When the global COVID-19 pandemic upended transportation markets across small island nations in 2021, two Saint Lucian entrepreneurs turned the disruption into an opportunity. Mellissa Preville and Safiya Paul launched Allez, one of the first homegrown ride-hailing platforms in the country, built from the ground up to serve the unique mobility needs of their local community.
Five years on, that small local startup is gearing up for a major milestone: the company will mark its fifth anniversary of operation on April 18, 2026, and launch a sweeping regional expansion into six additional Caribbean markets alongside the celebration. Following a successful 2025 entry into Dominica, Allez will roll out its services to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Anguilla and Montserrat, bringing its community-focused ride-hailing model to thousands of new users across the Eastern Caribbean.
For Allez’s co-founders, this expansion is not a sudden pivot—it is the fulfillment of a long-held core vision. “It was always part of the vision… to expand to the rest of the Caribbean and eventually the African continent. We never set out for Allez to just stay in Saint Lucia,” Preville shared in an interview with local outlet St Lucia Times.
The journey to this point has not been without obstacles. Growing a local mobility startup in a small open market has brought consistent challenges, most notably rising competition from both regional and global players. Earlier this year, industry analysts widely expected that global ride-hailing giant Uber, with its massive international brand recognition and funding, would quickly capture the majority of Saint Lucia’s ride-hailing market and push smaller local providers like Allez out.
But what initially looked like a major threat ultimately became an unexpected advantage for the homegrown brand. While Preville and Paul first framed Uber’s arrival as just another competitor to navigate, the entry of the global firm sparked a wave of local support that boosted Allez’s standing in the market.
“The most amazing thing about this was: so many locals were pushing Allez and talking about Allez. That made us feel like we were doing something right. More people started researching and finding Allez,” Preville explained. She added that Uber’s market entry actually gave Allez a lasting competitive edge, by raising overall consumer awareness and interest in ride-hailing services across the island, driving new users to explore local options like Allez.
As the company prepares to launch in new markets, the founding team is extending an open invitation to local drivers across the target territories to join the platform. Interested drivers can sign up easily by downloading the Allez Driver app, creating a user profile, and uploading the required regulatory and vehicle documentation. All new regional services are scheduled to go live on the same day as the company’s fifth anniversary, April 18.
Preville emphasized that Allez’s key differentiator from larger global competitors has always been its commitment to localized, high-quality customer service. “What differentiates us is excellent customer service. We are on top of ensuring that we assist persons with getting connected and the places they need to be,” she said, outlining the customer-first values that have guided the company’s growth from its launch.