder and CEO of AppsTech. She is best known for her work promoting technology in Africa. Rebecca set up AppsTech in 1999 to provide enterprise software solutions, going up against some huge, powerful competitors. Rebecca is an inspiration to me because like many women founders she started with literally no money and despite her best efforts, never raised any funding. She was a woman tech founder, a Black woman tech founder, and a Black African woman tech founder. Rebecca overcame and built a company that, 20 years later, has offices in three continents and a client list that includes some of the biggest corporations in the world. Forbes listed her as one of the 10 Female Tech Founders To Watch In Africa during 2014. It is through perseverance that we triumph!
What’s your one piece of advice to someone who dreams of becoming a founder/entrepreneur?
Build your dream one step at a time because it is through perseverance that we triumph!
Learn more about FeaturesFirst Auto by visiting their website: https://featuresfirstauto.com/