SEYMOUR JOHNSON AFB, N.C -- Nathaniel Torres, a self-proclaimed analytical thinker, launched Lhavi, a transportation service in Downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, June 25, 2019.
“I’ve always been an analytical thinker,” said Torres, a member of the 916th Maintenance Group management analysis unit and a project manager with Duke Energy. “I always try to find the best and most efficient way to make something better.”
As a visionary he came up with a solution for himself and other commuters in the Downtown Raleigh area.
“I park three blocks outside of the city center, where I work,” said Torres. “Getting back and forth from work to my car was challenging. When scooters came out it helped with the three block walk. However, due to safety concerns companies requested their employees not to use the scooters as a form of transportation.”
Putting his analytical skills to use he came up with Lhavi.
“When launching my company I knew there would be certain types of data I would need,” said Torres. “The Air Force helped me to understand the important parts of data and how to manipulate it to extract important pieces of information that would be helpful, so I used those skills when launching my company.”
Those skills along with his vision helped Torres along his path to the start of Lhavi.
“I was looking outside my window, into the city,” said Torres. “I thought to myself what form of transportation can I provide that is safe and convenient? I did my research and came up with a golf cart. I followed up on how it could operate on the streets. I found out I could make golf carts street legal and that’s how Lhavi began.”
While the wheels on the carts met the ground spinning, Lhavi did not.
“When I first started driving the cart people would just point and look,” said Torres. “I didn’t get my first ride until later that week. Someone hailed me down and I gave them a ride two blocks up the road. It took two minutes and they tipped me five bucks.”
After being tipped Torres knew Lhavi would be alright.
“When I received that first tip I was like this is going to work, they see the convenience in it,” said Torres.
Another person confirms just how convenient Lhavi is and more.
“I thought it was a fantastic experience,” said Master Sgt. Jason T. Keim, 916 MXG NCO in charge of maintenance analysis and a project manager with Duke Energy. “It really opens up the other side of Raleigh within that lunch hour. Before Lhavi it was congested, I wouldn’t even get in my car because of the 20-minute walk to the parking deck. I feel like it’s an efficient and environmentally friendly way to travel Downtown Raleigh and I really hope it takes off,” said Keim.
From Keim’s viewpoint Torres is on track to provide the experience he envisioned for Lhavi.
Current public transportation places people in the vicinity where they want to be, but our low speed, emission-free golf carts will place people directly where they need to be, said Torres.
Five months into it and Torres is not only growing Lhavi, but is doing so with the skills that he has gained from his current roles as a project manager with Duke Energy and as a management analyst with the Air Force.
With the skill of a project manager, Torres continues to view Lhavi from different aspects, all while maintaining a clear view of the bigger picture.
“When people think of Lhavi I want them to think about it being a safe, fast, fun and convenient way to get where they need to go. We’re customer valued, so it’s definitely all about the customer.”