Meet Nick Parsa | Co-founder and Vice President of Strategy, CharterUP

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nick Parsa and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nick, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
My background in management consulting made me realize that I wanted to put my skills and knowledge to the test in the real world and see the tangible results of my work. This sparked the idea of a startup outside of the corporate world, where I would be able to make decisions with immediate impact. So, I began searching for an opportunity to bring about meaningful change in an industry I was passionate about— transportation.

Armir Harris, myself and others came up with the idea for CharterUP after seeing the challenges plaguing the charter bus industry firsthand: delays, no-shows, slow booking process, lack of communication, etc. We sought to combine our skill sets to provide a solution that would transform the entire charter bus experience by creating a new model of accountability and transparency. The CharterUP platform allows customers to get real-time available charters, ratings, on-time performance, safety records, vehicle tracking, and real-time booking in under 60 seconds. This direct connection between clients and providers has enabled us to become the number one provider of transportation to Fortune 500 clients like Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Apple.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am proud to have studied finance at the University of Georgia and dedicated my career to growing innovative technology companies. My background in management consulting, where I specialized in transformation and turnaround for Fortune 500 companies, has been invaluable in this pursuit. Over the years, I have held various positions at well-known brands such as McKesson, Deloitte, and Aon Consulting.

As the Vice President of Strategy at CharterUP, I lead the development and implementation of ambitious growth strategies. Since founding the company in 2018, CharterUP has made significant traction, from achieving over 100% annual growth to becoming the #1 charter bus service for Fortune 500 companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Apple. We just raised a $60 million Series A back in October and are currently in the process of bringing CharterUP’s services to more major cities across the U.S.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
-Visit the BeltLine for beautiful scenery and historical landmarks like the old Sears factory (now Ponce City Market) and see some amazing commissioned artwork. -Stop by Delbar – owned by a friend – for delicious Mediterranean and Persian cuisine.
-Explore the vibrant indie music scene at one of the city’s burgeoning venues.
-Take a CharterUP bus to Athens to take in a Georgia Bulldogs game and its unbeatable atmosphere.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
One person who deserves a lot of credit and recognition in my story is Jeff Hawkins, now the CEO at Blue Ridge. I’m humbled to have had the opportunity to work with him back in 2015 when he was a Senior Partner at Aon Consulting. He reached out to me on LinkedIn and gave me the chance of a lifetime – to work directly alongside a senior partner when I was just a young consultant. I remember we met at Houston’s restaurant, and it was the most intimidating meeting of my life. All went well, thankfully, and now we’re here. Jeff took me under his wing, teaching me about corporate life and offering expert advice and guidance in difficult times. His mentorship has been invaluable to me, and he remains one of my closest confidants and mentors to this day.

Website: https://www.charterup.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charterup/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/charterup/; https://www.linkedin.com/in/faridnickparsa/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/charter_up

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/charterup/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@charterup