Inspired to make a difference
The day after Donald Trump was elected, Black and Mobile founder and Philadelphia-native, David Cabello, decided to drop out of his sophomore year in college and start a business that supported black business owners. He, along with his identical twin brother, Aaron, had a few ideas. In the meantime, he took on delivery jobs to make ends meet. His experience delivering food on his bike for Postmates, Uber Eats, and Caviar inspired him.
"I literally typed in: How do I start a delivery service?"
David Cabello had the idea to partner exclusively with Black-Owned restaurants to give them more exposure with customers. "That was in 2017 and 2018. It was slow-going at first. I got hit by a car. We grossed $25K the first year. I didn't know what I was doing. I kept getting stuck on the complex logistics of delivery. I even contemplated creating a last mile delivery software program on my own. Then, I found Onfleet. That was a game-changer."
"I feel really secure with Onfleet."
With Onfleet's tech solution in place, he officially launched Black and Mobile in February 2019 during Black History Month. Business grew and he kept on learning. His mission was to highlight under-represented businesses in urban communities that are often overlooked, and provide them with the technology they need to expand their customer base and stay competitive in a rapidly changing economy. Black and Mobile also provides jobs and training for the people of these communities.
"I read every last article in Onfleet's Support Center and learned about the delivery industry in their weekly newsletter. Onfleet made it so much more convenient. I could optimize delivery routes. Onboard new drivers with ease." In January of 2020, a historically slow order time, he matched his launch year of revenue in less than a month. Things were falling into place. Then, two forces entered the marketplace which turbocharged his trajectory.
"First, it was COVID-19. Everybody wanted delivery. In April, we tripled our volume." The Black Lives Matter movement brought his business into the national spotlight. "We advertised mostly organically on Instagram. That blew up." Black and Mobile has well over 80K followers now.
Growing smart and growing fast
"We now employ 200 people and operate in Philly, Detroit, and Atlanta. We'll be in LA by the end of the year and are targeted to have over a thousand employees. We are on the way to becoming a million dollar business."
Customers keep coming and investors are calling. As Cabello looks ahead, he notes,
"I'm playing it smart and keeping true to our original mission. We couldn't be where we are today without Onfleet."