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Sven, The International Massage Therapist, Is Here For Your Back-To-School Needs.

The Roll Up

Author

Sarah Elliott
August 20, 2025

In partnership with

Well, hey there folks,

Another couple of weeks has come and gone, and here we are — some of us on the brink of a new school year, some who have already started, and some who are blissfully unaware (other than the change of ads) that the end of August is fraught with back-to-school mania for parents and students alike. But as we are swept up in the whirlwind of new routines/schedule changes and back-to-school preparations, the world continues to turn.

Potential peace talks are happening for the war (no, not THAT war, the OTHER war — you know, the “I can see Russia from my house” war, sorry, but that just never gets old). D.C. is under siege, and it remains hard to tell if this is a power grab or a publicity stunt or both. We are watching Hurricane Erin (a monster of a hurricane) turn up the U.S. coast toward the Carolinas, and Virginia, and of course, unfortunately, it is also wildfire season. On top of Arizona, Montana, and Canada, California is also on fire (and I mean literally, unfortunately, and that is in addition to Gavin Newsom trolling Trump on Twitter, but also putting forth real action to combat the attempts at gerrymandering that have been happening in Texas). Air Canada’s crews went on strike, but have reached a tentative agreement. (Side note: Have you ever flown Air Canada? It is heaven. Or maybe I just flew Frontier too many times to count.) So as you can see, “Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives.” 

Over at Roll, we’ve been busy little bees working on projects and behind-the-scenes magic to bring you the best possible app and information we can. See the baboon updates below for more, and check out some disability and accessibility news we thought was worth your time. We know everyone’s busy, so wherever this newsletter finds you — in the school-supply aisle, dodging flooding or wildfires, or just catching your breath — we hope it offers a small reminder that we go further, together. 

As always, thank you for the support.

~Sarah

⚒️ Roll’s Nuggets ⛏️ 

Updates on the App

The new website is SO CLOSE. We have had to jump through about dillion hoops to get here. Fun fact, “dillion” is a made-up term, and in my house, we use it all the time, thinking ourselves original, creative, funny, cute – insert adorable adjective of your choice. Then, BOOM! I am reading “The BFG” to my 5 year old the other night, and Mr. Roald Dahl himself apparently used it first, about 40 years ago. Sheesh, at least we are in good company. But I digress… back to the dillion hoops. Very soon we will be able to point you to the new site and all it’s very professional, very baboonish glory (don’t worry, no red butts). Okay fine, no baboons AT ALL, but it will be looking fresh to death, for real. And when that old website gets taken out back, let me tell you… it’s going to be resembling Office Space up in here. IYKYK

With the new website will come the new blog, so as soon as the website is ready, then right on its heels will be our first set of blog posts. 

Finally, the app got a little glow-up. We are always striving to work out the kinks like a well-seasoned massage therapist named Sven who has big rippling arms and flowing blond locks who smells like pine-sweat and wants to take you by the hand and … whoops, hi, forgot what I was writing for a second. Thanks to Sven, we think we worked through some of those knots. If not, and you are still encountering any bumps in the road, will you please do us the kindness and let us know? You can email us directly at [email protected] and one of the baboons will investigate. And give Sven a real talking-to. And ask him where the sensory features are.

Learn from this investor’s $100m mistake

In 2010, a Grammy-winning artist passed on investing $200K in an emerging real estate disruptor. That stake could be worth $100+ million today.

One year later, another real estate disruptor, Zillow, went public. This time, everyday investors had regrets, missing pre-IPO gains.

Now, a new real estate innovator, Pacaso – founded by a former Zillow exec – is disrupting a $1.3T market. And unlike the others, you can invest in Pacaso as a private company.

Pacaso’s co-ownership model has generated $1B+ in luxury home sales and service fees, earned $110M+ in gross profits to date, and received backing from the same VCs behind Uber, Venmo, and eBay. They even reserved the Nasdaq ticker PCSO.

Paid advertisement for Pacaso’s Regulation A offering. Read the offering circular at invest.pacaso.com. Reserving a ticker symbol is not a guarantee that the company will go public. Listing on the NASDAQ is subject to approvals.

👩‍🦽 Crip News You Can Use 👨‍🦼 

Accessi-stories From Around the World

There’s been a steady beat of promising breakthroughs in hearing and vision research lately (you might remember we covered hearing loss gene editing in our July 22 newsletter — you can check out our archived newsletters at therollup.rollmobility.com). While we wait for the science to catch up on that front, tech is stepping in with some nifty new tools. OpenAI is now powering a pair of smart glasses that can “see” for the wearer — reading text, describing surroundings, and even translating on the fly, all transmitted discreetly through a tiny speaker. (And yes, Trekkies, we see the Geordi LaForge parallels — but let’s be honest, no glasses will ever be that cool.) 😎 The Verge coverage here.

And it’s not just glasses: tools like Aira are already changing the travel experience by connecting blind and low-vision users with live, trained agents who can guide them through airports, city streets, or daily tasks via a smartphone camera. Just this week, Kansas City International Airport announced free Aira access for travelers — a great example of how accessibility tech can leap from “someday science” to real-world impact today. By the way, Aira, if you are reading this, let’s chat, girl! We think there could be some really cool collaboration opportunities. 

Why it matters: Because independence shouldn’t require a lawsuit, a miracle, or a Starfleet uniform — it should just be part of everyday life.  👏

😄 Wheel-y Good News 😁 

Good Folks Doin’ Good Thangs

Colorado stories just immediately always put me in my feels because I called it home for fifteen years. It was so easy to feel proud of my adopted home state, and still is. So, this story should come as no surprise. Rocky Mountain National Park, in conjunction with Rocky Mountain Conservancy, just rolled out some upgrades that will help improve access for visitors living with disabilities. Think — new accessible buses (that can also visit field locations), all-terrain wheelchairs available to rent (think bigger front wheels, better suited for trail use, for free!), and new picnic tables (as in over 130 of them!). In addition to the equipment and infrastructure upgrades, the Rocky Mountain Conservancy is developing a new accessibility guide for the park. And you know what we think would pair perfectly with that? You guessed it, downloading the Roll Mobility App and rating the locations within the park! What are you waiting for? We love to see this, and can’t wait to check it out in person. Read more here.

Have you had the opportunity to try these new features out in person? We want to know about it. Seriously. Send your story to [email protected]

⚖️ Policy & Prejudice 🤫 

Keeping the ol’ checks & balances in check

I realize it’s not June anymore, but I keep meaning to talk about this. Da’ Bears. Chicago has been ordered by a federal judge to finally make its streets safer for blind and visually impaired pedestrians. For years, fewer than 3% of intersections had accessible pedestrian signals (APS) — the audible cues that tell people when it’s safe to cross. Now, after years of foot-dragging, disability advocates had to take the city to court to force change: nearly 2,000 APS devices must be installed in the next decade, with the rest to follow. A win? Absolutely. But it’s also a sobering reminder that basic equity in public infrastructure often only comes after a lawsuit. And Chicago isn’t alone — Washington, D.C. is now facing a nearly identical case. Accessibility shouldn’t be a courtroom battle; it should be a given. And changes like installing APS devices really benefit everyone. 

Want to make sure progress like this doesn’t stop at Chicago or D.C.? Check your voting status, or register to vote with our friends at www.feelgoodaction.org

🔥 Roll Mobility WeFunder 🔥

We are so grateful for the support of our ever-growing community. And while it’s a big “ask”, if you want and are able to do so, you have the opportunity to invest in our own community. WeFunder allows individuals to gain equity in small startups for as little as $100.00 USD. So, what are you waiting for? Invest today or share this opportunity with your own community.

The Legal Bit – We are 'testing the waters' to gauge investor interest in an offering under Regulation Crowdfunding. No money or other consideration is being solicited. If sent, it will not be accepted. No offer to buy securities will be accepted. No part of the purchase price will be received until a Form C is filed and only through Wefunder’s platform. Any indication of interest involves no obligation or commitment of any kind.

📣 Say What? 📢 

Do you think you have an interesting story? Would you like to be part of a virtual interview that we would share WITH THE WORLD?! Or maybe you just shot some sweet video content you think would be worth sharing. Well we’d love to feature you on our channels. And we will walk you through it. If you are interested, please email [email protected]

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The more you share, the more you earn! You could snag free swag, exclusive goodies, and bragging rights. So go ahead, spread the word, and watch the rewards roll in! 🚀✨