Santa Barbara North

Meeting of May 27th, 2026 Recap

Welcome Guests & Visiting Rotarians

We were thrilled to welcome several visitors to our meeting this week:

Graham Sharp - Visiting Rotarian from the Rotary Club Santa Barbara Sunrise.

MaryJo Swalley - Guest and spouse of Graham Sharp.

Mary Garza - Guest and spouse of Blas Garza.

Announcements

  • Jacqueline announced that the San Marcos Rotary Interact Club set up a booth in front of the I. Madonnari Street Painting Festival last weekend.The club sold baked goods, grossing $400. All proceeds will be donated to the Kenya African Water Wells.
  • Jim Lisi’s BBQ step-down scheduled for June July 1st at 5:30pm.

Mega Bucks

  • Anthony Clark pledged a Mega Buck because his son graduated from pre-school.
  • Joe Dobbs pledged a Mega Buck due to his recent visit to Boston for his granddaughter’s wedding.
  • Jacqueline Duran pledged a Mega Buck in honor of her son Bradley participating in the 2026 Teen Star Singing Contest. Although he didn’t win, he put on a great performance.
  • John Engstrom pledged a Mega Buck for his recent purchase of a TESLA, claiming he’ll be gone before he learns to drive it.
  • John Holehouse pledged a Mega Buck for his bike accident, claiming $5.00 for the 5 ribs he broke.
  • Jim Lisi pledged a Mega Buck in honor of his son graduating with a BS in Theology from Liberty University.
  • Roberto pledged a Mega Buck for the singing of his June birthday. He will be traveling to Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara, and his wife Esperanza’s village, and will be gone for about a month.

Member Spotlight

President Jim Lisi shared his facts for this week's game. Can you spot the lie?

  • I am a first-generation American.
  • I have had three career pivots: aerospace, small business, and valuation.
  • I moved to Santa Barbara and joined Rotary in 1999.

The Lie: He did join Rotary in 1999, but actually commuted from Ventura for many years!

Guest Speaker Spotlight: Deborah Kenney & Matt Nicopia

This week, we heard from Deborah Kenney, CEO of RidePair, and Matt Nicopia. RidePair is an AI-powered carpooling app designed to reduce traffic and emissions by connecting riders with drivers for their daily commutes.

Rebuilding Community & Environmental Impact

  • The core vision behind the initiative is to rebuild communities by incentivizing people to reconnect through carpooling.
  • RidePair aims to address the safety and connectivity issues associated with public transit that often cause people to default to driving alone.
  • The platform partners with climate initiatives to turn everyday commutes into measurable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
  • The platform encourages behavioral changes to reduce traffic and air pollution by getting people to share rides.

 

How The Platform Works

  • AI Matching: Instead of matching based solely on time and distance, the AI analyzes behavioral and preference data (like schedule consistency and reliability) to build reliable, long-term commuting pairs.

  • Incentives: Both riders and drivers are incentivized to carpool. The platform offers financial rewards and allows users to bypass congestion in carpool lanes.

  • Payments: Riders pay a baseline fee to the driver (set at $0.25 per mile).
  • Blockchain Tracking: To ensure total accountability and address data gaps, RidePair uses blockchain technology to meticulously track every dollar spent, every mile reduced, and every carbon emission saved.

Community Funding & Small Business Impact

  • Pilot Funding: RidePair received $2.4 million from the California Air Resources Board to pilot the program in Northern California (Shasta County), and they intend to eventually bring the program out to Santa Barbara.
  • Supporting Local Business: The application allows local small businesses to advertise locally to drive foot traffic, keeping engagement focused on the local community rather than spending money on broad social media platforms.
  • Non-Profit Participation: Nonprofits, businesses, and individuals can participate to help incentivize these climate-friendly changes, creating opportunities for tax write-offs.

 

Getting Started

  • Sign-up: There is no fee to sign up for the platform!
  • Requirements: You complete a detailed personal profile, stating your area, whether you want to drive or ride, and your interests.
  • Download: You can register or manage your account via the RidePair Website, use their portal at the GetPaidToPair Portal, or download the app on the Google Play Store.
  • More Info: Visit www.ridepair.io for additional details.

See you all on June 10th for our next meeting!