Today we’d like to introduce you to Ben Paese.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Prior to NEMT, I spent the majority of my career in two different healthcare organizations — one primary care provider for seniors (Oak Street Health) and one healthcare consulting / technology platform (N1 Health). My time at these organizations was primarily focused on growth strategy, go-to-market operations, and customer success / customer experience. I largely served in more corporate, “high level”, office-based roles.
Towards the end of 2024, I was losing interest and motivation with the work I was doing. The corporate “slog” was becoming exhausting — I felt disconnected from the (supposed) impact of the work I was doing. Everything was powerpoint and excel and mostly theoretical.
December 2024 I quit my job with no plan for what was next — I just knew I needed a change and I wanted to go back to the drawing board.
I spent months talking to everyone I could. I knew I wanted to do something entrepreneurial, something different from what I was doing, and something that helped people, but I wasn’t sure what that looked like. A couple of months into my search for a new path, I had several people recommend buying a small business to me as a career path that might suit me. The more I read about it and talked about it, the more exciting the prospect became (to buy a business).
In March 2025 I set out in earnest to buy a small business. I still wasn’t sure what I wanted to buy. I knew I wanted to do work that felt like it truly helped people and added value to my community / the world. I knew I wanted a business that allowed me to leverage my background. I knew I wanted a business run by an owner who I could trust.
Several months into my search, I came across (then named) KMK Transport, owned and operated by Kaise Salah. I was vaguely familiar with non-emergency medical transport (NEMT) as a service, but it never crossed my mind as a career path. As I learned more about the industry and KMK Transport, I began to see how well this opportunity fit what I was looking for. It allowed me to build on my knowledge of the healthcare landscape, senior care dynamics, and growth strategy development/execution. It was real, meaningful work that allowed me to make a positive impact on people’s lives every day — an impact I could see and “feel”. On top of that, KMK was a great business, loved by its customers and passengers, and in a transition period looking for a new owner.
After a few months of diligence and negotiation, in October 2025, the transaction was closed and I stepped in as the new owner and leader of KMK Transport.
In January 2026, we rebranded as Brightway Transport Partners!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There have definitely been challenges. Due to some health plan changes (i.e., Aetna deciding to no longer offer free rides to many of its members) we lost a significant portion of our customer base and are building back from that. Like any small business, we continually battle ongoing issues like employee turnover, vehicle maintenance issues, and whatever else the day may hold, but we’ve got a great core to build from and the work is so meaningful that it keeps us going and makes the challenges worth solving!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We specialize in ground transportation for the elderly, injured, and disabled. We most often transport people to and from their doctor’s appointments, but also do transportation for schools, as well as “general purpose” passenger transport for everyday needs. We have a fleet of wheelchair and non-wheelchair minivans.
Our customers have come to appreciate several differentiators:
1. Driver Quality & Certification – we only hire drivers who are truly passionate about the work we do. All of our drivers are exceptionally kind, caring, and compassionate individuals who will treat you like you are family. We do extremely thorough background checks, drug testing, and training/certification for our drivers to ensure our passengers are as safe as possible and can have peace of mind on their journey.
2. Extra Time & Assistance Boarding – our drivers will come to your door, assist you in any way you may (or may not) need to get in the vehicle, and allow you to take all the time you need to board.
3.Skilled, Responsive Dispatch – when you call us, you don’t get pushed to a call center. You get me (or someone from my team) to answer the phone and help address any questions or needs you may have. We are problem solvers and subject matter experts, and we are here to actively handle whatever it is that you may need help with — even if it’s not in our “job description”.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
Kaise Salah – for founding the company and defining the culture that I carry forward.
Our drivers – Darryl, George, Tiffany, Almir, Dennis, Mineka, Gary, Elizabeth, and many others – who are the “tip of the spear” for this business. I’m so grateful to work with a team of folks who care so much about the work we do. None of this would be possible without them.
My family, friends, and colleagues who have provided countless pieces of advice, introduced me to hundreds of people, and steered my path to something truly rewarding.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.brightwaytransportpartners.com
- Instagram: (636) 385-3488
