Kiana Otsuka is the Vehicle Miles Traveled and Active Transportation Specialist at the Hawaii State Energy Office. In her current role is focused on reducing vehicle miles traveled throughout all of Hawaii through expanding transportation choices and reducing transportation costs. Kiana is passionate about working towards land-use and transportation changes, so that all or many of people's daily needs can be done by walking, rolling, riding a bike, or taking transit. She is currently working on an Oahu Mobility Hub Study, an Oahu Multi-modal Assessment, and preparing to pilot a Shift Worker Transportation Demand Management program. Kiana hopes that through her work, she will provide safer, more convenient, and enjoyable transportation choices to help Hawaii residents save money, time, and achieve better health outcomes, and help Hawai‘i meet its climate and clean energy goals in a resilient and equitable manner. Kiana holds a MSc in Regional and Urban Planning Studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science, a BA in Political Science from Loyola Marymount University and is a proud graduate of Mid-Pacific Institute.
Episode 7: January 5, 2023
How Safe is the E-Scooter in the Window? Can technology today can make electric kick scooters safer for riders, walkers even drivers?With Bryan Ovalle, CEO, Hello Llama AI. You Tube: https://youtu.be/leJ0nG3GolQ Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/786457520
BRYAN OVALLE - BIO
Bryan Ovalle is the CEO of Hello Llama AI. He solidified his love of technology studying at Carnegie Mellon University and has spent his career leading from the frontlines of business for leading companies, combining his passions for tech and business to serve and advance P.I.E. (People, Impact, and Empowerment).
Episode 6: December 8, 2022
Biki at a Crossroads; What's in Honolulu Bikeshare's Future? With Todd Boulanger, executive director, Bikeshare Hawaii.
* For a longer bio and Julia's complete presentation to the MicroMobility American conference, check the blog page.
JULIA Thayne - bio
An expert in accelerating equitable climate action in cities, Julia Thayne helps governments, private companies, and not-for-profit organizations translate ambitious visions into tech, policy, and programs that benefit the communities they impact. Before joining the global climate action non-profit Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) as Principal of Urban Transformation, she served as Executive Officer of Economic Development at the Los Angeles Mayor's Office, where she oversaw $150 million of financial assistance to businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, drove sustainability policy at the Port of Los Angeles, and led mobility innovation programs across L.A.'s transportation departments. Julia previously worked as Director of Urban Development at the infrastructure and technology company Siemens, consulting on sustainability initiatives for 35 cities across Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America. She is also Founder and Board Member of the community-based, transportation technology non-profit Urban Movement Labs, and an educator at USC’s Sol Price School of Public Policy. Her work has been featured in publications including the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Guardian, L.A. Times, Fast Company, TechCrunch, Bloomberg, CityLab, Vox, Governing Magazine, Quartz, and Curbed.
Episode 3: October 13, 2022
Electric bicycle rebates and the state of the State’s personal transportation support with Sen. Chris Lee, chair of the Senate Committee on Transportation.
Travis Counsell is Hawaii Bicycling League's Executive Director. Originally from Vermont, Travis most recently served as the Executive Director for the New England Mountain Bike Association. Previously, Travis was the owner and manager of Bikeadelic Hawaii, a bicycle rental and tour business in Waikiki. He also previously worked for HBL as the Events Director as well as Membership Coordinator. He received an MBA from the Shidler School of Business at UH Manoa. In college he rode his bicycle from Baltimore to San Francisco as a cancer research fundraiser. His favorite bike is his mountain bike, but you’ll also find him commuting to work, riding to Pali Lookout, or grabbing groceries on his various other bikes.
Episode 1: September 15, 2022
You Do Not Need 4 Wheels to Go Electric; Our Growing Personal Mobility Options with Chavonnie Ramos, Hawaii Business Magazine.