Creating a unique parking solution

Camas High School seniors Juliyen Davis, Satya Hariharan, Quentin Lebeau and Cameron Vega are developing a mobile application that connects homeowners with driveways, to drivers who need a place to park.

They founded ADJACENT INC., with the help of Immix Law Group, and have started a Kickstarter campaign to help pay for marketing and development costs.

The company has garnered $7,000 in seed money so far, through efforts including working part-time jobs at The Oregon Zoo, Fisher Investments and CID-Bioscience.

Inspiration for the venture came after Davis visited Chicago this summer with his father, and was shocked that it cost upwards of $60 for parking.

“One day I was walking down Northwest 23rd Avenue in Portland, looking at all the drivers trying to find on-street parking, and the light went on in my head,” he said.

Homeowners who have driveways available will fill out an application and be listed on the app. ADJACENT will take a portion of the proceeds. Rates will range from $1 to $5 per hour for parking.

“We plan to offer this in places where there isn’t much of an option for garage parking, like Northwest 23rd, Alberta Street, Mississippi Avenue and Belmont Street,” Davis said. “People are parking several blocks away just to go to dinner. We want to connect them with homeowners who have driveway space available.”

ADJACENT will be marketed in the Portland area first, then branch out to outlying areas, including Camas.

“I have seen people parking close to a mile away to go to football games at Doc Harris (stadium),” Hariharan said. “I think we can offer a solution.”

According to Davis, using this app will be mutually beneficial.

“The homeowners can earn some extra money, and drivers know exactly where they are going to park and how much it costs,” he said.

Hariharan is hoping that the service helps ease the process for everyone involved.

“Basically, we are going to act as a facilitator and help homeowners make some money on the side when they are not using their driveways,” he said. “For drivers, we will offer parking that is extremely convenient.”

The four co-founders have been working on the project since July. They incorporated their business in September, and the team includes certified public accountant Debbie Reaves, and mentor Warren Lorenz, a 21-year-old vice president of finance at a San Diego start-up company.

“We wanted to have professionals in place who could help guide us,” Hariharan said. “There isn’t exactly a wikiHow entry on the various steps to make this happen.”

Short-term goals are to establish a place in the Portland market. Long term, the founders would like to expand to cities across the United States.

“I am really excited to be a part of something that effects transportation and also helps businesses,” Vega said. “It is also great to be involved in a business at a young age that could have a profound impact.”

To donate to the campaign, search ADJACENT INC. on Kickstarter.