Locowoka

The founders saw an opportunity during a morning commute where they heard other commuters complain about finding work near their homes and others who complained about not having enough time to complete tasks. The challenge was how can we enable people to outsource their errands and tasks to other people in their community who are willing and have the skillset. The other challenge is how could we create this system in a way users would trust.

Our team helped design Locowoka to act as a forum providing a place where people can post jobs and connect them to job seekers around the Aurora & downtown Toronto neighbourhoods. In terms of building trust among its users, a rating system was implemented that kept users and the community safe and self-policing between the community members keeps the entire platform safe and secure to use. Features included the creation of user profiles to allow for transparency to be able to find reliable and trustworthy people, an interactive map to find tasks, and being able to post tasks and set their own prices. Another important feature was being able to purchase insurance to protect from damage or theft if such misfortune should occur. 

The founders of the Locowoka now have an app that not only solved pain points in their community but has developed a concept that made a social impact. According to http://canadianimmigrant.ca, they were accepted to present their idea at Toronto’s MaRS Discovery District, a not-for-profit corporation that assists startup entrepreneurs in the fields of science, technology and social innovation. Locowoka has not only capitalized on a niche but has bonded a community closer together.