Interview with Founder of Innclusive: A Place For Every Traveler

Innclusive: The most welcoming home sharing platform in the world.

We all love inclusivity and feeling like we are a part of something great. INNCLUSIVE is a platform that came about after people reported their experience of facing discrimination while using Airbnb. CEO and Founder, Rohan Gilkes, wanted to create a platform where people of all colors, races, and background will be accepted and feel comfortable wherever they decide to stay for their business travel or vacations. Read on to find out how he got started in technology, ways his brand is giving back, and his advice for other entrepreneurs looking to follow in his footsteps.

GLITTER: How did you get your start in technology?

ROHAN: I started learning everything I could about online businesses, and even though I still had a full-time job at this point, I would start little website projects and try to make money.  During these years I built everything from a dating site to affiliate marketing sites in obscure markets ( [my] biggest win was portable cement mixers), to blogger advertising networks, to lead generation sites for local companies.  I tried everything, failed, got better and started figuring out the process.  I would leave work every day, go to Bus Boys and Poets and work on my laptop until midnight or until they kicked me out.  Then back to work the next day and repeat the process.  And it was there that I found my niche: Building simple local service companies and applying good online marketing techniques.  One of these companies allowed me to quit my job and here I am.

GLITTER: How did you come up with the concept Innclusive and why?

ROHAN: Read the story here.

GLITTER: How easy is it to use your app? 

ROHAN: We will introduce our app in time for the new year, and it will be as user-friendly as our new site.

GLITTER: What have been some of the feedback from customers?

 ROHAN: Our members have shown real love for having a source for accommodations that is accepting of people from all walks of life.  A place where they can be themselves and with a company that has their backs.

GLITTER: How far does your brand reach across the Globe?  

ROHAN: We have almost half a million properties on six continents. And our presence grows stronger on each one, every single day.

GLITTER: How are you having an impact on how people of color travel?  

ROHAN: Travelers are beginning to understand that there IS a place where they can “Be Yourself Wherever You Go” and choose to book with a platform that embraces diversity, including the LGBTQA community.

GLITTER: Who is the service for?  

ROHAN: Here at Innclusive, we have made it clear that our platform extends to people from all walks of life and, to that end, are proud to say that our efforts to be inclusive have been very successful in our reach across the color aisle.

GLITTER: What other companies or projects are you working on?

ROHAN: We are very proud of Zora.  Zora is a new company where we are producing Exquisite Vacation Rentals by Innclusive with all of the amenities being sourced from women of color.

 Another project is our collaboration with Cool Cousin.  Cool Cousin is a great way to enhance the stay of our guests by connecting them with locals who share their interests.  Cool Cousin provides insight into how to spend your time and your dime in their town.

GLITTER: We noticed you were raising money for Hurricane Harvey victims, what are ways that your brand gives back?

ROHAN: We are very excited about our new partnership with Black Girls Code.  It’s an opportunity for us to support a field we love and to give back to our largest and most supportive demographic.

GLITTER: What advice can you give to entrepreneurs looking to follow in your footsteps?   

ROHAN: I would encourage them to connect with my group Launch27 and join the overwhelmingly supportive and collaborative atmosphere that has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs generate over millions in revenue.