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Reston Limousine President & CEO Kristina Bouweiri
Virginia Business Magazine recently named Reston Limousine President & CEO Kristina Bouweiri as one of the Top Female Executives in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Bouweiri was among 29 other distinguished female leaders profiled in the article. Reston was founded in 1990 with just five cars and grew to 250 vehicles with 450 employees. The company has been a major player in the Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia market for decades.
The full write-up was the July 2021 cover story for the Virginia-based publication, which can be viewed here.
The profile, highlighting large and small company owners, also recognized Bouweiri as a champion for other women in the business world. In 2008, she founded Sterling Women, a female networking group, and she has focused on philanthropic work in her community throughout her career. Sterling Women has become one of the most sought-after monthly events for women executives in Northern Virginia. The exchange of ideas, networking, and listening to a casual keynote talk from a top female executive, all have morphed into a sisterhood that Bouweiri is extremely proud.
“Witnessing women helping women is the exact gesture and tone we need more of in the business community. Sterling Women is not just a group—it’s a movement that is empowering women to thrive with the best resources to be top executives in their lives,” she has said about the group.
She’s also serves on several community and regional boards, raised money for Loudoun Boy Scouts, and recruited members for 100WomenStrong, a group that is dedicated to improving life in Loudoun County, where her 31-year-old company is based.
Bouweiri is also scheduled to be a Mentor (partnered with Jay Erlich of Europe Limousine) for the Operator Mentoring Program at the upcoming CD/NLA Show this October 10-13 in Dallas. The full lineup and registration information is available here.
Visit restonlimo.com for more information.
[08.17.21]
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The Black Car Fund (BCF), New York State's workers' compensation provider for independent contractor black car operators, has partnered with Nexar, a leading AI computer vision company, to place cameras in thousands of cars to protect their members in the case of an accident or assault. Nexar's AI-powered dual-camera dash cams detect collisions, immediately notify BCF, and then send a detailed reenactment of the crash within minutes, allowing BCF to begin processing their workers' comp claim.
BCF Executive Director Ira Goldstein
"The Black Car Fund was formed by a New York State statute over 20 years ago to provide workers' comp for independent drivers who otherwise wouldn't be insured for on-the-job injuries,'' said BCF Executive Director Ira Goldstein. "Drivers are often unaware of their rights and the benefits available to them and may not know where to turn to if they are injured. Nexar's technology allows us to proactively reach out and support them when our help is most needed."
The Black Car Fund is funded entirely by passengers in the form of a small surcharge that is assessed on every ride dispatched by a member base. As per state law, The BCF uses a fraction of that surcharge to provide additional health-related benefits to its covered drivers (about 100,000 drivers).
Nexar was an obvious choice for the partnership as Nexar-powered dash cams enable new vision-based applications for better driving. When drivers pair these dash cams with the Nexar app, they join a network that powers new applications for driving and seeing the world. Using anonymous, aggregated data captured from this network, Nexar has developed a portfolio of vision-based data services for public and private sector partners to make roadways safer and more efficient.
Azam Hoosain is a Nexar camera user who was driving passengers when he was struck from behind. This caused his vehicle to flip over and seriously injure him. Nexar contacted Hoosaim, made him aware of the protections provided by BCF and assisted him with his claim, which, as a result of workers' comp, covered all medical expenses and saved him from a lawsuit.
Another driver, Ashish Sapkota, suffered injuries when a passenger violently assaulted him. The incident was captured by Nexar, and BCF was able to help the traumatized driver file a claim after the incident left him too scared to work.
"The Black Car Fund provides workers compensation along with free benefits such as basic dental and vision coverage along with other health-related benefits to approximately 100,000 drivers in New York, and we are so proud to work with them," said Nexar Co-founder & CEO Eran Shir. "Our first report of loss and unique scene reconstruction will be a game-changer for so many drivers who provide a tremendous service to millions of New Yorkers. The ability of Nexar's AI algorithms to 'understand' and report an incident in real-time allows us to make a difference in yet another sector.”
Visit nybcf.org for more information about the Black Car Fund or data.getnexar.com for more information about Nexar and its products.
[08.16.21]
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Lincoln collaborated with Detroit-based luxury lifestyle retailer Shinola to create an Aviator SUV concept that celebrates design and artistry. Lincoln drew inspiration from popular Shinola products—combining the approach of both brands to luxury and the finest of leathers—to create the Lincoln Aviator Shinola concept with design elements inspired by Shinola’s iconic leather silhouettes, Canfield sport watch, and Runwell bicycle. The vehicle was on display at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, an annual car enthusiast show that took place in mid-August in the famous California setting.
Lincoln-Shinola Aviator SUV concept
After a visit to Shinola’s flagship showroom in Detroit, Lincoln designers set out to explore the brand’s popular lifestyle products on display, then found ways to incorporate some very compelling design elements into a unique theme. The result is an Aviator concept that blends the design principles of Lincoln with the modern aesthetic of Shinola.
“Shinola opened up their showroom to us as a playground—allowing us to explore how their brand’s lifestyle ethos could be woven into a new theme for one of our vehicles,” said Kemal Curic, design director, Lincoln. “Our designers were handed a rare gift, and they made the most of it. The fresh insights our team gained studying popular design motifs make this new Aviator concept a true celebration of craftsmanship.”
The collaboration was an opportunity for Lincoln to test and learn, while exploring the use of different colors and new materials in designing vehicles.
The vehicle was on display at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in mid-August
“After our initial meeting with the Lincoln team, it was clear we shared the same passion for well-designed, beautifully crafted products,” said Shinola CEO Shannon Washburn. “Designers from both brands came together to create an ultraluxe vehicle that still embodies Shinola’s aesthetic of approachable luxury with thoughtful details. You can see this in the touches of copper inspired by our bike seats and the brand strip incorporated into the leather seats.”
The Lincoln Aviator Shinola concept’s soft white exterior is inspired by Shinola’s iconic mother of pearl stone watch dials, with hints of blue. Copper accents, inspired by the copper-plated structure that attaches to a Shinola Runwell bike seat, give off a rose-gold hue, for an exterior that highlights progressive utility. The soft touch look and luxurious smell of Shinola whiskey leather appeal to the most refined of senses. The seats feature crème suede that beautifully matches the inserts, brightening up the cabin and giving off a pearl hue that mimics the unique exterior color. Taking cues from the Shinola brand stripe, a woven textile sewn into the seats in all three rows makes for a unique, textural look.
The instrument panel highlights the importance of texture. Woven metal mesh, which also appears on the second-row console, imparts industrial luxury with the same copper accents as the exterior—a direct representation of a Shinola watch band. Every surface is wrapped with soft materials that make the cabin warm and inviting.
While the Shinola concept isn’t available for retail, the Aviator is the newest SUV in the Lincoln Limousine & Livery lineup.
Visit lincoln.com for more information.
[08.16.21]