Forum Keynote: Rue Mapp, Outdoor Afro

In just four years, the National Forum on Women & Bicycling has grown from a two-hour panel to a full day event. It’s evolved from an important side conversation to an integral part of the National Bike Summit, with more than 400 participants in 2014. And this year, we’re digging deeper into a critical topic: leadership development.

We’ll be exploring questions like: How can we build a bike movement that values powersharing, building community, respecting diversity of personal experience, and challenging traditional notions of leadership? How can bike advocates who don’t identify as women assist women in co-creating a bike movement that truly believes in bikes for all?

And we couldn’t be more honored to welcome a true trailblazer in advancing those very questions in the environmental movement as our closing Forum keynote speaker: Rue Mapp, CEO and Founder of Outdoor Afro.

Read more about Mapp below — and register for the Forum today!

Rue Mapp, CEO and Founder of Outdoor Afro, has been on the leading edge of relevant messaging and community engagement for 20 years. Her innovative leadership and network weaving inspires communities into action and is recognized by the Obama Administration, the Outdoor Retail industry, the National Wildlife Federation, and Backpacker Magazine. Rue is listed in the 2012 Root 100 List of Most Influential African Americans, a NewsOne 2013 Game Changer, and advisor for the Children and Nature Network, among many other distinctions.

As a well-known Outdoor Afro Strategist, Rue has published hundreds of blogs, and is widely quoted in many publications, including Grist, Outside Magazine, High Country News, Audubon, Jet and Ebony Magazines. She speaks eloquently and is in demand for topics such as diverse outdoor engagement, new market opportunities, social media, and inspiring action through effective communication and authentic community relations.

Since creating Outdoor Afro in 2009, with the support of leading outdoor retailers, national non-profits, and park agencies around the country, Rue has launched a national team of outdoor leaders. The leaders design local outdoor experiences that speak to the values and history for thousands of men and women of all ages.

Rue holds a BA from UC Berkeley, is a proud mother of three active children, and resides in Oakland, CA where she enjoys a wide variety of outdoor recreation, the visual arts, New American cuisine, and entertaining at home.

Register for the Forum and Summit today!