Women's Forum 2014

Sunday, March 2

4 - 7 pm
Media Training For Bicycle Advocates
Whether you're showing off a new bike lane, drumming up support for federal bike funding, or calling attention to a safety hazard on your corner, you've got a story to tell about biking. Reporters want to help you tell that story -- but you need to know how to work with them. Or, you can tell that story yourself! Join us for the first-ever National Bike Summit media training -- hosted by the League of American Bicyclists, Streetsblog and Streetfilms -- on Sunday, March 2, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Renaissance DC (999 9th St NW). Read more and register.

7 - 9 p.m.
Streetsblog party! We love meeting our readers and bringing together our online community in real life. We’ll be hanging out post-media training at RFD (Regional Food & Drink) in the back bar. We’ll provide some yummy appetizers, and RFD’s full menu of entrees is available if you’ve worked up a serious appetite. RSVP here. RFD back bar, 810 7th St. NW (two blocks from the Summit hotel). $10 at the door gets you a free drink.

Monday, March 3

8:00am - 4:00pm  
Women’s Forum

8:00am - 5 p.m.
Women Bike Pop-up Shop: 25 female entrepreneurs showcase their bike-related products

8 - 9:30am
Opening Plenary

Six inspiring women leaders from different sectors and backgrounds share their stories in a dynamic TED-talk format, moderated by Giant Bicycles' GM Elysa Walk. Speakers to include:

• Shannon Galpin, founder of Mountain 2 Mountain and Combat Apathy
• Nicole Freedman, Director of Boston Bikes
• Kristin Gavin, founder of Gearing Up
  
• Jill Nickels, Senior Strategist at Gensler
• Dorothy Nichols, National Sales Manager of shebeest
• Beth Gordon, VP of Business Development at Formula 4 Media
  

9:30 - 10am
Networking

Opportunity for structured networking activity or time for Pop-up Shop

10:15 - 11:45am
Break-out sessions

Winning in Women Bike Advocacy: Learn from successful outreach campaigns, including the Washington Area Bicyclist Association’s Women & Bicycles initiative; Women Bike PHL’s Girls Scouts on Wheels program; WE Bike NYC’s “Mujeres en Movimiento” campaign; and Consider Biking’s “Girls in Gear.” Moderated by Caroline Samponaro, Senior Director of Campaigns and Organizing at Transportation Alternatives, speakers will include:

• Nelle Pierson, Outreach Coordinator for the Washington Area Bicyclist Association;
  
• Katie Monroe, founder of Women Bike PHL at the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia;
  
• Liz Jose, founder of WE Bike NYC; and
  
• Jessica Mathews, Outreach Coordinator for Consider Biking
  

The Power of Storytelling to Engage more Women in Bicycling: Successful storytelling is critical to engage more women in riding bicycles. In this session discover through compelling, real-life examples how the power of ritten and visual narrative can help you promote cycling. Come away with practical tools you can use every day to communicate more effectively with your audiences. Moderated by by Sarai Snyder, founder of Girlbikelove.com and co-founder of Cyclofemme, speakers will include:

• Leah Flickinger, Executive Editor of Bicycling magazine
• Hillary Benjamin, Head of North America Sales and Marketing for Rapha
• Kim Price, senior leader in the Global Marketing Department at Specialized Bicycles
• Tanya Quick, principal, NYC design firm Language Dept
  

Coloring Outside the Lines: Join this dynamic Pecha Kucha session, to learn innovative education strategies and classes that are reaching out to women in new ways that inform, challenge and inspire — from the streets to the trails. Moderated by Jennifer Laurita, a leading League Cycling Instructor and Coach, speakers will include:

• Dr. Talia McCray, Assistant Professor of Community & Regional Planning at the University of Texas- Austin, author of "Cycling in the African American Community: Safety Training Guidelines"
• Kim Cross, founder of Magic City Cycle Chix in Birmingham, Alabama
• Elisabeth Reinkordt, co-founder of Sheclismo in Lincoln, Nebraska
• Fionnuala Quinn, planner with Alta Planning + Design and founder of Junior Engineers in Training program
• Kimberly Kinchen, co-founder of NYC Biketrain

12 - 1:30 pm
Lunch keynote and plenary

• Keynote: Terry O’Neill, president of the National Organization of Women
• Plenary discussion: O’Neill and equity leaders discuss how to build coalitions that unite and advance the interests of diverse stakeholders, moderated by League Equity Initiative Manager, Adonia Lugo. Additional insight from Lexer Quamie, senior counsel at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and Dorothy Le, Senior Transportation Planner at Rutgers University and steering committee member for the Biking Public Project in NYC

1:45 - 3pm
Breakout sessions

Cultivating the All Powerful Bike Lobby: In this rapid-fire Pecha Kucha session, hear how groups are using fun, affinity and social connection to mobilize new riders and build a diverse constituency. Moderated Leah Shahum, executive director of the San Francisc Bicycle Coalition, speakers will include:

• Dena Driscoll, founder of Kidical Mass Philadelphia and BikeMamaDelphia.com
• Nona Varnado, founder of the Bicycle Culture Institute
• Lilian Karabaic, board member of Cycle Wild and author of upcoming book on the Bike Fun movement
  
• Lesly Jones, Black Women Bike DC
• Gillian Burgess, founder of Kidical Mass Arlington
  

Gearing Up, Climbing to the Top: Hear the experiences and insight of top female leaders to learn critical skills and lessons learned that can spur YOUR success and leadership in the bicycle movement. Moderated by Lori Richman, Director of Organization Development at Quality Bicycle Products, speakers will include:

• Shellie Pfohl, executive director of the President's Council on Physical Fitness, Sport and Nutrition
• Elayna Caldwell, Mountain Bike Brand Director at SRAM
• Barb Chamberlain, Executive Director of Washington Bikes and former state legislator
• Renee Rivera, Exective Director of East Bay Bikes

Streetfilms U: Want the behind-the-scenes secrets to making good transportation films? This session will give you all the fun tips and best advice on how to make successful bicycle advocacy films whether you're a beginner, curious or a pro. Learn how to choose the right story. Capture great imagery. Bag the best interviews. Edit with precision and smartly distribute to give your film the best shot at going viral on the internets. Presented by Clarence Eckerson.

3:15 - 4 p.m.
Closing keynote

Women and Cycling: What Are We Really Selling?
Hint: It's not bicycles or bicycling. Innovative messaging and new partnerships are key to attracting new audiences to bicycling. Join a thought-provoking conversation between fashion designer, advocate and city cycling style icon Lela Rose, and Kristy Scrymgeour, owner of leading women's pro-cycling team Specialized-lululemon and founder of Velocio women's cycling apparel. Moderated by Susi Wunsch, founder of velojoy.com and a member of the Women Bike advisory board.

Gillian Burgess has been happily biking around town since she was first commuting through downtown DC in her 20s, but she discovered the true joy of cycling when she first put her daughter, Sydney, on a handlebar seat.  Whizzing through the neighborhood, Sydney's smile said it all: biking with kids is awesome. Gillian still commutes by bike from her home in Arlington, VA to her job at the Capitol, and her passion is making biking a normal and safe transportation choice for families. When she was 8 months pregnant with her second, she led her first group ride with Sydney in the handlebar seat, and she was hooked. Gillian founded Kidical Mass Arlington to give the families of Northern Virginia a chance to see how awesome family biking can be, and in less than a year, the group has grown to rides of 50+ people and family bikes of all types. One key to success has been the support of the local cycling community -- even those without kids -- and Gillian believes strongly that the cycling community needs the family bikes as much as the family bikes need the cycling community. Twitter: KidicalMassARL

Elayna Caldwell, who has more than 15 years of experience in the action sports industry, is SRAM's director of brand marketing for mountain bikes. Prior to joining SRAM in late 2012, she was marketing director at Interbike and, before that, marketing manager at Fox Racing Shox. An avid mountain biker – and formerly an avid racer – she is well versed in the cross-country and downhill disciplines. She is the Vice Chair of the Board of the International Mountain Bicycling Association and served on the NorCal High School Mountain Bike League board from 2007 to 2011.

Barb Chamberlain joined Washington Bikes (formerly the Bicycle Alliance of Washington) in 2012 as executive director after founding Bike to Work Spokane, creating WomenBikeBlogs.com, and serving on numerous nonprofit boards. She served in the Idaho state legislature, where she was the youngest woman to be elected to the House and Senate, then worked in communications and government relations at Washington State University Spokane. A Senior Fellow of the Society for New Communications Research, Barb is recognized as a leader in the use of social media; she holds bachelor’s degrees in English and linguistics from WSU and a master’s in public administration from Eastern Washington University. Twitter: @barbchamberlain

Kim Cross is the founder of Magic City Cycle Chix (MC3), an Alabama-based women's cycling group committed to building courage, confidence, and community, two wheels at a time. Now in its fourth year, MC3 has attracted more than 700 members and inspired or mentored three other women's cycling groups. A lifelong bike-lover, Kim rode to school in junior high, gave up autos in the Netherlands in college, and towed her son to daycare as a young working mom. Now an IMBA Level 2 mountain bike instructor, she coaches women's, co-ed, and kids clinics and is a head ride leader for Trips for Kids, a nonprofit that takes at-risk kids on trail rides as a reward for good behavior. A Rapha women's ambassador and a member of Steel City SHE, Kim competes in cyclocross, triathlon, and mountain bike races. A writer by trade, she quit her corporate job to write a book and freelance for Bicycling, Bike, Paved, Girl Bike Love, and Southern Living. When she's not writing or training, she's racing her 6-year-old son around the BMX track. Twitter: @RideMC3, @Kimhcross

Dena Driscoll is a veteran bicycle commuter in Philadelphia, PA. However her interest in bicycle advocacy was not born until 2011 when she began transporting her then infant son by bicycle and realized she needed to speak up for his safety on our streets. In 2012, she founded the group Kidical Mass Philadelphia that promotes safe streets for families through group rides, shop events and advocacy work with local bicycling organizations. Dena also pens a family biking blog bikeMAMAdelphia.com. Twitter: @bikemamadelphia

Clarence Eckerson Jr. has been documenting advocacy transportation in NYC (and beyond) since the late 1990s.  As Director at Streetfilms he has overseen the production of over 600 films since 2005, which are free to the public to play and use in their advocacy or education of the general public.   He shoots 99% of all footage by bike, foot or mass transit and has never owned a driver's license. Twitter: @streetfilms

Leah Flickinger is an executive editor at Bicycling magazine, where she does a little bit of everything including service pieces, features, and women's cycling stories. She also runs the brand's Instagram account. Prior to joining Bicycling, Leah held senior editorial positions at Women's Health magazine and Rodale Books.

Nicole Freedman currently works as Director of Bicycle Programs for the City of Boston. The program is part of Boston's vision for healthy, sustainable communities and neighborhoods. During her tenure, she has helped Mayor Menino transform Boston from the worst cycling city in the country to a recognized leader in cycling. Nicole attended MIT before graduating with a degree in Urban Planning from Stanford University. Prior to working for Boston, Nicole competed professionally in bike racing from 1994-2005 winning two national championships and competing for the United States in the 2000 Olympics in Sidney.

National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, and newest Liv/giant ambassador, Shannon Galpin, founded the Colorado based non-profit, Mountain2Mountain to fight for women’s rights.  Shannon started in Afghanistan creating projects that focused on empowering women and girls through education, art, and sport.  In 2009 she became the first person to mountain bike in Afghanistan and now works to support the first Afghan Women’s National Cycling team as she works to start two new teams this spring and expand the power of a two wheeled revolution globally through her program, Strength in Numbers.  Shannon’s memoir, Mountain to Mountain:  A Journey of Adventure and Activism for the Women of Afghanistan releases this September, and she is the producer for the upcoming documentary film, Afghan Cycles, about the Afghan National Women’s Cycling Team. www.shannongalpin.com Twitter: @mtn2mtn

While working on a Master's degree in Exercise and Sport Psychology at Temple University from 2007-2009, Kristin Gavin started a fitness program for residents at a drug and alcohol recovery facility for women in the Mt. Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia. After graduating, and with the support of Fuji Bikes, Kristin founded Gearing Up, a nonprofit organization providing women in transition from abuse, addiction and incarceration with the opportunity to ride a bicycle for exercise, transportation and personal growth. Five years later, Gearing Up’s small but mighty staff operates bicycling programs at four women's centers throughout Philadelphia, as well an indoor cycling program at the Philadelphia County Women's Prison. Kristin’s connection to the bicycle runs deep; prior to founding Gearing Up, Kristin spent 4 years guiding bicycle tours throughout the Pacific Northwest and Southwest Utah, completed self-supported bicycle trips through Cuba and Vietnam, interned as a research fellow for the Safe Routes to School National Partnership and worked with the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia on their Bicycle Ambassadors program.  Kristin is currently a Fellow at Villanova University where is pursuing a Master’s in Business Administration.

Beth Gordon has spent almost 30 years in the  trade show “world” specifically in the Outdoor, Footwear and Run categories. Starting in the sporting goods world in the mid 80s as an Account Executive with the National Sporting Goods Association and working with the major run/apparel and inline skate brands, she also spent nine years running the sales team of Outdoor Retailer, which included being a floor manager of Interbike. Recently, Gordon has spent the past six years as VP trade Shows for Formula 4 Media, launching and growing The Running Event and The Running and Fitness Event for Women. In 2013, the event was awarded one of the Top 50 fastest growing trade shows in North America.

Lesly Jones is a Marketing Specialist for a major telecom company, but more importantly she is a mother and grandmother. Lesly is a league certified cycling instructor and an advocate for cycling in my community. She is part of the leadership team for Black Women Bike DC, WABA's Women & Bicycles, and several local bike groups. She has never not owned a bike and she is happiest when out riding one of the three bikes that she currently owns. Twitter: @BWBDC

Liz Jose is the founder and director of WE Bike NYC, Women's Empowerment through bicycles. WE work to get more women on bicycles through rides, mechanics workshops, earn-a-bike programs and targeted community based programs.  In addition, Liz works as a professional bicycle mechanic in New York City and earned her master's degree in Sociology of Education at New York University. Twitter: @webikenyc

Lillian Karabaic spends mornings valeting bikes at North America's  largest bicycle parking area. You can also find her dressed as a superhero serving coffee to commuters, producing the BikePortland.org podcast, sitting on transportation committees, leading the Bowie Vs Prince bicycle dance party, and writing a book about Bike Fun movements in America (due April 2014.) She’s previously worked for Oregon Walks and the Bicycle Transportation Alliance. She also serves on the board of Cycle Wild, an organization that reconnects people with nature via the bicycle by leading free bike camping trips. Twitter: @anomalily

Kimberly Kinchen grew up in sunny, auto-centric San Diego, CA without ever getting a driver's license and has gotten by just fine without one all these years. In spring 2011, after a decade in New York City, she vanquished her terror of the city's streets to re-embrace the freedom and utility of bicycling for fun and transportation, starting with a regular 20-mile roundtrip bike commute from northern Manhattan to midtown. That fall, inspired by Portland, OR's biketrains for kids, she teamed up with designer and fellow cyclist Kim Burgas to launch NYC Biketrain, which invites new commuters to to gain skills, confidence, and local knowledge by joining weekly social rides to work led by experienced volunteers. Today, with zero budget and a lot of sweat equity, NYC Biketrain has grown to include 6 routes in 3 boroughs. In late 2013, Citibike, New York's bikeshare system, partnered with NYCBiketrain to host monthly rides as a benefit for its members. Kimberly envisions an America where people can commute and recreate on their bikes in everyday clothes, dressed up or down, and where quality bicycle infrastructure is an essential part of the streetscape. When she's not promoting NYCBiketrain or riding her bike, she's at her day job, translating the often-incomprehensible language of academic business and economics research into plain English. Twitter: @NYCBiketrain

Jennifer Laurita is one of the nation's top League Cycling Instructor training coaches and mentor.  She was a founding member of the New Jersey Bike Walk Coalition and board member of the Rockland Bicycling Club. Jennifer is a certified science teacher and author of the book, "The Anatomy of Cycling". Jennifer has worked with cycling organizations, planners, school districts and police departments all over the country to help develop and train instructors to be not only effective educators and speakers, but powerful cycling advocates. Jennifer believes that anyone who rides any kind of bicycle is a cyclist, and that everyone can enjoy the magic and freedom of riding bikes safely and legally in all kinds of environments. Jennifer is a blogger and avid photographer, writer, first-time triathlete and year round road cyclist.

Dorothy Le is currently a Senior Transportation Planner at Rutgers University, where she is working to create a more bicycle and pedestrian friendly campus. She holds her M.C.R.P. from the Bloustein School, was the Planning and Policy Director for Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, and is involved in a number of bike-ped advocacy organizations, including the Biking Public Project, which aims to expand local cycling advocacy discussions by reaching out to underrepresented bicyclists around New York City including women, people of color, and delivery cyclists. Twitter: @gohomedorothy

Jessica Mathews is the Outreach Program Coordinator for Consider Biking.  Jess' focus has recently turned specifically towards empowering and educating women and girls about the benefits of the bicycle. She strongly believes that bike-friendly cities will be determined by how many women and children are riding. As such, Jess created a girls-specific youth empowerment program: ‘Girls in Gear’ which empowers adolescent girls to develop unique skills that help build their independence and self-esteem so that they begin a pattern of confident, healthy decision making throughout their lives.  Jess also lead the efforts of organizing the first statewide 'Ohio Women's Bicycling Summit' last year. Twitter: @consider_biking

Katie Monroe is the Founder of the Women Bike PHL Program at the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, where she works to make riding a bicycle more feasible for Philadelphia women of all ages and backgrounds. She is also on staff at Gearing Up, a Philadelphia nonprofit that gives women in transition from incarceration, addiction and/or abuse the opportunity to ride a bicycle for exercise, transportation, and personal growth. She can be found riding around Philly on her grandmother's hand-me-down bicycle, a green Trek named Helena. Twitter: @cmon_roe

With more than 15 years of experience in strategy and brand building for brands such as K2, Mountain Hardwear, Marmot and Gensler,  Jill Nickels brings her deep knowledge of the active lifestyle consumer and  marketing communications. As a senior strategist with Gensler, a design and architecture firm, she works with brands from all industries and can speak to best practices and current trends. “In today’s ever changing business climate it is essential to build an emotional connection through user engagement.  It begins with building a brand and defining a personality.

Dorothy Nichols has spent virtually her entire life developing relationships, organizing the world around her and planning for future events.  She has been in the bicycle industry since 1990 and strives to bring women to the forefront of the cycling world through her tireless efforts with executive women, IBD’s, advocacy, grassroots endeavors and through her job. Dorothy is currently the National Sales Manager for shebeest, a woman’s cycling apparel company. Re-launching a brand into the current marketplace is challenging, yet rewarding. She lives with her husband, Brad, in Denver. Twitter: @shebeest

Terry O'Neill, a feminist attorney, professor and activist for social justice, was elected president of the National Organization of Women in June 2009. She is also president of the NOW Foundation and chair of the NOW Political Action Committees, and serves as the principal spokesperson for all three entities. O'Neill oversees NOW's multi-issue agenda, which includes: advancing reproductive freedom, promoting diversity and ending racism, stopping violence against women, winning lesbian rights, ensuring economic justice, ending sex discrimination and achieving constitutional equality for women. Twitter: @NationalNOW

Shellie Pfohl was appointed by President Barack Obama in February 2010 to serve as Executive Director of the President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition. She manages the activities and operations of the Council and leads the Council's efforts related to First Lady Michelle Obama's national Let's Move! initiative to solve childhood obesity within a generation. Shellie earned her BA in Community Health Education from the University of Northern Iowa and a MS in Exercise Physiology/Fitness Leadership from Northern Illinois University. She also has a certification in Non-Profit Management from Duke University and is a graduate of Leadership North Carolina Class XIII. Twitter: @FitnessGov

As outreach coordinator for the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, Nelle Pierson works to diversify and normalize biking in the DC region. She created and leads the organization's Women & Bicycles program, works side by side with the DC Bike Ambassadors, oversees the East of the River program, and coordinates the Suburban Outreach program. During college Nelle became a utilitarian bicyclist out of necessity and continues to live a bike-centic lifestyle in DC, out of necessity. Some of her favorite things include: her yoga mat, cello, chacos, french press, reflective vest, hot glue gun, and cycletracks. Twitter: @WABADC

Lexer Quamie is a Senior Counsel at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, where she helps facilitate the development of a federal policy agenda for a broad coalition of civil and human rights groups and analyzes current federal civil rights issues and legislation in several areas, including transportation equity, equal opportunity, workers’ rights, and criminal justice. Prior to joining The Leadership Conference, Ms. Quamie was a policy analyst with the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) where she provided policy guidance on job quality and workforce development issues. A graduate of Harvard College and the University of Pennsylvania Law School, she also practiced employment litigation with the international law firm of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP. Twitter: @liquamie, @civilrightsorg

Tanya Quick is Founding Principal of NYC-based Language Dept., a multi-disciplinary design and branding firm driven by stories and how they are delivered. The firm works as passionate collaborators with global brands, entrepreneurial thinkers and visionary organizations seeking to invent or evolve their brand language and leave a lasting, meaningful impression on their customers and communities. Additionally, she is Co-Founder of CycloFemme, which seeks to engage more women in cycling through an annual, global event on Mother’s Day. She commutes daily by bike, and explores longer routes on weekends, finding the bike to be the best way to see the city she calls home. Twitter: @aquicky Instagram: @tanyaquick

Fionnuala Quinn is a civil engineer, a bicycling advocate and a STEM educator. In her professional work as an engineer for Alta Planning + Design, Fionnuala focuses on the innovative design of safer and more comfortable places to bike, whether by reconfiguring existing streets or through the creation of new trails. Alta is a national design firm creating active healthy communities to live, work and play throughout the U.S.  Fionnuala is also vice-chair of Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling (FABB), a volunteer organization based in Northern Virginia. Her work with FABB focuses on how to transform the suburbs to a more livable place where residents have a safe and comfortable alternative to driving. Fionnuala also established the Junior Engineer-in-Training  (JEiTs) program at a local Virginia elementary school. She holds weekly classes which feature hands-on fun design challenges as she encourages fifth and sixth grade girls to participate in engineering opportunities and consider how they can participate in improving the built world. Twitter: @FinnQuinn

Elisabeth Reinkordt got dared into her first cyclocross race by one of the 4 women racing locally in 2009 -- and all she had was a fixed gear with slicks. She survived, and was so hooked that she and the woman who dared her co-founded the all-women's cycling collective Sheclismo in the fall of 2010. With a motto of "Women Taking The Wheels," Sheclismo grew to over 100 women in the greater southeast Nebraska region, and the group encompasses commuters, bike tourists, multi-sport athletes, and racers from beginner to elite levels. In 2013, Elisabeth partnered with another local racer to develop a grassroots cyclocross series featuring 3 weeknight and one weekend race -- and loads of free "CX School" clinics from September through November. Taking place at city parks across town, each and every clinic was beginner friendly, with the agenda set by whoever showed up -- including women bringing their children! Through a focus on making off-road handling fun and building camaraderie, the race fields grew exponentially, with nothing short of 20 new women trying out their first race throughout the season. Twitter: @Sheclismo

With 30+ years of leadership and organization development experience, Lori Richman serves as the Director of Organization Development for Quality Bicycle Products, helping QBP grow as an extraordinary business through vision, purpose and core values, clarity of expectations and direction, and effective internal communication. With QBP for over 13 years, Lori is a passionate life-learner and uses her own mistakes and human frailties as a springboard for personal and company growth. Lori has an MA in Org. Leadership, is a committed bike-commuter, and learns how to be a better person from her dogs and her son. Twitter: @QualityBike

Renee Rivera joined the East Bay Bicycle Coalition (EBBC) in 2011 as executive director, after many years as a volunteer, board member, and most recently acting executive director at the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. Renee has a background in non-profit financial management and administration, and worked for many years at the Exploratorium in San Francisco. Her position as executive director at the EBBC allows her to bring her management, financial, and administrative experience to bear on her passion for bicycling and bicycle advocacy. Renee was honored in 2013 by the Alliance for Biking & Walking with the Susie Stephens Joyful Enthusiasm award. Twitter: @EBBC

Lela Rose’s aesthetic of adding whimsy to elegance through brilliant color and hand crafted details has brought a fresh point of view to modern American fashion. Lela was raised in Texas and went to school in Colorado where nature, its surrounding landscapes, and the sublime colors it offers have long been an inspiration. After graduating from Parson’s School of Design in 1993, she went to work with two esteemed designers, Richard Tyler and Christian Francis Roth. There she honed her love of couture fabric as well as fanatic attention to detail. In 1998, Lela’s vision and passion compelled her to create her signature collection, Lela Rose. Through intricately designed and finely detailed separates, dresses and jackets, Lela has established herself as a renowned designer — and is a daily bicyclist and advocate for cycling in New York City. Twitter: @Lela_Rose

Kristy Scrymgeour is co-founder of Velocio apparel, co-founder of Ally's Bar and Chief Executive Officer for Velocio Sports. A former professional cyclist and Australian National Champion, she followed her cycling career by heading the US division of cyclingnews.com in marketing, sales and editorial. She then became the director of marketing and communications for HighRoadSports, running both the men’s and women’s cycling teams. When High Road Sports ceased to exist in 2011, Kristy procured sponsorship for and built the Specialized-Lululemon women’s cycling team. Currently, she owns and manages the top women’s team, which includes multiple Olympians and is sponsored by Specialized and Lululemon. She is also working on the launch of Velocio and Ally's Bar. She has lived and worked in Australia, the US, Germany, Italy and France. Twitter: @kscrymo @velocioapparel (clothing brand) and @velociosports (team)

Sarai Snyder has been a women's cycling advocate for many years. The bike changed her life, gave her focus, drive, ambition, and the vision to create change —  an ambition she aims to share with other women. She's the founder of Girlbikelove.com, co-founder of Cyclofemme, and on the Advisory Board for Women Bike. Twitter: @girlbikelove

Nona Varnado, an eponymous  women’s lifestyle cycling apparel line was the catalyst for the design entrepreneur to take a more aggressive position in getting women on bikes. After years of hearing stories of why women, mothers and professionals wouldn’t consider cycling for transportation; it occurred that questions, experiences and solutions needed to be shared on a 1:1 level to have an impact worthy of creating new habits. Having worked with various NYC culture, media, retail and advocacy groups organizing The Ladies Program, she moved to Los Angeles in 2012 to start the gallery Red#5 Yellow#7; L.A. Bike Trains and the Bicycle Culture Institute (BCI). She is currently organizing the Los Angeles Bicycle Commuter Festival & Summit with presenting sponsor AIDS/Lifecycle. Twitter: @nonavarnado

Elysa Walk took full responsibility for Giant USA as General Manager in 2007. Since that time, she has grown the company by forty percent, and has launched many ground-breaking initiatives, such as a women’s specific bicycle brand called Liv, and the “Link” annual Giant dealer convention. She is known for making Giant a great place to work and fostering a coveted employee culture. Elysa serves on the boards of People for Bikes and the Bicycle Product Suppliers Association, which includes now serving on the Executive Board of Bikes Belong as Treasurer. She is also on the Advisory Board for the newly launched Women Bike program.While a graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from the University of Southern California and an MBA from Pepperdine University, Elysa is first and foremost a cyclist of all kinds.She can often be found riding roads, cross-country mountain trails, gravity parks, or just her local commute. She completed the Tour de Taiwan, a 600-mile ride around the island of Taiwan with the Giant executive team in 2011, and regularly participates in Giant-sponsored triathlons or charity rides. Elysa has a bicycle family, and is regularly riding with her husband and two teenage children. Twitter: @Elysawalk @Livgiant

Susi Wunsch is founder of the New York City-based website velojoy.com, a growing online source of news, events, how to's and stylish gear for city cyclists. The site is dedicated to attracting more people to riding bicycles by demystifying and celebrating the joys of two-wheeled transportation. Wunsch, who has a background in marketing and freelance writing, serves on the board of directors of the New York City advocacy organization Transportation Alternatives, supports local pro-biking causes, and writes about bicycling for a variety of publications. Wunsch uses her own bicycle, as well as Citi Bike share, for year-around transportation and is a weekend road cycling enthusiast. Twitter: velojoy

Returning vendors:

• Cheryl Allen-Munley of Bandbox Helmets
• Elly Blue of Taking the Lane Media
• Karen Canady of Bikie Girl Bloomers
• Recycle-A-Bicycle's Cycle Craft jewelry
• Sarah Canner of Vespertine
• Susan Mocarski of Cleverhood
• Ashley Fullenwider of Nuu-Muu
• Debra Zusin of GiveLoveCycle
• Tia Meilinger of Vaya Bags
  

New vendors:

• Maria Boustead of Po Campo
• Lisa Brady of ElleBrady Design
• Robin Bylenga of Pedal Chic
• Abbie Durkee of My Alibi
• Karen Fienberg of Keep Making Circles
• Megan Hottman, the Cyclist-Lawyer
• Paula MacMann of Chainspirations
• Emily Monroe of Montrose Stitchery
• Delaney Pearson of Velo California
• Sara Petyk of Bike the Gap
• Marcia Price of Vector Strategy
• April Reinhard of Natril Gear
• Stephanie Routh of Hopscotch Town
• Amber Wason of RIIDE
• Stacy Wood of JetLegz

Nationwide, bicycling is making a move into the mainstream, from the painting of bike lanes on iconic avenues to the placement of bicycles in all forms of advertising. Look closer, though, and there’s another transformation afoot: Whether longtime cyclists or simply curious, more and more women are getting on bikes.

The National Women’s Bicycling Forum is the hub of this growing movement, the opportunity to come together, build community and accelerate this exciting progress to make bicycling accessible and inviting to ALL.

This annual Forum is the only event of its kind, where women leaders will step into the spotlight and campaigns targeted at increasing ridership will be come center stage. While just one day, the Forum is a surge of inspiration and information that will ripple across the country — and we need you to be there to share your energy and insight.

Here are 10 reasons you can’t miss this event:

1. Be inspired: Recharge your passion for bicycling by hearing from world-renown leaders who are changing the world and transforming women’s lives through bicycling. In our opening plenary, we’ll hear from Shannon Galpin, a global visionary who is empowering women in conflict zones and working with the Afghan Women’s Cycling Team.
2. Make connections: Many women are breaking down gender barriers in their cities and towns, initiating new campaigns and ideas that are mobilizing female riders. Be emboldened and supported by others who are doing this same work, creating a sense of community nationwide.
3. Steal great ideas: In 2013, Women Bike granted $25,000 to diverse and promising women’s advocacy and outreach. Don’t just hear about these campaign, but take home ideas and toolkits to implement their success in your community.
4. Hone your leadership: From advocacy to industry, bicycling is still a male-dominated field. Learn how you can excel and success with tips and lessons learned from female leaders, like Shellie Pfohl, executive director of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition.
5. Become a master storyteller: Getting more women on bikes starts with selling the joy and benefits of riding. Delve into best practices in marketing and storytelling with top experts like Leah Flickinger, executive editor of Bicycling magazine and Hillary Benjamin, director of Marketing for Rapha.
6. Get schooled: Throw out the book on boring bicycle education and hear from women who are pioneering new ways to empower women and girls from diverse backgrounds to ride confidently on the streets, trails and race course.
7. Harness the power of… fun!: What’s the number one reason women ride? Fun! Learn from new groups and concepts that put the fun before the wonk and are growing the ranks of women bicyclists, including Bike Parties, Cycle Wild, Red Bike & Green and others.
8. Discover your inner filmmaker: Join Clarence Eckerson, creator of Streetfilms, for a dynamic session that will teach you how to make killer videos… with just your iPhone.
9. Shop’ til you drop!: Browse and buy the wares of 25 female entrepreneurs who are making bicycling more fun, functional and fashionable for women riders.
10. Be part of something BIG: Women Bike is a movement with a bold agenda: To change the face of bicycling by engaging more women as riders, advocates and leaders. The Forum is the opportunity to plug into this exciting, first-of-its-kind national campaign — and be part of a generation of leaders who revolutionize bicycling in the United States.

Don’t miss this transformative event: Register today! Early-bird rates end January 22!