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Red Door Capital Partners, LLC, an independent private equity firm founded in 2019, is proud to announce, that Rick Simms will represent Red Door Board of Directors seat that was granted to them in its investment in the Series Seed Preferred Round of Tourist Access LTD, a private company established under the laws of the State of Israel, doing business as “accessibleGO” https://accessiblego.com. Rick is also an advisor to Red Door on the transaction.
There are 53M Americans who have a disability. They spend over $29B annually on travel. Despite these large numbers, there is no one–stop source to fill the important needs of this demographic. accessibleGO is a travel platform that offers bookings with accessibility data, reviews written by people with disabilities and a community offering accessibility information and support for like–minded individuals needing the same services. The platform is operational, and following successful consumer marketing tests, accessibleGO quickly experienced 50,000 signups in a few months and saw a repeat bookings rate double the industry average.
“My relationship with Rick goes back many years to when he was a founder of WeeSchool. He is the perfect person for the task at hand”, says Richard Wolpow, Managing Partner. “Rick has been working with the athletes of the US Olympic and Paralympic teams for over 25 years and has been an integral part of the strategic & growth strategy for the Company and is working on bringing recognized Paralympic athletes and organizations to help support the mission. He has been working closely with Miriam Eljas, Co-founder and CEO even before Red Door finalized its investment. I am honored that Rick accepted the position and excited about the Company’s path and commitment to its mission”, Wolpow concluded.
Rick Simms stated “I am honored and excited to represent Red Door’s Board of Directors Seat with accessibleGO.” For many years I have been working with the elite athletes of the US Paralympic Alpine, Nordic and Snowboard teams. I also have a family member with disabilities. I know the difficulties disabled individuals and their families experience with travel. I also know the power of travel in the overall wellbeing of individuals with disabilities and their families. accessibleGO is filling a huge need in this space including community involvement, collectively providing input on travel experiences, etc. accessibleGO showcases the power of travel and solves the difficulties around accessibility. I am excited to be on this journey with Red Door and accessibleGO”, Simms concluded.
“We are delighted that Red Door Capital Partners has appointed Rick Simms onto our board,” says Miriam Eljas, Co-founder & CEO. “Rick’s involvement in the disability community with paralympic athletes has been a major advantage for us and we are so glad to benefit from his expertise.  We are looking forward to collaborating with Rick and actualizing the company’s vision.” Eljas concluded.
About Red Door Capital Partners LLC
The Red Door team is a team of industry experts from private equity operations, investment, wealth management, and legal services, that have joined together to identify, invest in, and manage private equity transactions. Many Red Door opportunities are investing side-by-side with institutional funds and family offices with terms and safeguards in place typically only provided to institutional investors. Red Door partners with founders and entrepreneurs that seek real capital partners to create collaborative relationships, deploy strategic oversight, implement governance and professionalize operations – all to ensure our family of investors are protected and prepared for a successful exit transaction. For more information on Red Door and its latest transactions visit www.reddoorcp.com
About Tourist Access Ltd. dba accessibleGO
accessibleGO is a travel platform for people with disabilities offering bookings, reviews and community. With proprietary accessibility information, an unparalleled booking experience and a community of people with disabilities sharing experiences, accessibleGO is reshaping accessible travel. Our site provides a level of confidence, trust and transparency on accessibility that is unprecedented in the travel industry. Visit accessibleGO.com or email [email protected] to experience our game-changing platform.
About Rick Simms
Rick is a CPA with 30+ years’ experience in all aspects of business consulting. He began his career with KPMG and later was CFO of a Denver based oil and gas exploration company. In 1986 he formed his own CPA firm, working with private and public companies, including as an owner, officer and board member of Data National Corporation, a CRM leader in automotive and retail petroleum companies. After the sale to Ernest and Young Consulting Rick formed Richard Simms PC, providing consulting and financing to early stage and later stage companies. In 2015 Rick founded WeeSchool with William and Julie Clark, the founders of Baby Einstein. WeeSchool developed an app and website for new parents with age-appropriate milestones. The company merged with Teaching Strategies in 2019 and the company was purchased by KKR in 2021. In 2022 Rick started working with accessibleGO, leveraging his network to bring spokesmen, supporters and partners to the company. Rick is also an advisor and investor with Red Door Capital Partners.
Rick has been involved in various nonprofit endeavors including Chairman of the Board of the Mental Health Center of Denver. In 1995 he was a founder of No Excuses Unlimited, a nonprofit formed to assist the athletes of the Paralympic Alpine, Snowboard and Nordic Teams. Since inception No Excuses Unlimited has provided over 2.5 million of funding to the Paralympic athletes.
