Women speakers-on sustainability, cycling, etc.

Would be interested to hear of suggestions for names of women who could draw an international presence and who have decision-making power to steer vision, large capital infrastructure investments, executive authority/presence who could meet the following criteria:

*dynamic, charismatic speaker
*but also have a track record of managing and steering large captial infrastructure investments or building of communities either politically or through coalition building at state, national or international level
*can speak in a visionary way that integrates cycling, sustainable cities, growth, etc.

This demonstrates the problem of visibility at a senior decision-making level, but that is the level we are pitching for.

For instance the New York City Transportation Commission Janette Sadik-Khan is a person of that type of charisma and vision.

Non-North American women are more than welcome! (I wish Jane Jacobs was still alive...She was Canadian.) Yes, you can suggest a woman who may have been a former politician. For municipalities, it should be a large metropolitan area.

You can also pm me.

I haven't heard her myself, but everyone says Mia Birk is amazing.

We know her as a speaker, etc. Thanks.

Remember, an European audience is far more experienced on topics she speaks of.

If you know of also experienced researcher in these areas who has strong public presence, etc.

We are also looking to women at vice-president, president levels for large train manufacturers, engineering, etc., transportation authorities, architectural firms. It could be health care, if she has done some innovative program roll-out on a large level/scale. With a focus on lifelong health preventive habits.

I think they exist....but it's how these women network to break into male dominant circles. *****This is why I am turning to the intelligent network of TE forum....since some of you are working professionals in allied areas.

I'm seeing Mia Burke tonight.

Can't be just 1 woman, folks.

Gotta break that barrier of invisibility. Think of out the box now, and internationally for names.
By the way, Velo-city will have the cycling research group (academics) led by a U.S. female researcher in this area..we're really excited about all this.

When I was in grad school in the 90s in city planning, I really wanted to do something with bicycle planning. It was considered fringe and fluff, and I did not get any support for my ideas. I did not have the wherewithal to do it anyways. Too bad because now it's all the rage and I would have likely been involved from the start had I followed that path. But that path was so hard to see...trying to make up for lost time now.

I meant Birk, not Burke. She probably gets that alot.

How about Jennifer Toole of Toole Design?

Oh, I attended LA Bike Summit back in 2009, conference on bike advocacy. I met and and was quite impressed with number of speakers.

Try Elly Blue. Contact elly@bikeportland.org. If she isn't there contact bikeportland.org and track her down. She can give you other names as well.

The conference had a speaker from Mexico City. Yes Mexico City and she was also very good. Can't find her contact info :( The woman works in the mayor's office as a political appointee?? Her English is impeccable and her presentation was really polished and good.

Another group to check out is a bike advocacy group in NYC. They have/had wonderful ad campaign and the male speaker was one of the best. They may have a woman advocate seeing that their organization is very big.

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Originally Posted by tulip

When I was in grad school in the 90s in city planning, I really wanted to do something with bicycle planning. It was considered fringe and fluff, and I did not get any support for my ideas. I did not have the wherewithal to do it anyways. Too bad because now it's all the rage and I would have likely been involved from the start had I followed that path. But that path was so hard to see...trying to make up for lost time now.

I meant Birk, not Burke. She probably gets that alot.

How about Jennifer Toole of Toole Design?

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Some of the cycling researchers are excited to have a platform next year, where they can drive a portion of the cycling conference agenda without being shunted to the margins on a conference program, at the usual big transportation planning conferences where roads and every other vehicle except for cycling is showcased. "Cause its the hefty $$$$ weight of costly aircraft, trains, transit, highways for cars, bridges for cars that get the limelight and status for speakers, time coverage, etc.

So professionally on the conference circuit, the cycling researchers have to muscle in there by tying in sustainability and big visions.

My feeling is that overall women professionally across legal, engineering, architecture sectors, urban planning must go further..talk big vision with evidence based experiences/projects, bring teams along the journey, etc. Leadership requires that next big jump/climb.


Of course knowing how to play golf, cycle, talk about hockey, helps.. :)

Tulip: As for being "too late"...depends what happens along the way and how involved one becomes in certain work and volunteer activities.

Thx for the names so far, but keep in mind that cycling advocacy must have the person(s) tied in directly into the worlds of engineering, large scale project management, urban development projects and govn't policy decision making side or on the health care side on a wide influential scale.

For all we know there are enough women working their arse off that it's serious challenge to boost one's own profile on other people's radar state-wide, nationally or internationally.

Polly Trottenberg, assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Transportation, and a former executive director of Building America's Future--a "non-profit organization dedicated to bringing about a new era of U.S. investment in infrastructure that enhances our nation’s prosperity and quality of life."

I have not heard her speak personally. I just saw her name on upcoming panel discussion that the Commonwealth Club of California is hosting on U.S. transportation infrastructure.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by indysteel

Polly Trottenberg, assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Transportation, and a former executive director of Building America's Future--a "non-profit organization dedicated to bringing about a new era of U.S. investment in infrastructure that enhances our nation’s prosperity and quality of life."

I have not heard her speak personally. I just saw her name on upcoming panel discussion that the Commonwealth Club of California is hosting on U.S. transportation infrastructure.

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I have heard that she is a good speaker. I believe we tried to get her as a keynote speaker on a conference we hosted a few years back.

Nicole Freedman is the head of Boston's Bike Initiative. She has a degree in urban planning, in addition to being a former racer. She spoke at my club's rally 2 years ago and she was really good; down to earth and knowledgeable at the same time.

Here is a link to some stuff about her:

http://www.activeliving.org/node/763

Great suggestions so far, which I've forwarded.

I didn't know about some of these people. I think I'll have to go somewhere to drum up Canadian names for women of same presence, and European, etc.

Smilingcat: Dearie heard a great female speaker from Mexico at Copenhagen I believe on cycling, etc.