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Learn more about TurnSignl

https://www.turnsignl.com/

Jasna Burza
Facebook. Well, Jazz, thank you so much for coming to talk to me in this business spotlight.

Jazz Hampton
No, I’m thrilled to be here. I appreciate you taking the time. And I can’t wait to have the conversation. Appreciate it.

Jasna Burza
You said that earlier. I’m like, I am the one great all because to introduce a real innovator, an incredible entrepreneur, amazing human, and a big time celebrity, am you making waves nationally, locally, statewide, etc, etc. I mean, there’s just so much that you want to cover so jazz. What was happening in the last few years, you’re an attorney by trade. And you created an app assistant, you know, where that is literally saving lives, and changing the conversation in our community. And I told you this earlier, I cannot believe that there was an even need to create something like this. But here we are, would you tell us about turn signal? Why you created it, and then the impact that it has had in the community?

Jazz Hampton
Yeah, well, thank you for that incredibly gracious intro. I appreciate it. So yeah, my name is jazz Hampton. I’m one of the three, three people running this organization, one of the co founders, myself, Andre, and Michael, they’ve known each other since they’re three years old. I got to know them in college and read Lackland between cities that looked at these interactions and said, you know, what can we do when a driver is being pulled over to make that interaction safer, both to the driver and the police officer. So we built an app that precedent, when you press a button, it instantly connects you on a video conference with an attorney on a video screen just like you and I are chatting right now on your phone. And it records interaction 24/7 365. So we had someone just I, you know, I was looking at our dashboard, we had someone pulled over about an hour and a half ago in Georgia, there’s an attorney on the phone within seconds to be there with them during that interaction. We’re really excited to be providing the service to people because you know, our goal and our mission is simple. It’s three prong. It’s protect drivers civil rights, to de escalate these roadside interactions. And third, and most importantly, this ensure that all drivers and law enforcement to return home safe every day.

Jasna Burza
Amen. And what have you noticed? I mean, first of all, the attorneys are very available 24/7, I did get through the app, which is amazing. I mean, what it’s quite a revolutionary idea, and the app is so inexpensive and accessible to everyone. And and again, I really can’t stress this enough the world that we live in, it is unfortunate that we need to have these kinds of protections.

Jazz Hampton
Yeah, you’re exactly right. So that the app is $60 a year, whether you’re over a million times, or just once. However, if you make under $40,000, we never charge you a penny to use that whatsoever. In fact, we don’t even take your financial position, we don’t take that position. We don’t want anyone’s financial situation to take. And you know, this is born out of the way that you know, the community that we’re from Andrea, Mike grew up in St. Paul, they actually grew up playing sports with the Castile family. So obviously planetesimals that, that community in the direct way. And then we fast forward and George Floyd. And what we started saying was, there’s a critical mass of awareness around the topic, but no one is stepping into the space to create a solution. So we all have our corporate jobs. I was an adjunct professor of law, and between one School of Law and the attorney at a national law firm, and Dre and Mike were working in the corporate world as well. And we all left in October of 2020, to dedicate ourselves full time to this effort. And I’m so

Jasna Burza
glad you did. I know that it’s hard to leave your livelihood and your entire career for something. But I feel like we need we are in dire need of people with innovative voices and approaches to handle the thing, the problems in the community that no one seems to figure out what and I remember you were saying, one of the awards that you receive, well, I can change legislative, legislatively, I can’t introduce, you know, or make global changes. But I can do something like this, which is really powerful. Because what have you noticed in the people that are making the cause? Because I think the main goal, from from my own knowledge is to really de escalate the conversations when we’re pulled over, right? It’s like this is within your rights, you know, you should go out you should get out of the car or like Nope, they’re you know, this is a breach of your civil rights. You know, what have you noticed in with people are being pulled over? What are the results? Like? I’m pretty sure you gathering data left and right.

Jazz Hampton
Yeah. So what we always say is the end goal is and I and I said earlier, is to ensure everyone gets home safely. All the attorneys on the platform actually before the answer calls have to go through a third party de escalation training. And a part of that training is part of our mission. That is even if your civil rights are being violated. What we do is assert the rights say, you know, I don’t think you have the right to search the car. I don’t think I I am required to step out of the vehicle. And I’m asserting that however, I’m going to follow the orders because in the moment safety’s key, right. So follow orders get through the interaction safe. Guess what, you have an attorney that was present during the interaction, and you record that with the app as well. So now you have all the evidence to go to the police department say, Hey, Chief, this is what happened, I didn’t I didn’t love this interaction, I think you can do better going forward or go to the court system and address it there. Whatever way you think is best for yourself and for the communities, what you can then do, you have the opportunity to do that, because you were able to leave that situation sacred. And so that’s what we see. And that’s what we’re doing the most of the interactions are like, and it’s a lot of people just following the directions, ensuring that they’re feeling safer, and that their rights are being protected.

Jasna Burza
I love that, you know, when I hear about the app, I am the kind of person who cannot I don’t know, I see these kids who are on their phones, and they’re able to drive. I’m like one of those dinosaurs like I cannot do those two things at the same time. So my first I was like, wait a minute, when I’m pulled over, I’m so nervous as it is, how do I have the time to find the app and do it but you have circumvented that, all you have to do is say, Hey, Siri, I’m being pulled over.

Jazz Hampton
Yeah, no, that’s right. Although everyone can set up the voice activation, actually, when you set it up, you can set it up to whatever phrase you want. So whatever phrase you think you’ll remember, best, you can set your, your Siri or your Google Play to automatically open it up based on that command, or it’s just one button when you open the app. So either way, if you just keep the app on your homescreen, like I and so many other people do, or whether you just want to activate it with your boys. Either way, we want to ensure it’s as easy and seamless as possible. During a moment, which, you know, naturally, a lot of people are a little nervous and skittish during that interaction. So

Jasna Burza
of course, it is really there’s a safety and having someone there who will understand the rights. And you feel like I’m I don’t know, I’m always definitive every time I feel like I’m on a highway. And there’s like, how behind me is like, there’s like, I just, I have no, I don’t have this is like it’s just, we can’t explain it as this feeling of fear, right? It’s like, Oh, crap, what did I do now? Right. So I think having the fortitude to have someone who can calm you down, and you know, that you are safe. I’m really curious, do you think that an app would have prevented so many unfortunate deaths that have occurred?

Jazz Hampton
You know, I, I wouldn’t have built this plants or wasn’t I hope they would have right. And it’s unfortunate that we weren’t there and could have helped in that moment. You know, that de escalation is often for the driver, I always refer to plant use pulled over 49 times in 13 years, a lot of interaction with law enforcement for his final pull over. But what we can do is put someone in the vehicle that can call me down and help you assert those rights. I always use the phrases like when I was a kid, and I didn’t want to sleep over at a friend’s house, I could call my mom and I’d say, oh, sorry, my mom’s and I couldn’t sleep over, you got to have that same level of interaction with the attorney. It’s like, Hey, listen, the attorney said I shouldn’t let you search the car unless you have probable cause to you. Now, you also aren’t the person carrying the burden of saying no, you can point to someone else and say they said that I should do what the law requires. Right? It also gives me kind of that third party of interaction to make you feel like you’re in a bad guy just for asserting the rights that you have.

Jasna Burza
Okay, and one of the questions that I also had, when, you know, I would think that, you know, there’s this authority that that police officers have when they stop being like, well, I feel like I should never talk to my husband, like, when he’s pulled over, and he’s been pulled over a few times, he will, he will, you know, I feel like I shouldn’t even comment or I’ll say something and you’d like hush to be quiet. It is okay. We should all know that. It is okay to film ourselves. And it is okay to seek legal representation and talk to your lawyer while you’re being pulled over. Like there’s nothing legally preventing us from doing that.

Jazz Hampton
Yeah, that’s right. And even in the, you know, people will tell us, we’re referenced the Arizona law that passed, and we’ll see how long it’s on the books. But even in Arizona, that law says you can’t record law enforcement, you have to be eight feet away. It says, however, if you are involved in the interaction, if you are the person interacting with law enforcement, you can or if you’re in the vehicle, so even that law, which is the most restrictive, allows for it, for apps like to look for our app and turn signal to be used during those interactions. And yeah, that’s exactly right. You should always be able to have a conversation with an attorney during opportunities when especially when you’re being detained or having a conversation that is directly impacting the legal rights that you’ll have down the road. I would never send a loved one into court with an attorney. But I wouldn’t have them be interrogated or have in depth conversation without, you know, having an attorney that at least you can turn to and just say Is this something I should be doing or should I not just have a sounding board therefore?

Jasna Burza
It’s really remarkable. Have you been surprised by the outpouring of support and they’re just such a grand recognition? I mean, to me, it’s like oh my gosh, this is such a novel, innovative approach. Roche. And you would think like, of course, I don’t know why no one thought of this before, but it’s quite revolutionary. Have you been shocked or surprised? Or what was your What was your reception, your personal reception of the feedback?

Jazz Hampton
You know, I knew that if we got to the point that we were that we are today, where we built something we put in the market, it worked. You know, we’re in six jurisdictions or six states right now will be an eight by the end of the month, I knew if we got there that we would have the kind of support I think that we have now. But we saw a lot of it from very early on, you said you haven’t built it yet. You aren’t there yet, or you haven’t launched. But we really want to support you in that process, you really want to make sure you get there. That’s coordinate the world team, because it’s easy to jump on. Something’s working and say this is a great idea. It’s harder before you get there to have that support. So people, everyone from group capital here in the Twin Cities, to our early supporters, and the people who first downloaded they, they really mean the world’s, you know, they were there when we’re shooting in the backyard. Not when we’re in the NBA. We’re there yet. But it feels good to have that early support.

Jasna Burza
It’s really beautiful. I’m glad you had that. I mean, after what we have gone through here, in Minneapolis, it is really remarkable to see the people that have been stepping up and doing the kind of work that we’re we’re frankly, politicians just can’t seem it’s too clunky. It’s too difficult, too slow. So leave it up to entrepreneurs to change the world. I chose. I love that. So everyone should know that on both Android devices and on iPhones turn signal in the in the App Store and other stores that they can just download it. And again, if you’re making less than $40,000, you will never be charged a penny. I mean, this is it is so remarkable. And I think it goes to say that when there’s a there is a company that has a mission, how impactful that can be there’s like not only are we a company, we hope to be profitable, but the cause is so much so much bigger. What do you think personally, you will wonder of the company today?

Jazz Hampton
Yeah, you know, when I think of trends, and what I hope it is in 510 15 years, I always say just ubiquity, right? I want people to say Oh yes, I was pulled over. But I use turn signal as commonly as they say, I went out last night I used Uber, right, I want it to be in everyone’s vernacular, I want it to be the common turn of phrase that also speaks to the safety that you felt in that moment, right. People always say, Wow, this is gonna save lives, I wanted to more than save lives, I wanted to make a mom feel better when she hands the keys her 16 year old when they leave out of the house, right? That sense of comfort and safety that you can provide to your loved one is something I want people to feel not just the need in a real moment, I want you to feel it every day when you walk outside. I would just like when I’m on a rural road, I’m glad I have AAA, I want everyone to feel that kind of security when they walk out of the door when they get

Jasna Burza
one powerful mission for for for an incredible entrepreneur, what is next for turn signal besides this really overarching mission to make sure that every single man and woman has this on their phones to just be feel safe? What is next? Well, you are something amazing you normally involves into a variety of other incredible innovative approaches.

Jazz Hampton
Yeah, you know, we’re starting within the vehicle, we’re gonna try to make it so you can connect to any professionals you need in real time. No matter where you are, that’s in the future. You know, for now, we want to be in all 50 states by the end of 2023. And we’re working with businesses to provide trenches of all their employees and the benefits. So when you when you talk about working at a specific employer, and you say, you know, I love working here, because the pay is comparable to the place in the market. I like my boss and my peers. But I also love that the opposite just speaks to the culture of the organization. That’s that’s where we are because we’re going to partner with over 13 companies already, then we’re really excited to continue.

Jasna Burza
I love that besides last question is besides downloading and purchasing the app, is there anything else that we can help to support the cause? Or support your initiatives?

Jazz Hampton
Yeah, you know, you can go to turn signal.com To learn more about how you can support and even cover some of those members who can’t afford it. There’s donations that can be taken to the turn signal Foundation, the folks over there doing great work to ensure that our habit so you know, support that way. Follow us on social media and LinkedIn and Instagram are the places where multiple most presence so find me and turn signal on all those platforms.

Jasna Burza
Okay, well folks through single.com and then we’re going to tag jazz, enter and signal on all here on Facebook, and then in all the other platforms where you’re going to be listening or watching. So, as you all know, I’ve been talking about, you know, bringing these individuals in here’s an example of a true revolutionary and someone who is really I believe this we will look back at this as something as that has really created a change in our culture in our community but also saved Hundreds of 1000s of lives. So I want to thank you for taking the courage and the need and for taking the time to talk to you. Thank you so much for everything you do and for talking to me.

Jazz Hampton
Thank you. I appreciate you taking the time as well and I look forward to more Conversations in the future.