Bike Summit 2023: Meet the Speakers!

See detailed agenda here. Click here to Register for Bike Summit 2023.

Keynote: Andrew Fremier, executive director of nine-county Metropolitan Transportation Commission

Andrew Fremier is MTC Executive Director, assuming the agency's top staff position in February 2023, after serving as deputy executive director since 2005. He also serves as the top executive for the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG). The MTC is the transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. Its work supports the region’s network of streets, roads, highways, public transit systems, airports and other transportation resources, including the movement of goods through ports and freight rail lines. Prior to joining MTC, Mr. Fremier served as the Chief Deputy District Director for Caltrans District 4. A licensed civil engineer, he holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. He and his family are residents of Marin County.

See our Q&A with Andrew Fremier

New directions in regional transportation - Panel discussion

  • Clarrissa Cabansagan

    Moderator, Executive Director, Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition

    she/her/hers

    Clarrissa Cabansagan is SVBC's new executive director and has been with the organization for almost 2 years as our Deputy Director over strategy and fundraising. Previously Clarrissa was the policy director at TransForm, an advocacy organization on housing and transportation policy in the Bay Area and California. There she led TransForm's policy advocacy team and oversaw partnerships with government agencies and tech-mobility companies.

  • David Canepa

    San Mateo County Supervisor

    he/him/his

    David J. Canepa was elected to the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors in November 2016. He represents District 5, which includes: the City of Brisbane, Broadmoor, the Town of Colma, the City of Daly City, and parts of the City of San Bruno and the City of South San Francisco. Supervisor Canepa served on the Daly City Council from 2008 through 2016 and served as Mayor in 2014.

  • Cindy Chavez

    Santa Clara County Supervisor

    she/her/hers

    Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez represents 500,000 residents in District 2. This is the most densely populated of the five supervisorial districts and includes portions of central, eastern, and southern San Jose. She was sworn into office in August 2013. Regionally, she is a member of the CalTrain Board of Directors, a on the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and on the Valley Transportation Authority Board of Directors

  • Andrew Fremier

    Executive Director, Metropolitan Transportation Commission

    he/him/his

    Andrew Fremier was named MTC Executive Director in February 2023, after serving as deputy executive director since 2005. He also serves as the top executive for the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG).. The MTC is the transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area and supports the region’s network of streets, roads, highways, public transit systems, airports and other resources.

Mountain View by bike with your ride leaders

  • Aruna Bodduna

    Project Manager, City of Mountain View

    she/her/hers

    Aruna Bodduna is currently working as Transportation Planner at City of Mountain View, California. She has over 15 years of experience in the field of Transportation with experience in planning, engineering and traffic operations projects. She is currently leading the effort in the Public Works Department on the Castro Pedestrian Mall project. She will walk the participants through the Castro Pedestrian Mall segments and briefly talk about how this project evolved over the past three years. She holds a master’s degree in Civil Engineering (Transportation), California civil engineer (PE) and is a project management professional (PMP).

  • Brandon Whyte

    Active Transportation Planner, City of Mountain View

    he/him/his

    Brandon has been an active transportation professional for over 11 years, having worked in Chicago, Illinois, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and now Mountain View, California. He’s helped plan many miles of on and off-street bikeways, as well as craft policy that dramatically increased funding to Safe Routes to Schools and filled sidewalk gaps. Brandon earned a Bachelor’s from the University of Oregon and a Master’s of Urban Planning & Policy with a transportation focus from the University of Illinois Chicago. Brandon is a native Californian and enjoys hiking, mountain biking, board games, and anything related to his son.

Assessing the promise – and perils – of street-safety technologies

  • David Tran

    he/him/his

    Moderator, Legislative and Policy Lead for San José Department of Transportation

    David is responsible for tracking, coordinating and advocating, where appropriate, transportation policies and legislation at the regional, state and federal level, on behalf of the department. David has been with the City of San José over 8 years, previously serving 7.5 years with District 3 Councilmember Raul Peralez as his Council Policy & Legislative Director, including staffing him on transportation policy. David is a San José native, having graduated from Oak Grove High School and San José State University.

  • Jodie Medeiros

    Walk SF

    she/her/hers

    Jodie Medeiros has been the Executive Director of Walk San Francisco for over 5-years. She leads a team of ten staff to make San Francisco the most pedestrian-friendly city in the nation. Walk San Francisco's main focus is to make our streets safe and put an end to traffic violence.

  • Steve Donohue

    Captain, San Jose Police Department

    he/him/his

    Captain Donohue is a 22-year veteran of the SJPD. During his tenure, he has been assigned to Patrol, Special Operations: Metro, Field Operations Administration, Sexual Assault Investigations, the Field Training Program, the Recruiting and Background Units, and Research and Development. Captain Donohue currently commands the Southern Division in Patrol. He is a Police Academy Instructor for Leadership, Professionalism, and Ethics and is heavily involved in the community through Coffee with a Cop, Shop with a Cop, Breast Cancer Walks, STAR Camp, and the Read to Succeed Program, among others.

Achieving equitable and seamless public micromobility

  • Adina Levin

    Moderator

    Policy Director, Seamless Bay Area

    she/her/hers

    Adina is Advocacy Director for Seamless Bay Area, a nonprofit focused on achieving a seamlessly integrated, equitable public transportation system for the region. She contributes to a variety of local and regional advisory bodies on transportation and connections between transportation and land use. Her background includes leadership and founding roles in for-profit and nonprofit initiatives.

  • Brytanee Brown

    Founder and Principal, Emergent Labs

    she/her/hers

    Brytanee Brown is emergent labs founder and successful former government and non-profit change agent with 10+ years of experience innovating around expansive transportation & mobility. She has built her career on one simple principle: people first. She centers people, especially the healing of racialized people through the lens of transportation, arts & culture, and economic development. She has worked to create just mobility outcomes for communities, enact change that responds to their mobility needs and lived experience, and make government accessible for folks that have long been locked out of decisions that impact them.

  • Craig Kometani-Dittmann

    Shared Micromobility Program Manager, City of San Jose Department of Transportation

    he/him/his

    Craig Kometani-Dittmann manages San Jose's Shared Micromobility Program. His previous experience as an educator, case manager, and community advocate has pushed him to always center on community input and data when creating plans and policies. In his current role, he utilizes his professional experience and Civil Engineering background to help set regulations and best practices for city-wide programming. Craig has experience developing public-private partnerships, campaigns, DEI audits, machine learning classifications, programming pilots, and state/local grant applications.

  • Justin Nguyen

    Co-Executive Director, Bike East Bay

    he/him/his

    Justin Hu-Nguyen (he/him) joined Bike East Bay as Co-Executive Director of Mobility Justice in February 2023. He identifies as a second-generation Vietnamese American, born and raised in Milpitas, CA. Justin and his family have called Oakland home for the past 6 years. He started his career at the Asian Pacific Islander Caucus in the California State Legislature before entering into the mobility justice realm, first through leading community engagement for Bay Area bikeshare expansion and creating the Equity Policy team at Lyft. Most recently, Justin served as the Director of Advocacy for the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition (SFBC).

  • Andrea Pappajohn

    Environmental Program Manager, City of Millbrae

    she/her/hers

    Andrea Pappajohn is a sustainability professional with the City of Millbrae. She has been focused on developing and managing a broad range of environmental programs such as a multijurisdictional electric bike share program, safe routes to school projects, implementing SB1383 organic waste disposal reduction, and water use efficiency and conservation programs. Her work has received statewide recognition and innovation awards.

  • Tejus Shankar

    Policy Development Manager, Lyft/Bay Wheels

    he/him/his

    Tejus Shankar is passionate about the intersection between transportation and land-use and how that can lead to more equitable futures for our cities. As a Policy Development Manager, Tejus leads Lyft's transit, bike and scooter policy research and strategy while further solidifying opportunities for public-private partnerships in mobility. Tejus brings nearly a decade of experience working in both public and private sectors.

  • Amy Thompson

    TransFormCA

    she/her/hers

    Amy is a transportation policy and programs manager with a focus on accessible public and active transit systems that connect riders to livable communities, family, work, and recreation. She focuses on campaigns and research that prioritize funding for public transit and active transportation like biking and walking. This includes working to increase funding for frequent and reliable transit service at the state level and research on more accessible micromobility to better serve low-income communities.

Designing for green, complete and inclusive infrastructure

  • Ria Hutabarat Lo

    Moderator

    Transportation Manager, City of Mountain View

    she/her/hers

    Ria Hutabarat Lo serves as the Transportation Manager for the City of Mountain View. She has a PhD in City and Regional Planning from the University of California, Berkeley, and over two decades of experience in urban infrastructure, sustainability and transportation planning and policy. She enjoys collaborating on complex projects that cross boundaries and deliver synergistic benefits. Ria learnt to ride a bike as an undergrad at UNSW in Sydney. She enjoys playing music, yoga and traveling to visit friends and family.

  • Hayley Currier

    Policy Manager, Save the Bay

    she/her/hers

    Hayley is an environmental land use advocate with 5 years of experience working to make the Bay Area a more equitable, climate resilient place. As Policy Manager at Save The Bay, she works to ensure that cities are prepared for the flood risk posed by climate change, and is particularly interested in seeing cities build more green stormwater infrastructure to reduce flooding, prevent pollution, and green cities. When she's not advocating around the region, she is biking up hills and swimming in the Bay.

  • Robin Grossinger

    Principal, Second Nature Ecology and Design

    he/him/his

    Robin Grossinger is Principal and Founder of Second Nature Ecology and Design. Robin’s work brings together ecological science and urban design, collaborating with cities, corporations, and communities to redesign our cities with nature – work featured in a UN-Habitat Global Urban Lecture and covered by media from NPR to The New York Times.

  • Jaggi Bhandal

    Jaggi Bhandal, BKF Engineering

    he/him/his

    Jaggi is an advocate for active transportation and sustainability. As a leader in BKF’s transportation group, he brings 16 years of experience to the planning, design, and delivery of transportation projects for multiple agencies throughout Northern California. He specializes in implementing complete street improvements that prioritize equitable and sustainable bicycle, pedestrian, vehicular and transit infrastructure.

  • David Ralston

    Bay Area Air Quality Management District

    he/him/his

    David is currently a planning policy advisor for the Bay Area Air Quality Management District with a focus on supporting equitable greening, green infrastructure, and active transit projects as part of concerted co-beneficial and environmental justice-oriented air quality improvement efforts in disadvantaged communities. He has also led various complete streetscape projects in Oakland and serve as a member of the City of Oakland Bicyclist and Pedestrian Advisory Commission.

Deepening the practice of community engagement

  • Andrew Knaack

    Moderator, County of San Mateo

    he/him/his

    Andrew works for the County Executive's Office in the County of San Mateo as the Equity and Belonging Associate. Previously, he worked for ten years in the nonprofit sector for local organizations, including LifeMoves, Asian Americans for Community Involvement, and the Ronald McDonald House Charities Bay Area. During his free time, Andrew volunteers for several community organizations based in San Jose Japantown and Santa Clara that focus on his passion issues, including equity, representation, and education.

  • Frank Ponciano

    Translator, Associate Director, Winter Consulting

    he/him/his

    Frank Ponciano is a dedicated community organizer with a strong background in policy, specializing in housing, transportation, homelessness, and environmental issues. Having transitioned from the corporate sector to pursue his passion for justice and equity, he brings extensive experience in community engagement and a wide network of relationships in the Bay Area. Currently at Winter Consulting, Frank manages critical projects and plays a pivotal role in promoting equity in all aspects of the work.

  • Amy Nguyen

    Youth Leadership Institute

    she/her/hers

    Hello! My name is Amy Nguyen, and I am an undergraduate student at the College of San Mateo with a major Sociology. Some fun facts about me are that I am Vietnamese American, I own my own crochet small business, and I love to dance! I am an extrovert at heart, so let’s connect :)

  • Iris Osorio-Villatoro

    Engagement Manager, Winter Consulting

    she/her/hers

    Iris Osorio-Villatoro brings her expertise in community-led engagement and a deep understanding of the impacts of inequitable planning on people's lives. With a Bachelor's degree in Urban Studies and a minor in Translation Studies from Stanford University, she has developed a strong foundation for facilitating meaningful conversations. Iris is committed to advancing communities' visions and goals, building on her experience as a facilitator and engagement specialist focused on racial, economic, and social inequities.

  • Rosa Cordova

    Community member

    she/her/hers

    Rosa was a member of San Jose's COVID-19 Taskforce Lived Experience Group. She worked with nine other group members to carry out community engagement efforts in local San Jose communities.

The fast-changing world of E-Bikes

  • Jennifer Fierman

    Moderator, Commute Operations Lead

    she/her/hers

    Jennifer is a transportation planner with a focus on data, technology, and equitable mobility for all.

  • Libby Nachman

    Active Transportation Planner, Metropolitan Transportation Commission

    she/her/hers

    Libby is a planner with MTC on the Active Transportation team, primarily supporting Bay Trail and bikeshare/micromobility work. Prior to MTC, Libby worked as a Planning Associate at Alta Planning + Design. In this capacity, she served as a project manager and planner for numerous active transportation and new mobility projects such as active transportation plans, bikeshare feasibility studies, bike highway studies, corridor studies, and Safe Routes to School projects. She also led multiple community engagement and outreach processes.

  • Jared Sanchez

    Policy Director, Calbike

    he/him/his

    Jared has a background in mixed methods research, rooted in social justice, that connects to grassroots power to achieve transformative policy goals. His work at CalBike focuses on building connections with community-based justice-centered organizations across California, and connecting bicycling, and sustainable transportation more generally, with intersecting issues such as housing, climate, and environmental justice.

  • Karen Wiener

    CEO, New Wheel Bike Shop

    she/her/hers

    Karen is co-owner of The New Wheel, an electric bicycle retailer in the Bay Area since 2010.

Safe Routes to School

  • Ann Jasper

    Moderator, Walk n' Roll Program Manager, City of San Jose

    she/her/hers

    I have been managing the Walk n' Roll (Safe Routes to School) program for the City of San Jose Department of Transportation since 2019. Our team provides fun, educational activities aimed at instilling safe walking, biking and scootering skills for almost 70 schools in San Jose. Before joining the City, I coordinated Safe Routes to School activities for schools in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties from 2015 - 2019. As a parent, I understand the benefits of walking and biking for students and enjoy helping the next generation use their feet and pedals to get where they're going.

  • Kristin Haukom

    Senior Planning Associate, Alta Planning + Design

    Kristin Haukom (hawk-um) has 20 years of experience in Safe Routes to School, active transportation, and public health policy, program design, and implementation. Kristin is a Senior Planning Associate at Alta Planning + Design where she leads and advises on the firm's Safe Routes to School projects. Kristin lives in San Diego County with her husband and three children.

  • Soren Spies

    Committee Chair, Trace Elementary Walk n’ Roll

    he/him/his

    I bicycle because it is efficient, community-oriented, and accessible to all. I co-founded Trace Walk n’ Roll to proactively give families permission to get to and from school without driving.

  • Rachel Sussman

    Medical doctor, Trace Elementary Walk n Roll

    she/her/hers

    Rachel Sussman grew up in Pennsylvania and first started commuter biking as an exchange student in Beijing and then a grad student in Boston. She is a very happy cargo bike owner now and mostly gets around San Jose by pedal. During her work as a family medicine and addiction medicine doctor at Stanford, the Indian Health Center, and O’Connor Hospital, she has been known to recommend biking as one of the best ways to fit regular exercise into a busy schedule.

  • Michele Walker

    High School Program Manager, TransForm

    she/her/hers

    Michele coordinates the Alameda County Safe Routes to Schools high school program at TransForm. Her experience includes training youth from low-income backgrounds in leadership skills, facilitating college and career readiness lessons at a local nonprofit, and teaching math at a small middle and high school.

  • Theresa Vallez-Kelly

    Safe Routes to School Coordinator, San Mateo County Office of Education

    she/her/hers

    Theresa Vallez-Kelly is the Safe Routes to School Coordinator for the San Mateo County Office of Education. Her work in Safe Routes to School helps schools develop a culture of walking and biking and has led to greater awareness of bicycle and pedestrian safety issues in San Mateo County. Theresa brings over two decades of experience working with students, faculty, and school administrators. She regularly brings schools, municipalities and community members together to work on issues related to Safe Routes to School.

Pechakucha/wrap-up

  • Diana Crumedy

    Moderator, Associate Director, Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition

    she/her/hers

    Diana Crumedy comes to SVBC with a background in Urban and Regional Planning and Community Development and Design. She did her undergrad in Sociology, followed by a Master's in Urban and Regional Planning. Diana has years of experience working within municipalities at the local and regional levels. Diana’s years of hands-on experience have provided her with a depth of knowledge in community design and development, policy planning, analyses and implementation, land use, regional planning, zoning, and environmental review.

  • April Beyersdorf

    Student, activist

    April Beyersdorf, a student at Saint Francis High School, was selected as Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition’s Santa Clara County Bike Champion of the Year for her dedication to promoting sustainable commuting and empowering her fellow students to explore car-free methods of getting to and from school. April was Santa Clara County winner of SVBC’s 2023 Bike Champion of the Year award.

  • Nico Sandi Espinoza

    Shop Manager, Live in Peace Bike Shop

    he/him/his

    Nico is originally from Bolivia and has been living in the US for 12 years. He started working on bikes as a volunteer at the Community Bike Project in Omaha, Nebraska where he began to see the huge impact a bike program can have on youth. He moved to the Bay Area to pursue an MFA in documentary film from Stanford. After working as a film editor for a couple of year he found about about Live in Peace and started volunteering. A volunteer role turned into a part time job which turned into a full time job. He has been with Live in Peace Bike Shop for just over two years. Nico is also an avid bike racer.

  • Marin Holt

    Teacher, founder of Coastside on Bikes

    Marin, raised in Redwood City and a longtime resident of Half Moon Bay, is founder of Coastside on Bikes. The non-profit organization since 2020 has focused on bicycle access for those in coastal San Mateo County who most rely on bikes for transportation, including farmworkers, the unhoused, and overlooked people living on the margins. With a recent merger with Coastside Mountain Bikers, it is now expanding to advocacy for cycling safety and access, on pavement and trails. Marin was San Mateo County winner of SVBC’s 2023 Bike Champion of the Year award.

  • Mike Swire

    Advocate, Mid-Peninsula, Don't Widen the 101

    he/him/his

    Mike Swire has been a bike/ped and safe streets advocate on the Peninsula for for 20+ years. He has led or co-led campaigns in Belmont, City of San Mateo, unincorporated County of San Mateo, and Hillsborough. These included installation of 2+ miles of bike lanes and removal of 200+ street parking spots around San Mateo High School, reduction of speed limits around schools in San Mateo and Hillsborough, and complete streets improvements on Ralston in Belmont. He also co-led the successful campaign to save the San Mateo Ice Rink against demolition by a billionaire developer.

  • Esther Walker

    Senior Research Program Manager, Outride

    she/her/hers

    Esther Walker is the Senior Research Program Manager at Outride. She oversees Outride’s applied research and evaluation with schools and organizations across the United States and collaborates with a wide range of researchers and community organizations to better understand how cycling can help youth, and their communities, become both happier and healthier. Esther is also passionate about sharing stories through data and helps to equip programs with educational tools and reports that demonstrate impact. Esther has a PhD in Cognitive Science from the University of California, San Diego and worked as a research and data scientist and educator before joining the Outride team.

  • Edgar Echevarria

    San Jose Conservation Corp