Caleb Nelson created a pedicab service that creates positive social benefit for his hometown of Cedar City, Utah. One of the biggest tourist events in Utah, the Utah Shakespeare Festival, is held in Cedar City every year from June to October. Caleb’s parents, who are real estate agents and members of the Historic Downtown Economic Committee, wanted to draw more people to the downtown area, but they struggled to come up with an idea. It was 14-year-old Caleb who came up with the solution to offer a pedicab service to residents and visitors alike to and from the popular Shakespeare Festival. 

Caleb saw the benefit in providing this service, but he needed funding. His dad was not willing to go all in, but they made a deal: if Caleb could get $5,000 to pay for one pedicab, his dad would match that so that Caleb could start his business with two working pedicabs.

Caleb jumped on the opportunity. He went to local businesses and restaurants, explaining his idea. Within a few weeks, he had raised the $5,000 by selling the spaces on the sides of the pedicabs for advertising. He and his dad joined forces to offer the service. Caleb recruited eight of his friends to be his employees. They got permission from the city, trained themselves in road safety, and named themselves Romeo’s Rickshaws. Romeo’s Rickshaws is not officially associated with the Shakespeare Festival for safety and liability reasons, but they market themselves along with the theme of the event. For example, their uniforms are Elizabethan styled shirts. The service is offered for free to riders with the option to tip, which many do generously to the hardworking drivers. Each driver then keeps half of their tips and the rest is deposited and distributed to each driver so they all receive at least minimum wage. During festival season, the pedicabs run twice a day based on the show schedules. Since it’s beginning in 2017, Romeo’s Rickshaws has expanded to provide local tours of Cedar City and even some special events like weddings.

Cedar City benefits greatly because of Caleb’s business. Local businesses get advertising, festival goers get convenient rides, and it creates a positive  atmosphere in the city. As Joshua Stavros, the media and public relations manager of the Utah Shakespeare Festival said, “’We are thrilled that these young entrepreneurs see an opportunity in making the experience of the festival guests an even better one by providing their services during our shows…It is this kind of spirit that brings people to Cedar City again and again.’” It’s clear that Romeo’s Rickshaws does a great job partnering with their community.

Caleb’s business is a great example of seeing an adjacent possible, and executing a business model. Caleb saw the need for transportation in his city, so he came up with a unique idea, partnered with his community, and developed an extremely positive service. Caleb Nelson’s story is a great example of cultivating a mindset of innovation within communities. 

For more information on Caleb’s journey, check out this article https://www.sltrib.com/news/2017/09/24/this-cedar-city-teens-pedicab-company-is-transforming-ride-services-to-and-from-the-utah-shakespeare-festival/

To learn more about the impressive Utah Shakespeare Festival, check out their page https://www.bard.org/about/about-the-festival/