Michael McHugh

Michael McHugh is the Los Angeles-based former co-founder and Chief Financial Officer of Nomad Rides, an inactive rideshare startup backed by Y Combinator. While attending Indiana University, McHugh and his co-founder initially launched a texting-based transportation service called B-Town Rides before evolving the concept into a dedicated software application. Under his financial leadership, the digital platform scaled to operate across six college markets, including the University of Illinois, accumulating over 12,000 users and 80 drivers. The company successfully facilitated more than 40,000 total rides and became the third transportation network company to secure a regulatory license in Indiana, positioning itself as a commission-free alternative to industry incumbents like Uber and Lyft. McHugh's entrepreneurial background centers on developing alternative marketplace models that optimize unit economics and affordability for independent contractors within the broader mobility sector.