Black-led Travel Tech Startup Workbnb Launches OTX Product Aimed at Blue-Collar Workforce Travel Trends

For any startup, timing is everything, and with Joe Biden’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill (or the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, as it’s officially known) now in full effect, millions more essential workers are on the road over the next decade as?roads, bridges, electrical lines and power stations get an upgrade . This is incredible for Workbnb, Inc | Techstars '22 !

As the Chairman and CEO of Workbnb, Inc | Techstars '22 , I believe in challenging the status quo! Too much investment capital has poured into luxury travel, white-collar business travel, and vacation travel tech. I'm allergic to the status quo in the OTA sector (online travel agencies), and we believe it's our purpose to be the crazy ones in the travel-tech/prop-tech sectors.?

Over the past 641 days since founding the Company, we have accomplished roughly 227 goals to make the BEST workforce booking platform for enterprises and organizations that employ the backbone of American society.?

Since our acceptance to Techstars in August, our team has logged 349 hours with top-tier mentors from seventeen states and five countries preparing for the world premiere of OTX by Workbnb, the online travel Xperience. Together, we challenged our assumptions, poked holes in our business model, and upgraded our revenue model, thus producing something better than a minimal viable product (MVP). We developed a maximal sellable product (MSP) squarely aimed at achieving an undeniable product-market fit.?

Watch my Techstars Demo Day pitch “I Believe Part-two” here:

As the brand leader, I chose to position our product as the "X-factor" solution hence "OTX," so that as we go to market in 2023, we're not selling anything. Our primary focus is customer success, warm introductions, and word of mouth.??

OTX by Workbnb Promises to Impact The Future of Work Travel

On November 3rd, 2022, we defied the odds against most black tech founders. We presented a high-impact demonstration of our technology that witnesses are still buzzing about today! Even attending Techstars 's Foundercon in Oakland the following week, we received high praise from dozens of investors, MDs, and other founders! We also stood out as "tech superstars" wearing black #Tulsa12 hoodies, which were a smash hit amongst the cohorts attending!

Here are some of the reviews from my Techstars Tulsa Demo Day pitch:

"The innovation that Workbnb, Inc | Techstars '22 pioneered is removing the search bar from short-term rental bookings, allowing enterprises to build bookings like a project management tool rather than having to book individual properties one at a time, resulting in significant time and cost savings. If you’ve ever had to book multiple properties at a time, you understand how big of a deal this is and why WorkBNB is about to blow... ??." -? Tré Baker , Managing Director for Build in Tulsa Techstars Accelerator

"Tremendous progress. The app looks easy to use and will save thousands of hours." - Alice Heiman , Sales Expert

"I love the #tulsa12 branding! That's smart. I love your energy as a founder. You are relentless, which is a key attribute for success. You're a great storyteller, too! Love the mind-blowing moment on the pitch. That was fun and unique. As for OTX, I think you explained it well (again good storytelling). I think you'll have some portfolio companies that need workbnb for sure, but of course, we're not sending armies of people to work in random places every day. I could see us using it in the future around Foundercon, or major events like that, of course." - David Cohen , Founder, and Chairman of Techstars

"Yo @WorkbnbCEO killed it last night at the Demo Day. To recognize the issue in rental (marketplace) where there is a huge number of rentals being covered by employers. So smart! They're building a B2B version of Airb... I mean the best version of Workbnb." - McKeever (Mac) Conwell,II Founder and Managing Partner at RareBreed Ventures

"When you’re fortunate to meet a startup founder on the cusp of transforming an industry, you just know it. You can feel their drive and energy and it’s pretty exciting. Many of you know what I’m talking about.

From Day One of meeting?Workbnb, Inc | Techstars '22 , Yeves Perez, Workforce Champion , and cofounder Daj’Anique Staples , I was inspired by their total and utter belief in our essential workforce as key to the next decade of growth. They’ve built an innovative traveltech-meets-proptech platform to support our essential workers - blue-collar, white collar and everything in between. *Thanks to?Tré Baker ?for bringing WorkBnB to the center stage via?Build in Tulsa Techstars Accelerator ." - Kelly Roark , Startup Advisor?

“As Regent Bank’s Chairman & CEO, and Oklahoma’s former Secretary of Commerce, I’ve seen a lot of new company pitches. They are always well-intended, but often lack the business acumen and background to be investable.?

When I met with the Tulsa 12, however, I was blown away! Each founder and company are very unique, well thought out, and, in many cases, already has clients and revenue. I believe many of these businesses can change the world and Techstars has prepared them very well for their launch.?

I’ve become particularly close with the founders of Workbnb and Plannly, and they are incredible. They are seasoned leaders who have overcome tremendous odds to get to this point. Their companies are extremely scalable with very high growth potential.?

Yeves, Daj’Anique, Earl, and Alicia have vision, creativity, and tenacity that is so inspiring. You are literally looking at the American Dream when you meet these individuals. They will change the city of Tulsa and the state of Oklahoma forever. I am definitely a believer!” - Sean Kouplen , Chairman & CEO of Regent Bank

"It's a strong presentation. The angle in your video of 'I'm making life better and more comfortable for blue-collar workers who build and fix things' is a great fit for that demographic! It has Mike Rowe vibes.

Overall, you are in a way better place than a couple of years ago, this is a strong pitch. " - Wesley McQuillen , 6X ADDYs winner, Senior Marketing Strategist, and Northern Nevada Business Weekly Best in Business, "New Nevada Innovator."?

"As Project Executive for Ames Construction , I oversee the workforce for the entire state of Nevada. Last year, Yeves Perez and his mother Pam helped me with my workforce housing needs, and then Yeves came to me with his vision for a booking app called OTX, which is made for employers like me who care where my workers stay!

We spent over a year collaborating on his vision, which help him and Daj'Anique gets accepted to Techstars, receive funding, grow the company, and get more clients like me. I fully support this Reno-born travel tech Company, not just as a client, but now as an investor! We believe traveling workers matter, and so should you! Go Workbnb! " - Seth Alexander, P.E. Ames Construction ??

What's Next for OTX by Workbnb?

As Senior leadership, Daj’Anique Staples 'Anique Staples and I, are tasked with following the data and trends, building relationships across the Country, and raising capital. As reported in January by Matthew Parsons , Corporate Travel Editor for Skift .com reported in our debut article:

"Americans are considered essential workers, and 10 million work in construction, of which 32 percent travel often. Following the signing of the infrastructure bill, he said the industry estimates it needs to hire two million more workers.

As a result, the founder wants to scale up and he’s taking aim at?disgruntled Airbnb hosts ?in particular. “Our value proposition is simple,” he said. “For a lot of vacation rental owners who’ve had horrible experiences, we’re giving them an opportunity to pivot towards a different category of traveler.”

We call them "Workforce travelers." Read the full article here:?Meet the Blue-Collar Airbnb for U.S. Infrastructure Construction Workers (skift.com)

Since graduating from Build in Tulsa Techstars Accelerator Techstars , our BETA waitlist has expanded to 1463 companies and 9,327 properties in 41 states including Puerto Rico, and 17 Letters of Intent including Regent Bank for a “sponsor bank” position to add fin technology to the Workbnb platform plus an in-branch advertising campaign for a business customer to use in Oklahoma. We also estimate that capturing just 400 projects would earn Workbnb, Inc | Techstars '22 our first 100 Million in revenue!

Below are the first year "highlights" of what experts like Sadek Wahba , Chairman & Managing Partner of I Squared Capital, Barbara Humpton , CEO of Siemens USA, and Diane J. Hoskins, FAIA, NCARB , Co-CEO at Gensler, call the "Infrastructure Decade."

INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT ACT FACT SHEET

ONE YEAR OF DELIVERING RESULTS

To date, the Administration has announced over $185 billion in funding and over 6,900 specific projects, reaching over 4,000 communities across all 50 states, D.C., and the territories. The White House Infrastructure Implementation Team released?new state-by-state fact sheets ?and a?new map highlighting projects in all 50 states . The President, Vice President, Cabinet, and senior federal leaders, have taken more than 200 trips to all 50 states, as well as D.C., Puerto Rico, and the territories, to discuss this once-in-a-generation opportunity with community members.?

Key highlights include:

• Launched?2,800 bridge repair and replacement projects?across the country.?
• Awarded funds for?over 5,000 new clean transit and school buses.?
• Approved state plans for water funding, EV charging networks, and high-speed internet deployment.

Upgrading Transportation and Supply Chains

• Roads & Bridges:?The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced approximately $120 billion in Federal Highway Apportionments for highways and bridges for fiscal years 2022 and 2023. To date, over 2,800 bridge projects have been launched.
• Rail: Today, the Federal Railroad Administration?announced its Northeast Corridor Inventory , outlining major backlog projects that will get funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including the East River Tunnel in New York, the Connecticut River Bridge, and the Susquehanna River Bridge and Frederick Douglas Tunnel in Maryland.
• Local Infrastructure Projects: USDOT made?26 awards totaling $1.5 billion ?for highway, multimodal freight, and rail projects that will make the nation’s transportation systems safer and more resilient, eliminate supply chain bottlenecks and improve critical freight movements. USDOT also announced?$2.2 billion in Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grants ?for 166 projects that will allow urban and rural communities to move forward on projects that modernize roads, bridges, transit, rail, ports, and intermodal transportation and make our transportation systems safer, more accessible, more affordable, and more sustainable.
• Public Transit: USDOT announced?$20.4 billion ?in the Fiscal Year 2022 transit funding and a recommendation of $4.45 billion through the?Capital Investment Grants program ?to advance public transit projects across the nation including in Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Washington. Notably, this includes first-time funding commitments for the Gateway Program and Second Avenue Subway.
• Airports: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) at USDOT announced?$3 billion for 3,075 airports ?across the country to upgrade critical infrastructure. FAA also announced?$1 billion in awards to 85 airports ?across the country to modernize airport terminals of all sizes.
• Ports and Waterways: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announced $3.9 billion to strengthen supply chains and improve harbors and waterways for 16 construction projects across 10 states and Puerto Rico using Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds. . The Maritime Administration (MARAD) at USDOT also announced over?$700 million ?to fund 41 port projects in 22 states and one territory to improve our nation’s port infrastructure, strengthen national supply chains, and help lower costs for Americans.
• Land Ports of Entry: The General Services Administration (GSA) awarded?$3.4 billion ?to build and modernize 26 land ports of entry across the northern and southern borders. The investments will improve commerce and trade; enhance border security; create good-paying construction jobs; incorporate new and innovative sustainability features; and provide for improved climate resilience. Work has begun at all 26 locations slated for major modernization, including preliminary site acquisition activities, environmental reviews, design, and community engagement, including outreach to Tribal Nations. GSA has also completed seven port paving projects in Arizona and New York using the agency’s new low-carbon asphalt and concrete specifications. The contracts for these paving projects were awarded to and completed by women-owned, small, or disadvantaged businesses.
• EV Charging Infrastructure: The Administration?approved Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plans for all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico ?under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program, meaning all states now have access to all FY22 and FY23 NEVI formula funding, totaling more than $1.5 billion to help build EV chargers covering approximately 75,000 miles of highway across the country, with strong labor, safety, and workforce standards. USDOT and DOE also formed a?Joint Office of Energy & Transportation? focused on building out the national network of EV chargers.

Improving Water, Conservation, and Resilience

• Water Infrastructure:?The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced over $9 billion in funding in FY 2022 and 2023 for states, tribes, and territories to upgrade America’s aging water infrastructure, sewerage systems, pipes and service lines, and more through their?State Revolving Fund (SRF) programs , including targeting resources to disadvantaged communities, making rapid progress on lead-free water for all, and tackling dangerous chemicals such as PFAS. The USACE has announced $200 million in funding for environmental infrastructure projects for 26 states and three tribes, to install backup generators, upgrade aging water and wastewater infrastructure, and construct stormwater improvement projects.
• Tribal Climate Resilience:?The Department of the Interior (DOI) announced $45 million – $20 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – to build climate resilience in Tribal communities. These projects will support Tribes and Tribal organizations in adaptation planning, climate implementation actions, ocean, and coastal management planning, capacity building, relocation, managed retreat, and protect-in-place planning for climate risks.?
• Fulfilling Tribal Water Settlements: DOI announced $1.7 billion to fulfill Indian Water Rights Settlements, which will break down barriers and help create conditions that improve water resources management by providing certainty as to the rights of all water users who are parties to the disputes. The Interior also announced $10 million for tribal water systems and another $10 million for irrigation and power in Indian Country.
• Tribal Water and Sanitation Infrastructure: The Indian Health Service (IHS) announced allocation decisions for $700 million to support crucial sanitation projects that will result in substantial improvements to clean water and sanitation systems in American Indian and Alaska Native communities across the country. IHS will allocate $700 million each fiscal year from FY 2022 through FY 2026, for a total of $3.5 billion for the IHS Sanitation Facilities Construction Program.
• Drought Resilience: DOI announced $1.4 billion for 129 projects to boost water infrastructure and tackle drought in the West, including funding for rural water systems, dam safety, water recycling, and reuse projects and repairs for aging water systems.
• Watershed Infrastructure Projects: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced nearly?$798 million ?in funding for projects that improve or rehabilitate watersheds, rehabilitate dams, and improve flood prevention through its Natural Resource Conservation Service. The USACE received $64 million to fund credit assistance for safety projects to maintain, upgrade, and repair dams identified in the National Inventory of Dams and owned by non-federal entities.
• Ecosystem Restoration: DOI, USDA, and DOD jointly?announced a $1 billion America the Beautiful Challenge ?that will combine Federal funding with private and philanthropic contributions for conservation and restoration, anchored by an initial commitment of $440 million of Federal resources.?Ecosystem Restoration: DOI, USDA, and DOD jointly?announced a $1 billion America the Beautiful Challenge ?that will combine federal funding with private and philanthropic contributions for conservation and restoration, anchored by an initial commitment of $440 million of federal resources. The USACE has announced $1.9 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to restore vital ecosystems across the nation through 11 projects and programs in 8 states and one territory including Florida, California, New Mexico, Texas, and Puerto Rico.
• Wildfire Mitigation: USDA announced?$131 million in wildfire mitigation ?investments to begin work on the USDA Forest Service 10-year wildfire risk mitigation strategy –?Confronting the Wildfire Crisis: A Strategy for Protecting Communities and Improving Resilience in America’s Forests . These?initial investments in 10 landscapes ?in Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Montana, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona will help reduce the risk of extreme wildfire on nearly 208,000 acres of land. Additionally, DOI announced $103 million for wildfire mitigation and resilience efforts in 39 states, to support nearly 2 million acres of fuels management work, as part of the Department’s?Five-year Monitoring, Maintenance, and Treatment Plan .
• Caring for Our Wildland Firefighters:?USDA’s Forest Service and DOI increased firefighter pay by as much as $20,000 a year to help address recruitment and retention challenges, continued converting seasonal firefighters to permanent positions, expanded mental health support, and increased rest periods. USDA and DOI also jointly announced the establishment of a defined Wildland Firefighter Occupational Series that will be tailored to our firefighters, will provide a clear path to career advancement, and reflect the true nature of the work.
• Flood Resilience: FEMA announced the?$60 million Swift Current ?federal grant initiative that will help four states affected by Hurricane Ida, one of the most intense storms to hit the United States in recent years, become more resilient to flooding. The program will more equitably expedite mitigation grants to disaster survivors with repeatedly flooded homes. The USACE announced $3.7 billion in flood and coastal resilience construction projects that will reduce flood risks for communities through 47 projects in 24 states, the District of Columbia, and one territory.

Cleaning Up Legacy Pollution?

• Orphaned Oil and Gas Wells: The Department of the Interior launched a new $4.7 billion program to?cap and plug “orphaned,” or abandoned, oil and gas wells ?across the country to reduce methane emissions and create jobs over the next decade. The first $1.15 billion in funding is now available to 26 states to create jobs cleaning up orphaned oil and gas wells across the country, and $33 million was allocated to clean up 277 well sites in national parks, national wildlife refuges, and on other public lands.
• Abandoned Mine Lands: The Department of the Interior announced the availability of?nearly $725 million ?in Fiscal Year 22 funding for 22 states and the Navajo Nation to help create good-paying union jobs and catalyze economic opportunity by reclaiming abandoned mine lands (AML), eliminating dangerous environmental conditions and pollution caused by past coal mining, and providing opportunities for current and former coal workers. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law reauthorized the existing distributions and provided nearly $11.3 billion to be allocated over the next 15 years.
• Superfund Site Cleanup: EPA?announced ?$1 billion this year to initiate cleanup and clear the backlog of 49 previously unfunded Superfund sites and accelerate cleanup at dozens of other sites across the country.
• Brownfield Cleanup:?EPA awarded?$254.5 million in brownfield cleanup grants ?to 265 communities. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides a total of $1.5 billion over the next five years to advance environmental justice, spur economic revitalization and create jobs by cleaning up contaminated, polluted, or hazardous brownfield properties.
• Waterways Restoration: EPA announced?$1 billion over five years for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative , including $200 million in FY2022, to accelerate progress in the clean-up and restoration of the Great Lakes’ most environmentally degraded sites, securing clean water and a better environment for millions of Americans in the Great Lakes region. EPA announced $238 million over five years to help restore the Chesapeake Bay, including $40 million this year to protect public health, improve water quality, and help restore lands, rivers, and streams in the Chesapeake Bay region. EPA has also begun deploying funds across 10 other geographic programs from coast to coast as well as all 28 national estuaries.?

Modernizing the Grid and Deploying Clean Energy

• Energy Efficient Homes: DOE released grant applications and began dispersing?$3.16 billion in funding for residential energy retrofitting ?and weatherization. This expanded funding will allow states to retrofit thousands of low-income homes to make them healthier and more energy efficient while lowering utility bills.
• Home Energy Assistance: The Department of Health and Human Services?released $200 million ?to help families pay their outstanding heating and cooling bills, the first two installments of the five-year, $500 million investment in the Low Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) program provided from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.?
• Clean Energy and Advanced Batteries: DOE awarded 20 companies in 12 states a total of more than $2.8 billion to boost domestic production of advanced battery components and the processing of critical materials that power them. The Department of the Interior announced over $167 million that will help fund a new facility for the?U.S. Geological Survey , which is working on critical energy and mineral programs.
• Upgrading Our Power Grid: DOE announced?$2.3 billion in formula funding ?to States, Tribal nations, and territories to strengthen and modernize America’s power grid. In addition, DOE launched the?$10.5 billion Grid Resilience Innovation Program ( GRIP) to enhance the resilience and reliability of the power grid.
• Clean Hydrogen:?DOE launched the historic?regional clean hydrogen hubs program ?(H2Hubs) which will help jump-start America’s clean hydrogen economy. DOE opened applications for $7 billion in funding. These investments will help advance President Biden’s goal of a net-zero carbon economy by 2050, improve energy security, and create good-paying jobs.
• Mapping Critical Minerals.?DOI invested over $74 million in the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (MRI) to map critical minerals that power everything from household appliances and electronics to clean energy technology like batteries and wind turbines.

Expanding High-Speed Internet

• Affordable Connectivity Program:?The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) launched the Affordable Connectivity Program, which lowers the cost of high-speed Internet service by up to $30 per month for eligible households (up to $75 per month for households on Tribal Lands) and provides up to $100 towards the purchase of a desktop, laptop or tablet computer. To lower costs even further, the President and Vice President also secured commitments from 20 leading internet providers to offer ACP-eligible households fully covered high-speed Internet plans. As a result, millions of Americans can now get high-speed internet for free at?GetInternet.gov . To date,?more than 14.8 million households ?have enrolled in affordable, high-speed Internet plans.??
• Internet for All: The Department of Commerce launched its?“Internet for All” initiative ?– releasing notices of funding opportunities for three of its major programs, including the $42 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program, the Middle-Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program, and the Digital Equity Planning Grant Program. On November 18, the FCC will publish a map and launch the public challenge process so that public input can inform the ultimate map that will determine how BEAD program funding will be allocated. Every state is guaranteed a minimum of $100 million. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced $759 million from the?ReConnect rural broadband deployment program ?for loans and grants to state, local, or territory governments, corporations, Tribes and limited liability companies, and cooperative organizations to help people in rural areas get access to high-speed internet and the Department expects to make over $1 billion in awards in Spring 2023. NTIA has also made $1.35 billion in funding available through the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, including funds from the first tranche of $2 billion directed to Tribal governments through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to be used for broadband deployment on Tribal lands, as well as for telehealth, distance learning, broadband affordability, and digital inclusion.?

Building A Better America Together

To deliver on the promise of this historic legislation, the Biden-Harris Administration has:

• Built an implementation team at the White House, federal agencies, and state, local, Tribal, and territorial governments, along with new mechanisms to ensure clearer communication and coordination between all levels of government, including identifying infrastructure coordinators in states and territories. Since the law’s signing, 54 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, and territories have appointed an infrastructure coordinator.
• Guided?federal agencies ?to set a strong foundation for effective, efficient, and equitable implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in accordance with the Justice40 Initiative; and boosted collaboration with Inspectors General and the broader oversight community to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse.
• Released a?Permitting Action Plan? to strengthen and accelerate federal permitting and environmental reviews by fully leveraging existing permitting authorities, as well as new provisions in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
• Released the?Accelerating Infrastructure Action Plan ?with over 20 commitments from federal agencies pledging to speed progress and deliver on time, on task, and budget.
• Released a multitude of resources for states, territories, Tribes, and local governments including a Guidebook at build.gov, a technical assistance resource guide, an?“Infrastructure School” webinar series , Rural and Tribal playbooks, and a listing of funding opportunities to be aware of, all available on build.gov.
• Launched the Infrastructure?Talent Pipeline Challenge , securing over?350 commitments ?from organizations such as the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, AT&T, Corning, Communication Workers of America, United Airlines, and ChargePoint to invest in equitable workforce development and train a diverse pipeline of skilled workers to build our nation’s infrastructure. Additionally, where permissible under applicable law, federal agencies are including workforce development as an allowable activity for Bipartisan Infrastructure Law programs and encouraging the use of local and economic hiring preferences to expand the diversity of the talent pool.

What To Expect from Workbnb in 2023?

The potential for Workbnb is limitless, and the movement continues! However, we expect a ton of criticism pertaining to our early stage raise at a $30 million pre-money valuation. As CEO, I'm not bothered, nor will I comment until our raise is completed, yet we're eager to dominate in recruiting supply in 5 major markets, hiring a first Chief Technology Officer, building our Customer Success organization, and posting impressive revenues throughout this recession.??

Call me crazy!?I'm ready!

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