from their about page:

It was a cold night in Boston in February of 2008 when Leah Busque realized she was out of dog food for her 100–lb yellow lab, Kobe. Leah thought to herself, “Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a place online I could go to connect with my neighbors — maybe one who was already at the store at that very moment — who could help me out?”

From this experience, TaskRabbit, an online and mobile marketplace that connects neighbors to get things done, was born. Fully vetted, entrepreneurially-minded professionals contribute their time and skills to help busy people find extra time in their days to do the things they love. Neighbors helping neighbors — it’s an old school concept reimagined for today.