Ride Along GY aims to reduce carbon footprint while promoting health & fitness
Aiming to reduce Guyana’s carbon footprint and promote health and fitness has led 36-year-old Cherry-Ann Greene to launch her business “Ride Along GY.”
But who is Cherry-Ann? This 36-year-old budding entrepreneur hails from Campbellville, Georgetown, but repositioned to Durban Street, Wortmanville, where she spent 28 years there.
Reflecting on her formative years, Cherry-Ann said that growing up was amusing and humbling. In fact, she recalled her parents being divorced while she was still a child.
“She remarried, and our family was whole again. My new dad and my mom took very good care of us; they tried their best to provide my sister and I with an education, clothes on our backs, meals every day, and lots of love,” 36-year-old detailed.
She continued, “We were thought to be contented, work hard for what we want, and believe in always being kind and patient to others. We were allowed to be children.”
The 36-year-old entrepreneur told MTV News Update that her business idea was birthed eight years ago when she took her husband to neighbouring Suriname.
“We rented bicycles for 24 hours and rode around central Paramaribo; I thought this would be a cool idea for Guyana to have something like this. Travelling is one of my many passions, and once in San Francisco, I saw these beautiful bicycles on the pier; that concreted my desire to create a bicycle rental business in Guyana,” she explained.
However, at that time, she was studying and working a full-time job with one of Guyana’s largest shipping companies, which stunted her from starting her business.
In May 2019, she left the shipping company after 12 years of service and ventured into unknown waters as an Office Manager for a media house.
“In December of that same year, I lost my job at the media house and decided I would give myself three months’ home before I went back into the working field; then covid came.”
While at home, Cherry-Ann made some observations that led her to conduct a survey. Among her findings is that in keeping with a green and eco-friendly country, bicycles are the way forward to foster health and fitness, development of relationships, tourism, and transportation in Guyana.
And by June 2020, the 36-year-old decided that she would not be an employee anymore but an entrepreneur.
“A very good friend sent me an article where Small Business Bureau was rewarding one million dollars each to small businesses that had or were starting up new, innovative, and green businesses. I had one week to submit my proposal, which I did. 5 months later, I got a call informing me that I won the grant that would start up my business.”
By May 2021, Ride Along GY was launched, offering sunset, sunrise, picnic, fitness, nature, and Georgetown tours on bicycles. The business also sells tours for other tour operators.
According to Cherry-Ann, since the takeoff of her business, she has been receiving positive responses from both locals and overseas visitors.
“Surprisingly, and we are very grateful for this, our biggest supporters have been Guyanese living right here in Guyana. We are especially happy for this because we are trying to promote health and fitness, families doing more wholesome activities together and friends, reduction of the carbon footprint due to the overcrowding and use of vehicles on our roadways.”
Despite the positive feedback, the businesswoman said that her most significant challenge is access to funding. To this end, Cherry-Ann said that she is in talks with major hotels and resorts to supply her services to their guest.
“We will also soon collaborate with an international company to see great things happening in Guyana and, hopefully, in our neighboring Caribbean countries,” the businesswoman concluded.
You can find Ride Along GY on Facebook and Instagram. You can visit their website at www.ridealonggy.com. They can also be reached on WhatsApp numbers 347-538-4291 and 592-616-0701.
You can visit their office at Lot 65 Hadfield Street, Werk-En-Rust, Georgetown, or call them at 592-616-0701.
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