Safety App Gets Legal Navigation

What began as an Instagram-based ride service for Carolina women has evolved into a promising nonprofit venture, thanks to crucial guidance from UNC School of Law’s Community Development Law (CDL) Clinic within UNC School of Law’s Insitute for Innovation. 

The initiative, She’s Not Here, emerged in response to growing safety concerns about ride-sharing services. “Reports around the country of women being assaulted either by actual Uber drivers or by fake Uber drivers” inspired the undergraduate cofounders, Bhaumi Shah, Shivalee Patel and Sage Crosby to develop an all-women transportation service for weekend nights at UNC, explains Professor Tom Kelley, who directs the CDL Clinic.  

As the initiative, She’s Not Here, began to take shape, the cofounders sought the help of UNC School of Law’s CDL Clinic for guidance in formalizing the project. Professor Tom Kelley, who directs the CDL Clinic, played a crucial role in advising them, but it was third-year law students William Henderson and Aprie’la Warren who helped turn the cofounders’ vision into a legally structured nonprofit. The students led the nonprofit incorporation process, filed for 501(c)(3) status, and helped establish a board of directors. When an unexpected setback arose with the group’s employer identification number, the clinic swiftly secured a new EIN and managed IRS correspondence. 

“We wanted to make this a real thing that Carolina could use for years to come,” says Sage Crosby, compliance director for She’s Not Here, who first connected with the Clinic through UNC Legal Services. “The help and guidance we received brought our vision of She’s Not Here to life. “ 

The project faced an unexpected pivot when the organization’s bid for Registered Student Organization status wasn’t granted. “This put us on the back foot because we had planned for dual entities,” Henderson explains. “Thankfully, Professor Kelley’s guidance and the She’s Not Here team’s adaptability allowed us to quickly change gears.” 

The project represents what the Clinic does best: merging legal education with community impact. “It’s business law with a social purpose,” Kelley says. “It’s intra-university cooperation at its finest.” 

The biweekly consultations gave law students invaluable hands-on experience with real clients. “Getting to work with clients who have this great idea and then playing a part in making it come to life – that’s exactly why I wanted to do a clinic,” Henderson says. 

Now, as She’s Not Here prepares for its spring launch, the team has partnered with local businesses like YoPo and Meantime Coffee to build brand awareness. These collaborations, combined with a growing pool of student drivers, signal promising momentum for the initiative’s debut in Chapel Hill this semester.