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Helping people monetize their skills—from tutoring math to teaching yoga—it puts real cash in people’s pockets,” said the tech CEO of his latest app venture, Romio. “At the same time, it helps users find exactly what they need, at the touch of their smartphone screens.” Naturally poised and soft spoken, with dark good looks and a trimmed beard, Sansal, 46, looks the part of a New York tech mogul. His lilting accent, with its British inflections acquired at university in London, doesn’t hurt, either. Launched in March, Romio connects regular people with skills with other regular people who need those skills. Do you need a dog walker, or do you want to walk dogs yourself? Sansal is hoping his app is the tool you will use to connect. Categories currently include parenting, education, pets, home, and many others, from accounting to Pilates instruction.
writers, Sansal had the confidence of an entrepreneur from an early age, playing professional soccer at just 13 years old. Today, he gets his adrenaline going by attending SoulCycle classes, using the five languages in which he’s fluent, and launching Romio.
expert I have the privilege of onboarding providers whose services I have personally used and love. Romio takes the pressure off users looking for highly vetted service providers. In essence, we do your homework for you.”
Sansal gets equally excited about the promise of his new App – not just a product but a social movement that’s spreading globally by acting locally—helping users find the services they need or promote the services they provide—with qualified recommendations from trusted experts.
“Joining was a no brainer!,” cooed Jamie Hord, a fellow entrepreneur whose start-up, Horderly, has quickly established itself as the city’s fastest growing home and professional space organizer. “It’s the smartest App in this field. What I love about Romio is the trust factor. You don’t normally invite strangers into your home, and vice versa, so this eliminates that anxiety because we’re no longer strangers. My team and I worked with a lot of clients in their personal spaces so having that trust and confidence off that bat is essential. No one else offers that.”
Unlike other service-oriented platforms competing in this space, Romio has enlisted the most authoritative voices to support every category. They call them Experts (with a capital E!) and each is highly accredited in his or her own field with local and natural media
Other experts include celebrity hair stylist Christopher Marrero, yoga and fitness guru Kristin McGee and parenting specialists Lyss Stern, Cherie Corso and Beth Feldman, all who have years of experience connecting with moms about raising children.
Users also leave recommendations to guide each other to the best service providers.
“As soon as I understood what Romio was all about, I wanted to be part of the Romio story,” said Corso. “As a national parenting expert, I understand the importance of needing a good recommendation quickly. Romio can save time, money, and effort.”
“There are platforms now in several different areas, but reviews are anonymous—they can come from anywhere. It has become harder and harder to trust what you find online. We saw a real need to build a sense of community and help people connect with what they need in their own neighborhoods,” said Sansal. “We wanted to give people a way to earn by leveraging their skills. We get very excited about how platforms put money in people’s pockets by monetizing an idle car and driving skills, or an empty room that otherwise wouldn’t be used.” Sansal’s degree in business services from Britain’s University of Westminster jumpstarted his desire for creating viable, digital businesses. Before the recent release of Romio, he founded InvestmentPositions. com and OnTargetJobs.com—which generated $160 million in revenue. The common denominator in all his business endeavors? Helping people progress in their careers. “I strongly believe that people should do what they love,” Sansal said. “People would be happier and earn more, while companies would be more profitable, if this were solved. Romio gives people a platform to follow their passions and turn them into lucrative businesses.” Raised in Algeria by a family of scientists and
“The beauty of Romio is that we’ve done the vetting process for you,” says Barbara Fight, one of Romio’s Business Development Directors. “Users know they will find trusted providers without having to worry about quality.”
profiles. And they are the gateway – the only way -- service providers can only be added to the platform: they have to be recommended, which ensures higher quality services. Getting Experts to sign on wasn’t difficult, but did take a little bit of time, as Sansal’s team spent nearly a year finding and recruiting only the best. And did they! The App launched last month with 400 of New York’s most qualified professionals lending their expertise and, naturally, their own recommendations. “I’m proud to be a part of Romio’s unique platform of trusted providers,” said Dr. Lisa Lippman, New York’s premier house-call veterinarian. “As an
For Sansal, Romio is also a solution for people looking to expand their services in an economy that is increasingly going freelance. With the continuing rise of technologies like robotics, automation, and artificial intelligence, 38% of US jobs are going to disappear over the next 15 years, according to a Price Waterhouse Cooper study. Sansal is motivated by statistics like this one to provide a solution for people so that they can continue monetizing from and living out their passions. Romio was built to help people and the company continues to be loyal to that idea throughout the platforms development. “Tarik Sansal’s vision for building a mobile platform to accelerate digital commerce, anchored in trust, is incredibly timely and appealing in today’s environment,” said Chris Budden, Romio’s Chief
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