Wahoo’s Fish Taco cofounder Wing Lam helped Aliso Viejo-based startup My Open Road Corp. grab some industry attention at the recent International CES convention in Las Vegas.
Lam is well known for more than his role as the public face of the restaurant chain—he also has deep connections in Orange County’s business community, many of them centered on philanthropic efforts.
Lam served as Jeff Weiss’ wingman at the world’s largest consumer electronics show, appearing at events and on the showroom floor to pitch the merits of a new smartphone app that rewards users for environmentally conscious behavior in their everyday lives.
“I’m a friend, I’m an adviser,” Lam, whose also an investor, said of his role with the startup during the “Showstoppers” product launch event. “I’m just hanging out with this guy and making sure we can get a lot of people coming in to our business, as well as making a difference and impact in our community.”
Lam has also committed some resources from Wahoo’s to help the startup.
The official My Open Road app launch for Apple and Android devices garnered an Envisioneering Innovation & Design Award at the event, which drew hundreds of press members to a ballroom at the Wynn Hotel.
The app encourages users to walk, bike, skateboard, carpool or take public transportation.
‘Social Responsibility Score’
Each mode of travel is assigned a “social responsibility score” based on its energy efficiency, akin to a credit score ranking up to 1,000.
Users with scores of 700 or higher unlock discounts from participating merchants, which pay an advertising fee to have their offers or businesses promoted on the app. A promotion could include two free soft tacos with a purchase of a drink from Wahoo’s or a discount on a hotel stay.
“We wanted to change the way some of the existing marketing is being done,” said Weiss, a former audio, networking and computer automation engineer at Disney who also runs an IT services firm in Florida. “We can get the customer in the door, but we want the customer to demonstrate they actually went out and saved energy.”
Personal Issue
Lam has backed environmental initiatives since he launched the Wahoo’s brand in Southern California 35 years ago with his brothers Ed Lee and Mingo Lee and Chief Operating Officer Steve Karfaridis. The Santa Ana-based chain, which has 61 restaurants under its banner, uses reusable cups, plates and utensils in an effort to reduce plastic waste.
That particular issue is close to Lam, who sits on the board of 5 Gyres, a Santa Monica nonprofit aimed at eliminating plastic pollution. He’s also served as a director of the Surfrider Foundation in San Clemente, which aims to protect the world’s oceans and beaches.
“I’m very actively involved on the environmental side of our business,” he said.
Lam is helping My Open Road with cross-marketing and promotions with other local companies, such as SWSH Shabu Shabu and the Pedego bicycle brand, both in Irvine, as well as Dutch Baby bakery in Aliso Viejo.
Matchmaking is a specialty Lam has honed over the years through various charitable endeavors in OC, including food giveaways at events.
“We felt because of our existing relationships in the community, it would make communicating with those companies and establishing those relationships a much easier process,” said Weiss, who invested about $400,000 into the business with his wife and cofounder, Thuy Le. “Orange County communities are a lot more accepting of green technologies and green pathways.”
My Open Road is seeking to raise about $1.5 million in a seed round from private or angel investors. The company raised $60,000 last year in an Indiegogo fundraising campaign.
Weiss returned to OC about five years ago and has been learning the ropes in the local startup scene through affiliations with Tech Coast Angels, Tech Coast Venture Network, and Octane, an Irvine nonprofit organization that connects technology executives and companies with sources of capital and other resources.
Mobile Efforts
Lam’s latest venture has helped Wahoo’s navigate the growing mobile market for reward programs.
The chain brings in about $52 million in revenue annually.
“We’re just trying to find different angles, and this is by far the most off-the-wall, but it makes the most sense,” Lam said. “It’s different. It fits what we do, so why not try it? The worst that can happen is you get some customers.”
