Beyond Citi Bike: The Future is Electric with Jeff Olson

THIS EVENT IS VIRTUAL AND IN PERSON

• Our speaker will join us virtually. You can watch from home, or join our in-person watch party for pre- and post-talk networking ( Tech Valley Center of Gravity, 30 3RD ST, Troy NY 12180 )
• Masks required unless proof of vaccination is shown.
• Policies subject to change.

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Citi Bike co-founder Jeff Olson will talk about how bikeshare grew from startup to icon in NYC, DC, Boston and other major markets. It's a story full of many ups and downs, including a star turn on the Daily Show, getting hit by Hurricane Sandy, and the bankruptcy of a major technology provider. Jeff will also provide insights on the future of transportation from his perspective as the co-founder of another new venture, re:Charge-e, which is developing wireless charging systems for electric micromobility.

Jeff Olson is an architect, entrepreneur and author who has been involved in greenways, open space, active living, and alternative mobility projects for more than 30 years. He has had a diverse career with national, international, and local experience in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. His major projects include the Grand Canyon Greenway, the Empire State Trail, the White House Millennium Trails Program, the Dubai Bicycle/Pedestrian Master Plan, and the NW Arkansas Razorback Greenway. Jeff was one of the co-founders of Alta Bicycle Share, which launched Citi Bike in New York and operated systems in San Francisco, Chicago, Washington DC, Boston, Toronto and other cities. His book, The Third Mode: Towards a Green Society has been enjoyed by audiences around the world. Jeff started America’s first university course in bicycle and pedestrian planning at the State University of New York, and is a frequent inspirational speaker at conferences, public meetings and other events. He is currently the VP of Connectivity at re:Charge-e, a startup developing wireless charging for micromobility.  Jeff is an alum of both RPI and Empire State College, lives in Saratoga Springs and does a lot of skiing and biking.

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ABOUT TECH VALLEY CENTER OF GRAVITY

This free, virtual series is brought to you in part by the Manufacturing Incubator at Tech Valley Center of Gravity, a certified NYS Incubator and affiliated Innovate 518 Hotspot partner supported by the Empire State Development Division of Science, Technology, and Innovation (NYSTAR).

The Tech Valley Center of Gravity is a 501(c)3 makerspace, manufacturing incubator, STEAM-education center and creative community located in the heart of downtown Troy, New York. Our Manufacturing Incubator provides expert coaching and advisory services for product-related startups. We offer resources specifically tuned for hardware development through our Makerspace and Prototyping Center, with our advanced manufacturing equipment and flexible workspace.

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ABOUT HATCHED: The Capital District Inventors and Entrepreneurs Meetup

Join our community on Meetup for more engaging product-development related events: https://www.meetup.com/CDIEMNY

Join us the first Thursday of each month to connect with other creative souls, product developers, inventors, patent attorneys and more who are interested in entrepreneurship, intellectual property, and bringing ideas to life. Our goal is to help inventors and entrepreneurs navigate the business world.

SHARING NIGHTS: Share your project’s current status, get and give feedback, explore next steps, connect with potential team members.

SPEAKER NIGHTS: Once a quarter we'll host a speaker who will share their experiences and lessons learned from their entrepreneurial journey, followed by Q&A and discussion.