A Year of Seeds Planted: My First Year as Modo’s CEO

One year ago, I stepped into the role of CEO at Modo. I can hardly believe how quickly this first year has gone. Time really does fly when you’re learning, growing, and, yes, even having fun.

Leading this co-op through a time of uncertainty has been one of the most meaningful challenges of my career. The headwinds have been strong: Ottawa paused Canada’s EV mandate, BC removed the gas tax, EV rebates were cut, and tariff wars added new pressures. For anyone working toward a more sustainable, inclusive future, the direction has often felt uncertain.

In moments like this, I’ve asked myself — and I know many of you have too — how does a co-op like Modo keep moving forward, stronger than before?

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Social Purpose & Active Membership

Since 2018, our social purpose has guided us: to build inclusive, sustainable, and stronger communities through shared mobility.

And because we’re a member-owned co-op, that purpose only works when we live our co-op principles — especially member economic participation and concern for community.

Every Modo trip is part of that. When you take a Modo to get groceries, to bring your kids to soccer, or to head up the coast for the weekend, you’re not just moving yourself. You’re keeping carsharing affordable, you’re keeping value rooted locally, and you’re making shared mobility possible for others.

If instead we default to private car ownership, to rides with Uber, or to the easy click of grocery delivery vans filling our streets, we lose that local impact. Those choices send money and value out of our communities. Active membership is what makes our co-op’s purpose real.

And it’s worth remembering: Modo isn’t just any carshare. We are the original carshare cooperative in BC. Almost three decades ago, before anyone else in this part of the world believed carsharing could work, a group of people came together and proved that communities can build their own solutions. That’s our DNA. And that pioneering spirit is still what drives us today

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Seeds Planted

Over the past 12 months, we’ve planted seeds that are already bearing fruit.

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🌱 1. Innovating to Re-Ignite Growth

With our in-house development team, we rebuilt how people join Modo. Our new in-app registration makes signing up faster and easier than ever. We cut the time from approval to first booking from an average of 28 days to just 7.

This might sound like a small technical detail, but it’s transformative. It reduces friction, makes onboarding best-in-class, and brings new members behind the wheel sooner.

And it shows in the numbers: membership is up 7% year-over-year. After the pandemic, demand for travel was high, and growth followed. But by 2024, that growth had slowed significantly — a trend shared across carsharing globally. This year, we re-ignited it.

And because 71% of Modo members forgo or sell a private car, every new member translates directly into community impact.

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🌱 2. Electrification — Clean Tech for More People

Nearly one in five Modos is now electric. Even without rebates, we pushed forward.

How? Through co-op innovation pricing, which gave us the flexibility to keep investing. Through partnerships with developers, who are increasingly building EV-ready communities. And through a $100,000 collaboration with ZEIC, which is allowing us to retrofit existing buildings with EVs.

Each carshare vehicle (gas or electric) replaces 6 to 12 privately owned cars. But EVs in carshare go further: they make clean tech accessible to people who might never otherwise afford it. At Modo, driving an EV isn’t about luxury or status, it’s about inclusion, community access, and reducing barriers.

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🌱 3. Visibility & Impact — Reclaiming Our Story

After 28 years, it’s easy to forget to tell our story. This year, we changed that.

You’ve seen our bus ads and SkyTrain ads across the region. We’ve launched digital campaigns too. And I can’t tell you how many people have come up to me at events to say they had no idea Modo was the OG (the Original Gangster) of carsharing in BC until they saw those ads.

Visibility matters. It sparks curiosity. It reminds people that Modo isn’t just still here, we’re leading.

But visibility on its own isn’t enough. Our first Impact Report put our social purpose into black and white. It showed not just what we do, but the difference it makes: the cars we’ve replaced, the emissions we’ve reduced, the community connections we’ve strengthened. It’s accountability. And it’s pride.

Download the impact report here!

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🌱 4. Collaboration — Growing Stronger Together

Finally, this year was also about collaboration, because as a co-op, we know we’re stronger when we work together.

We deepened our partnerships with TransLink and BC Transit, building the foundations for better connections between carsharing and public transit across the province. We also strengthened relationships with cities and local governments, laying the groundwork for future mobility hubs and integrated solutions.

And collaboration goes beyond infrastructure. We hosted our first Innovation Lab, a space for staff to bring forward new ideas and learn fast. The Co-operators stepped in to share their expertise, supporting us with their experience. We also exchanged lessons with Mobility Switzerland, learning how another co-op manages the challenges of EV adoption — from charging logistics to supporting members with range confidence. That’s co-ops supporting co-ops in action.

These collaborations aren’t side projects. They are the co-op principle of concern for community brought to life — multiplying impact by working together.

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Looking Ahead: The Garden Plan

At our AGM, we introduced our strategic framework for 2025–2027, what I like to call our Garden Years.

The metaphor feels right. This past year, we planted seeds: innovations in technology, EV adoption, visibility, and collaboration. Over the next three years, our focus is on nurturing them, helping them take root, and letting them grow.

But here’s the important part: this isn’t growth for growth’s sake, and it’s certainly not about profit for profit’s sake. Like any garden, our growth is about nourishment — strengthening communities, enriching member experience, and building resilience

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Our garden plan is built around five themes:

• ‍Enrich Member Experience — making Modo more intuitive, reliable, and accessible so every member feels confident and supported. This year we listened to your feedback and added 101 videos for each vehicle model directly in the app. So whether you’re not sure how to release the handbrake, install a car seat, or plug in an EV, there’s now an easy way to get support right when you need it.

• Fit into Today’s Multi-Modal Lifestyle — ensuring carsharing works seamlessly alongside transit, cycling, walking, and other options. This is where our continued partnership with TransLink and our new relationship with BCTransit come into play, so that Modo can connect better with public transit not only in Metro Vancouver but across the province.

• ‍Expand Social Impact Through MarketExpansion— reaching communities where shared mobility is most needed. That could meanSurrey in MetroVancouver, Sooke on Vancouver Island, or the Sunshine Coast.Each place will require a different approach, tailored to the needs of thatcommunity.

• Strengthen Modo Through Talent Development& Operational Innovation — investing in ModoSapiens so they can grow, learn, and deliver their best work. This includes supporting staff development, introducing smart workflows, and ensuring our teams are equipped to serve members well.

• Build Brand Visibility & MarketLeadership —making sure people know who we are, what we stand for, and why being part of this co-op matters. Visibility isn’t just ads on buses or SkyTrain platforms, it’s also our voice at the table. This year, Modo has been part of key events, not just as participants but as speakers: from joining UBCM Convention (Union of BCMunicipalities) to EverythingElectric, from ElectricMobility Canada to representing co-ops at the BC Legislature. That visibility helps remind people that Modo is the original carshare co-op and still leading the way.

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These are the garden beds we’ll be tending together over the next three years. The headwinds are real. But with our purpose, our principles, and our commitment to innovation and collaboration, we have what we need to grow, not just as an organization, but as a community.

Modo isn’t just about getting from A to B. At every stage of life, it’s a key to freedom, access, and joy:

• Freedom of movement, and freedom from the cost and responsibility of car ownership.
• Access to opportunities, communities, and places — because sharing is in our DNA.
• Joy in every journey, every adventure, and every stage of life.

As I look back on this first year, I want to thank every member, every partner, and every ModoSapien for making this co-op thrive. Together, we’re building the co-op everyone loves. And the co-op that gets you wherever you need to get to, no matter the trip, and without the burden of ownership.”

In gratitude,

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Sandra