A New Chapter: From Lyft to Nexar
“Optimism is a happiness magnet. If you stay positive, good things and good people will be drawn to you.” - Mary Lou Retton
I’ve always aimed to live my life this way. I look around and am often in awe of all of the amazing people surrounding me who radiate inspiration, positivity, support, and passion - they have become the keys to unlocking all that matters to me. I find my circle continuously expanding with those that share similar values. I’m inspired by my wife-to-be, my family, my friends, and my colleagues, as well as driven by my relentless pursuit of progress. Simply put - the people around me make me better, and I like to believe I do the same for them.
My journey as Lyft’s Chief Business Officer has played such a meaningful role in my life. The passion and care that Logan and John put into weaving positivity and humanity into the fabric of that amazing company are the reasons that I depart from Lyft with reflections of deep gratitude, inspiration, and an underdog mentality that fuels my hunger for the next challenge.
It is with sincere humility and excitement that I share that I am the next CEO of Nexar, a company on the cutting edge of transforming road safety and intelligence through connected vehicle technology.
Reflecting on the Lyft Journey
“Be yourself; everyone else is taken” - Oscar Wilde
My time at Lyft has been nothing short of extraordinary, and it is something I’m incredibly proud of. We built unique approaches to integrated partnerships with some of the best brands in the world that are now tied to millions of rides on the platform. We’ve disrupted new industries like Healthcare, where the team is now helping millions of patients get to and from their doctor's appointments, with transportation being part of their Medicaid benefits. We’ve built an advertising business that has gone from a pure concept and a dream to one slated to deliver hundreds of millions in revenue by 2027 and fundamentally change the advertising business. With high-fidelity, 1st-party transportation data, Lyft can power unique experiences for riders and drivers that will take Lyft to the next level. The list goes on.
While I couldn't be more proud of the business results, I'm even prouder of the millions of drivers' lives we’ve empowered to earn on the platform and the tens of millions of riders we help live their best lives every day. Lyft empowered me to pursue intellectual and professional development in a way I will always treasure.
Why Nexar?
“I don’t think you can catch lightning in a bottle twice” - Mark Frost
Meet Eran and Bruno, and this question answers itself. From the moment I met Nexar’s co-founders, there were a few key things that were clear to me:
- Eran and Bruno have this ability to transcend boundaries, dance with complexity, and bend reality to imagination. Two brilliant minds that often see what others cannot.
- Nexar is not just a dashcam company - they are a crowdsourced data platform revolutionizing our cities through unique predictive technology. This has resulted in over 59 million videos and 5 trillion images collected, 40M daily map updates, and over 200M miles of road traveled per month equipped with Nexar technology.
- The market opportunity is seemingly limitless - from using this technology to train Autonomous Vehicle LLMs, to reconstructing accidents using predictive AI, to building new HD mapping technology using differentiated compute strategies that will scale this technology at fractions of the cost the rest of the market can.
- I share the same values as the Nexar team around innovation, excellence, generosity, and, most importantly, an unwavering commitment to changing the world for the better. All of the things that I know have empowered my past successes.
These realizations helped me conclude that I simply could not ignore the ‘lighting in a bottle’ feelings that overtook my thoughts. Almost as if I could foresee precisely how the next 10 years at Nexar would go, and the contributions we would deliver to the world if I had the pleasure of contributing to Nexar’s mission alongside Eran and Bruno.
Why Now?
“Most people miss Opportunity because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” - Thomas Edison
When I look at what Nexar has accomplished over years, which is now one of the world’s largest crowd sourced video repositories, Nexar is uniquely positioned to meet the moment in the new world of AI through immensely valuable training and validation data, efficient compute strategies, and the foundation needed to deliver new innovations in HD mapping, autonomous vehicles, and general road safety. The Nexar network generates over 40 million map updates every day, and collects data on over 200 million miles of road every month. Nexar’s analysis of over 59 million corner cases and collisions have assisted some of the leading autonomous vehicle companies in the world to accelerate deployments and validate vehicle readiness and road safety.
What Lies Ahead
Stepping into the CEO role at Nexar is nothing short of a true gift, that I take with great responsibility. What brings me even more joy is Eran and Bruno’s excitement to continue pursuing this mission with me. As Eran steps into the Chief Product Officer role, and Bruno stays in the Chief Technology Officer role, I couldn’t be more passionate and bullish about our future ahead.
Transitions always come with their share of challenges. But, if there is anything I’ve learned over the course of my career, it's that greatness happens when people come together with a shared vision, resilience, and a willingness to embrace those challenges with optimism and creativity. It’s in the midst of those moments and emotions that innovation thrives, and lasting impact is made.
Gratitude and Forward Momentum
“Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts” - Winston Churchill
Lyft will always hold a special place in my heart. It was the first professional environment that compelled me to transform my thinking from ‘work-life balance’ to ‘work-life integration’. It is enjoyable to work tirelessly towards a mission when you can be your full self and create lifelong friendships along the way. Do not underestimate this Lyft team - these are some of the smartest, most authentic people I have had the pleasure of working with.
To John and Logan - thank you for your unwavering support and investment in me over the years.
To David - your ability to dream big and focus on the customer, coupled with your strong empathy and passion for the team, is what inspires the next phase of my career.
To the rest of the Lyft exec team - you’ve fueled my optimism and intellectual curiosity for years. You’re some of the brightest minds, and I’m proud to call you all friends.
To the rest of my Lyft team - thank you for your continued trust in me, suspending disbelief and buying into my vision for the future, and most of all, your inextinguishable fire that drives you to come to work every day and take this company and service to drivers, riders and partners to new heights.
To Eran, Bruno, and the Nexar Board of Directors - thank you for your trust, excitement, and support through this process.
And to the Nexar team - I couldn’t be more excited to embark on this journey with you. The future is bright, and we are on the cusp of something very special.
I am Zach Greenberger, former Chief Business Officer of Lyft, and now, CEO of Nexar. This is just the beginning. Let’s get to work!