“I was hit by a moving NYC subway train. I woke up from a coma and started over. Now I’m helping families travel safely.” — Nelson Nigel

Nelson Nigel’s story is anything but ordinary. 

He survived a traumatic brain injury, rebuilt his life from poverty, and disrupted an industry that had ignored families for decades. 

Today, he is the founder of Kidmoto, a specialized rideshare company solving a critical transportation gap: safe, pre-installed child car seats for airport travel.

A Journey Marked by Survival and Drive

Nigel’s path started in Guyana and continued in Corona, Queens, where his immigrant family lived paycheck to paycheck. His parents worked factory jobs. His life was defined by grit. 

At age 17, everything changed when he was struck by a speeding subway train. 

The accident left him in a coma with a severe brain injury. He had to learn how to function again. 

But he never stopped pushing forward. 

Nigel later became a New York City yellow cab driver. It was during those years on the road that he noticed something others ignored: parents at airports struggling with car seats, forced to choose between safety and convenience.

The Birth of a Solution

Nigel became a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician. He learned that improper installation is common and dangerous. He also saw how the rideshare industry offered no solutions. 

“Taxis and Ubers don’t carry or install child car seats,” he explained. “Parents were left to figure it out themselves.”

That led him to launch Kidmoto in 2017. It began as a bootstrapped app matching families to drivers who arrived with professionally installed car seats. The focus was clear: safety, simplicity, and trust.

The app now operates in 50 cities across the United States. 

With over 45,000 rides completed, Kidmoto has become the go-to service for airport travel with young children. Its near-perfect customer ratings reflect the precision and care built into the service.

Why Niche Beats Scale

Nigel never set out to compete with Uber or Lyft. 

“They’re too big. We’re not trying to be everything for everyone,” he says. “We’re serving a niche that others ignore—and there’s power in that.”

Kidmoto thrives because it focuses. Parents no longer have to lug heavy car seats through airports or risk riding without proper restraint for their children. The app gives them a third option: safe, scheduled airport transportation with certified drivers and installed car seats tailored to each child’s needs.

Moto Nation and a Bigger Vision

Kidmoto is part of Moto Nation, a company Nigel founded to serve underserved markets in the transportation sector. Moto Nation is now expanding with:

• BabyMoto, for transporting newborns with hospital-grade infant seats
• BusMoto, which provides transport for airline crews, cruise staff, and even medical logistics for government contracts

Nigel understands that niche markets are often overlooked but still vital. 

“Even if we capture just 0.01% of this massive transportation market, we can build a sustainable business,” he says.

His long-term goal is to scale Moto Nation’s technology for logistics and procurement, especially in areas like healthcare and government transport. But for public awareness, the message remains focused: serving families, serving safety, serving those who are often forgotten.

Built on Passion, Not Just Profit

Behind the technology is a founder who knows pain, persistence, and purpose. Nigel’s background includes business studies at Queens College, Columbia, and Pace, and experience in construction and procurement. 

But he firmly believes that it is his failures – many startups, financial losses, and life-threatening injury – that shaped his resilience.

“I’ve been knocked down more times than I can count,” he says. “But I never stay down. I stand in the front lines with my team. That’s how Kidmoto came to life.”

A Bright Future for Child & Car Safety

Nelson Nigel’s story is not just about survival. It’s about seeing what others miss and building something that matters. Kidmoto didn’t rise from Silicon Valley; it rose from struggle, from taxi routes, and from a man determined to make travel safer for children.

Nigel’s journey from near-death to niche rideshare founder proves one thing: purpose can build businesses that last.

Published by Joseph T.