Where the automotive industry intersects with era-defining tech innovation, you’ll find Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Thanks to everyone who joined us for the fourth annual Ann Arbor Mobility Summit. We had an amazing turnout with lots of engaging dialog between the audience and our esteemed guests.
2022 Mobility Summit Agenda
9 a.m.
Welcome & Overview
Paul Krutko, President & CEO | Ann Arbor SPARK
Komal Doshi, Director of Mobility Programs | Ann Arbor SPARK
9:10 a.m.
State of the Industry Presentation: Mobility Services Value Pool Growth
Alan Wilkinson, Partner | Oliver Wyman
- Learn about the growth in mobility services value pools expected through 2030 in a study conducted by Oliver Wyman in conjunction with the UC Berkeley Institute of Transportation Studies.
9:30 a.m.
Shifting Paradigms: The Evolution of Use Cases and Scale Horizons in the Age of Autonomous Vehicles
John Davis, Director, Vehicle and Product Engineering | Ford Next LLC
Mitchell Rohde, CEO | Quantum Signal AI
- This fireside chat will bring to focus the realignment of expectations and broadening of thought processes on the future of autonomous vehicles. From the movement of people to the movement of goods to the extension of job capabilities, find out how Quantum Signal AI’s vision fits with Ford’s mission around leveraging autonomous vehicles to deliver efficiencies and solutions to promote the growth of business, both big and small.
9:55 a.m.
Managing AV Data at Scale
Eric Muir, Founder | Volair
Rick Whitford, Managing Director | Deloitte
10:35 a.m.
Presentation: GM Future Roads: Helping to Drive a Safer, Smarter Future
Harnit Anand, Head of Strategy and Business Development Smart Cities | General Motors
- GM introduced a new technology platform earlier this year called, GM Future Roads. This platform leverages connected vehicle data to create actionable insights for the public sector to help enable safer, smarter communities. It is one of many growth opportunities underway at GM as the company continues to build upon its vision for a world with zero crashes, zero emissions, and zero congestion.
10:55 a.m.
Vision Zero Now: New Approaches to Accelerate National Deployment
Jeff Varick, CEO & Founder | Brandmotion
Erin Milligan, CEO | P3 Mobility, Inc
Sean Kelley, Senior Vice President and Principal | The Mannik & Smith Group
Bernie Sapienza, Executive Director | Vision Zero Automotive Network
- The time for V2X deployment is now. The recent USDOT V2X summit made clear that the V2X industry is in a unique moment of time. Reduced spectrum, which could be lost if not used, and a record-breaking number of road crashes and fatalities, make clear the need for private industry to mobilize and provide leadership. Our panelists are excited to be part of a consortium of private sector companies who are working to accelerate national deployment. Sustainable safety, smart infrastructure, and after-market devices are key elements to the solution.
11:45 a.m.
Fireside Chat: Building and Advancing an Equitable and Sustainable Mobility Environment in Michigan for Generations to Come
Session Sponsor: Michigan Economic Development Corporation
Trevor Pawl, Chief Mobility Officer | State of Michigan
Maureen Donohue Krauss, President & CEO | Detroit Regional Partnership
- Join leaders from across Michigan’s mobility landscape as they discuss the recently announced $52.2 million Build Back Better Regional Challenge award – one of the largest grants secured in the challenge – and how Michigan can leverage this opportunity to advance the state’s mobility and electrification leadership through an innovative, equitable, and dynamic approach to workforce development, innovative startups, and site readiness support.
12:10 p.m.
Ann Arbor SPARK Mobility Landscape Study
Alison Petersen, Mobility Specialist | Ann Arbor SPARK
- Learn about the results of a study conducted by Ann Arbor Spark comparing nine cities with robust Mobility startup activity. We looked at data and interviewed investors, accelerators, and policymakers to see what is fueling growth in each region. The goal was to understand best practices so we can encourage even greater growth in Ann Arbor’s mobility ecosystem.
12:30
Lunch
- Enjoy lunch while visiting with other summit attendees.
1:30 p.m.
Pushing the Boundaries of Electric Mobility
Deeana Ahmed, PhD, VP Strategy and Government Relations | Our Next Energy
Robert Tiderington, Head of Strategic Partnerships | BrightDrop
Greg Weber, VP of Engineering & Technology | EAVX
Maggie Striz Calnin, Coalition Coordinator | Greater Lansing Area Clean Cities (Moderator)
- The global electric mobility market size is expected to grow from $280 billion in 2021 to $1.5 trillion in 2028. Hear from three innovative companies pushing the boundaries of electric mobility impacting vehicles’ range, costs, environmental footprint, and utility. Representatives from these companies will highlight the technological advancements and innovative partnerships that are affecting the electric mobility revolution around the globe
2:20 p.m.
Accessibility and Affordability: EVs for All
Alessandra R Carreon, Carbon Free Mobility Manager | RMI
- The transportation sector accounts for the largest source of GHG emissions in the U.S. A just transition to EVs can accelerate the required emissions reduction to stay on a 1.5 degree C – aligned pathway while ensuring affordable EV adoption among low-income and disadvantaged communities with ample access to charging infrastructure. This presentation will address how to make EVs available to all.
2:40 p.m.
Building a Workforce to Navigate the Electric Vehicle Future
Elaina Farnsworth, CEO | THE NEXT EDUCATION
Meg Wallace, Senior Engineer | Toyota North America
Clarinda Barnett-Harrison, Director, Skills | Michigan Central Innovation District
Diana Paez, Senior Director, Energy & Mobility | William Davidson Institute
- As electric vehicles become more prevalent, the demand for a workforce with unique skill sets is growing. Hear from industry, academic, and non-profit leaders looking at the opportunities and challenges of building a workforce to navigate the electric vehicle future. What does the talent pipeline look like? How do professionals versed in internal combustion migrate to new roles? What initiatives is Michigan taking towards an electric future?
3:45 p.m.
Fireside Chat: Investing in Equitable Mobility Infrastructure
Valerie Lefler, Executive Director | Feonix – Mobility Rising
John Peracchio, Managing Member | Peracchio & Company, LLC
- Join these two leaders in a look at the strides made and steps to come in Michigan in advancing equitable mobility infrastructure, including accessible electric charging, Mobility-as-a-Service programs, paratransit access, and more.
4:10 p.m.
Advancing Equitable Access Using Data
Hind Ourahou, Women in Mobility, Detroit
Julia Roberts, Executive Director | Western Washtenaw Value Express (W.A.V.E.)
Gretchen Newcomb, Director, Community & Partnerships North America & Australasia | MobilityData (Moderator)
- Panelists from the public and private sectors discuss how data can help us plan for a more accessible future.
4:50 p.m.
Conclusion
5:00 p.m.
Cocktail Reception
Guest Speakers
Click images to view speaker bios.
Deeana Ahmed
Our Next Energy
Biography
Deeana Ahmed, PhD leads Strategy and Government Relations at ONE. Through ONE’s energy storage technology, Dr. Ahmed aims to help build a foundation for the widespread adoption and accessibility to alternative energy sources. She also assesses market needs and how to scale renewable energy. Dr. Ahmed helped ONE secure $95 million from major investors, including BMW i Ventures and Breakthrough Energy Ventures. Dr. Ahmed spearheaded ONE’s search for its first North American battery factory and has facilitated partnerships with a variety of businesses and non-profits across the country.
Ahmed holds a Ph.D. in neuroscience and nutrition from Columbia University, an MSc and MPH in policy from Tufts University, and a BS from the University of Michigan. Deeana is a published researcher and policy analyst who has conducted large policy evaluations for the NYC Department of Education, managed grants for a Silicon Valley non-profit, and owns and
operates a start-up education technology firm. Deeana is an alumnus of the University of Michigan Solar Car Team, where she led the development of the nationally and globally ranked solar car, InfiniUM’s battery pack.
Harnit Anand
General Motors
Biography
Harnit Anand
General Motors
Harnit Anand is head of strategy and business development for GM Future Roads and Smart Cities at General Motors. Launched in May 2022, GM Future Roads is a software-enabled platform that focuses on providing actionable insights to the public sector, including state departments of transportation, to help inform infrastructure decision-making, roadway safety plans, and other related areas. Safety View, a cloud-based data analytics tool, co-developed by GM Future Roads and INRIX, is the first product from the GM Future Roads platform and is designed for Vision Zero plans.
Prior to her current role, Harnit led the customer experience (CX) and risk management teams at Maven, GM’s ride-sharing business. Harnit joined GM in 2013 and has held numerous positions in CX and business operations. Prior to joining GM, Harnit was a Director of Admissions for Colorado Technical University and led multiple admissions teams.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and economics from the University of Mumbai, India.
Clarinda Barnett-Harrison
Michigan Central Innovation District
Biography
Clarinda Barnett-Harrison
Michigan Central
Clarinda Barnett-Harrison is currently leading community impact efforts for Michigan Central as the director of the Skills initiatives. She was formerly the Head of Equity and Inclusion for Ford’s Autonomous Vehicles and Mobility Businesses focused on guiding the leadership team to include equity principles into product and service design and go-to-market strategies, as well as collaborating with Human Resources.
Clarinda formerly served as the senior director of Economic Prosperity and executive director of the Detroit Regional Workforce Fund at the United Way for Southeastern Michigan, where she developed the strategic path forward for economic mobility initiatives throughout the region. Prior to that role, she was the executive director of Business and Foundation Engagement and the director of the Business Engagement Center at the University of Michigan- Dearborn, allowing her to leverage the university’s talent and intellectual capacity to support companies with economic development efforts across the State of Michigan.
With 18+ years of economic development experience, Clarinda brings a wealth of knowledge having held leadership positions at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and other local and regional economic development organizations. Clarinda earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Arts concentrating in Economics, Management, and Psychology from the University of Michigan. She also received a master’s
degree from Wayne State University in Urban Planning with an Economic Development concentration, as well as a professional Economic Development Certification also granted by WSU. Additionally, she secured a certification in Economic Development Finance from the
National Development Council.
Clarinda’s contributions to Ford were recognized by the Global DEI team in 2021. She has also been recognized for her contributions to the business community as Michigan Chronicle’s Women of Excellence Honoree 2018, Crain’s 40 under 40 2017, and the Michigan Business
Professional Association Women in Leadership Shooting Star Award. Also, the Michigan Economic Developers Association honored her she received the Mike Conboy Award for Professional Development, and lastly, the Detroit Young Professionals recognized Clarinda’s
professional contributions with a Van Guard award.
Clarinda also donates her time and expertise as a board of director for Eastside CommunityNetwork, Belle Isle Conservancy, and the Junior League Council for the Detroit Institute of Arts. Clarinda also is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
Clarinda lives in Detroit with her husband of 18 years, Ritchie Harrison, and together they have a daughter who recently completed her undergraduate studies at Michigan State University.
Alessandra Carreon
Rocky Mountain Institute
Biography
Alessandra Carreon
Rocky Mountain Institute
Alessandra Carreon is a manager with RMI’s Carbon-Free Mobility program. Alessandra leads passenger mobility projects that focus on fleet electrification and accessible electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. She draws from her experience in ESG, responsible sourcing, and sustainability within the automotive industry to consider EV value chain life-cycle impacts when accelerating electrification. Prior to RMI, Alessandra managed Ford Motor Company’s Responsible MaterialSourcing team, ensuring Ford’s global supply base sourced raw materials for Ford products while protecting human rights and the environment. Alessandra also worked with Ford’s Global Sustainability team on ESG and corporate sustainability programs and has a background in regulatory compliance, environmental consulting, social enterprise, and entrepreneurship. Alessandra received her MBA from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business and a BS in Chemical Engineering from Rice University.
John Davis
Ford Next LLC
Biography
John Davis
Ford Next LLC
John Davis is the Director of Vehicle and Production Engineering, as part of Ford Motor Company’s New Businesses, Ford Next LLC. John is responsible for leading Ford’s commercial autonomous vehicle development, autonomous systems engineering and the integration of self-driving systems with Argo AI, as well as the development of future automated driving technologies, and future autonomous vehicle product plans.
Prior to this role, Davis was Chief Engineer, Ford Autonomous Vehicles, where he oversaw the product development and complete integration of vehicle programs for Ford’s autonomous vehicle business.
Davis joined Ford in 1989 and has a held a series of technical management positions within Ford and Lincoln, including Global Chief Program Engineer for Lincoln’s Aviator, Chief Program Engineer for Ford’s North American commercial vehicles, and Chief Program Engineer of North American small cars. He has also served in several key management roles in Ford Product Development, including product planning, vehicle engineering and program management for Explorer and Super Duty vehicles.
Davis holds a Master of Engineering Management from Wayne State University and a Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Illinois. He has also served on the Industrial Advisory Board for Lawrence Technological University’s Department of Engineering Technology since 2008 and regularly speaks at the University of Michigan Dearborn School of Business. Davis currently serves as the board chair of Quantum Signal AI, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ford Motor Company.
Maureen Donohue Krauss
Detroit Regional Partnership
Biography
Maureen Donohue Krauss
Detroit Regional Partnership
Maureen Donohue Krauss is President and CEO of the Detroit Regional Partnership (DRP), a leading economic development nonprofit serving the 11-county Detroit Region. The organization serves as the single point of contact for business, marketing the Region to out-of-state and international companies to attract investments and jobs.
Krauss is an accomplished economic development officer with more than 30 years of leadership in economic development, non-profit and government. She has extensive experience in guiding international companies to successful location decisions and growth in the U.S. and has participated in more than 60 trade missions over the past 18 years.
Prior to her role at the DRP, Krauss was elected as the first chief economic development officer at the Indy Chamber where she managed Accelerate Indy, a regional economic development plan for a nine-county region with 2.3 million people. She led programs and initiatives encouraging innovation and accelerating business growth and oversaw Indianapolis’ Amazon HQ2 bid, which was a finalist in the national competition.
Previously, Krauss served as vice president of economic development and business attraction at the Detroit Regional Chamber and was responsible for strategy, operations, and projects for its business attraction program. She also worked for the Oakland County Department of Economic Development and Community Affairs, an award-winning county agency where she led a team of over 100 staff, often traveling overseas on business attraction missions.
Elaina Farnsworth
The NEXT Education
Biography
Elaina Farnsworth
The NEXT Education
As CEO of The NEXT Education (www.TheNextEd.com), she and her team work to provide the best certification and training programs to upskill and reskill the workers of tomorrow. Our blended model is an exciting concept that combines the best features of both instructor-led and online instruction. Elaina has a strong passion for innovative organizations and emerging technology. She is committed to leading and preparing organizations and individuals to compete in this new and forever-changing frontier of green transportation.
It is Elaina’s goal to meet the demand for knowledgeable leaders, educated employees, and skilled tradespeople in Vehicle Electrification, Industrial Mobility, Cyber Security, and Smart City technologies. The need to know and understand these new applications has already formed a considerably large gap in the labor force.
Elaina continues to speak internationally to businesses, educational institutions, corporations, and associations about electric, connected, and autonomous vehicles.
Sean J. Kelley
Mannik Smith Group
Biography
Sean J. Kelley
Mannik Smith Group
Sean is a Senior Vice President and Principal with The Mannik & Smith Group, Inc. — a 420-person engineering and environmental sciences consulting firm with 15 offices in Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, and Alabama.
Sean has led the development of infrastructure for closed-system test facilities to advance smart mobility technology. This has included three of the most significant facilities in the Midwest:
- The University of Michigan’s Mcity
- The American Center for Mobility
- The Transportation Research Center (located at Honda’s North American test center in Central Ohio)
Sean is a recognized leader in the engineering consulting industry in Michigan. His focus on both the public and private sectors allows him to understand and appreciate the challenges associated with creating and maintaining a well-functioning and sustainable transportation infrastructure, necessary for enhancing the quality of life for everyone.
Sean has two adult children – Morgan and Aaron – that share his passion for learning and helping to advance humanity and a healthier planet.
Vince Keenan
City of Detroit Mayor’s Office of Mobility Innovation
Biography
Vince Keenan
Detroit Mayor’s Office of Mobility Innovation
Vince Keenan is the Head of Innovation Engagement for the Detroit Mayor’s Office of Mobility Innovation. His work spans 25 years in community engagement, civic participation, and inclusive urban revitalization, including helping negotiate over $5 billion worth of new development in the city. He led the campaign to establish Detroit’s Council Districts and served as the first District 5 Manager of the city’s Dept of Neighborhoods. A University of Michigan grad, Vince started his career in Ann Arbor at the UMMS Dept of Human Genetics. He holds the US patent for Publius, the first website that allowed voters to find their polling location, sample ballots, and registration status and became the basis for Michigan.gov/vote. A lifelong Detroiter, he still lives with his young family in Corktown.
Valerie Lefler
Feonix – Mobility Rising
Biography
Valerie Lefler is the Founder and Executive Director of Feonix – Mobility Rising. Ms. Lefler is an international expert in rural transportation, accessibility, and mobility as a service. In just its first four years, Feonix has launched programs in 9 states with notable partners, including the National Aging and Disability Transportation Center, Easterseals, the AARP Office of Driver Safety, Toyota North America, Centene Corporation, and the Michigan Department of Transportation. Lefler was featured by Smithsonian Magazine as one of the “Top 9 Innovators to Watch” and has also been highlighted in publications such as the New York Times, NPR, and the Christian Science Monitor. Valerie graduated with distinction from the University of Nebraska—Lincoln with a degree in Business Administration after studying International Economics abroad at the University of Oxford. She also received her master’s degree with honors in Public Administration with an emphasis in Public Management from the University of Nebraska—Omaha. She and her husband Joe now reside with their 2 children in a small town outside of Lincoln, Nebraska.
Erin Milligan
P3Mobility
Biography
Erin Milligan
P3Mobility
Highly experienced, motivated and innovative, Erin brings her leadership expertise, business skills, discernment and diverse workforce experience, to identify talented and innovative leaders with a vision for growth. For the last decade, Erin has worked to incubate, and invest in, technology companies which are disrupting/improving the automotive industry. She has served in a variety of C-suite roles including CEO, interim CEO, consultant to Founder and/or office of CEO, as well as Board Member of multiple companies. Erin is a dual American and Canadian citizen who has lived in various major cities and has an extensive network throughout North America.
Eric Muir
Volair
Biography
Eric Muir
Volair
Following his PhD in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Michigan, Eric began his career at Boeing where he supported numerous aircraft programs and led a team of software and hardware engineers in pioneering autonomous flight technologies spanning CONOPS definition, test vehicle integration and operation, flight simulation, and perception/localization algorithm development. At Rescale, Eric consulted in advanced cloud computing architectures and workflows to accelerate engineering innovation at technology leaders across the aerospace and automotive industries, from start-ups to large enterprises. Eric holds numerous patents and pending patents in autonomous flight technologies.
Gretchen Newcomb
MobilityData
Biography
Gretchen evangelizes for MobilityData, representing the organization at conferences and in webinars and workshops. She enlists membership from industry stakeholders to leverage MobilityData’s unique specifications and extensions worldwide and advocates for members’ needs within the organization. Gretchen has more than 20 years of experience in business development that has inspired mobility innovation. A leading authority and international standards body, we facilitate the standardization of data specifications (GTFS & GBFS) for seamless multimodal transportation, govern a consensus-informed community, and support a broad global ecosystem of members and stakeholders who are producing and using data — and informing later versions — to improve traveler information and experience.
Hind Ourahou
Women in Mobility, Detroit
Biography
Hind Ourahou
Women in Mobility, Detroit
With ten years of design thinking practice, and a global perspective spanning Africa, the Middle East, and North America, Hind brings a different approach to solving persistent and systemic transportation challenges. Hind strongly believes that designing the mobility experience anywhere is essentially an exercise in empathy, where the thorough examination of behaviors and spaces allow us to see beyond binary answers to our mobility challenges.
Diana Páez
William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan
Biography
Diana Páez
William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan
Diana Páez is Senior Director, Energy & Mobility at the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan (WDI), an independent non-profit research and educational organization guided by the founding principle that thriving businesses drive economic development in low- and middle-income countries. Diana’s role at WDI involves helping energy and mobility businesses and stakeholders in these countries take advantage of business opportunities and adapt to changes brought about by the energy transition. To do so she leverages more than a decade of global development experience working with partners across government, private sector, academia, and civil society. Prior to WDI, Diana held positions at the Higher Education for Development office of the American Council on Education in Washington, D.C.; the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs; and The World Bank Institute, among others.
Trevor Pawl
Michigan Economic Development Corporation
Biography
Trevor Pawl
Michigan Economic Development Corporation
As the ones who put the world on wheels over a hundred years ago, Michiganders are proud of our state’s long history as a global leader in mobility and innovation. Recognizing the necessary evolution of the automotive industry as we move toward the future, Michigan remains at the forefront of producing the next generation of transportation technologies.
As Michigan’s first-ever Chief Mobility Officer, I lead the state’s Office of Future Mobility and Electrification, as a team focused on engaging mobility startups, expanding Michigan’s smart infrastructure, and increasing mobility investment and electric vehicle adoption in the state.
I am thrilled to be joining leaders in the industry at the Ann Arbor Mobility Summit. As a speaker and participant, I look forward to exploring the ways that states like Michigan are playing a role in moving us collectively toward an affordable and accessible electrified future.
John Peracchio
Peracchio & Company
Biography
John Peracchio provides strategic consulting services in the intelligent transportation systems (“ITS”) sector and automotive industry for strategic and investor clients. His focus is on deployment of mobility solutions across transportation modes, especially those involving connected, electric, and highly automated vehicles as well as innovation in transaction management and payments processing.
From February 2017 to April 2020, Mr. Peracchio served as chair of the Michigan Council on Future Mobility serving under two of Michigan’s governors. Currently, Mr. Peracchio serves as a senior advisor to the succeeding Michigan Council on Future Mobility and Electrification and leads the council’s electrification workgroup.
From November 2018 to September 2019, Mr. Peracchio was employed by Conduent Transportation, an integrated provider of tolling, transit, parking, and public safety transportation solutions and a business unit of Conduent, Inc. (NYSE: CNDT). He held the positions of General Manager – Mobility Solutions and Strategy and Interim Chief Executive Officer.
Mr. Peracchio is an active member of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America and serves on its Standing Advisory Committees on Smart Infrastructure and Sustainability and Resiliency. He is also active with the International Bridge, Tunnel & Turnpike Association serving on its Emerging Technologies Committee and chairing that committee’s working group on electric vehicles and infrastructure.
Mr. Peracchio is President of the Board of Directors of Feonix – Mobility Rising, a non- profit organization dedicated to serving the transportation needs of underserved and underprivileged communities. He is a member of the American Public Transportation Association, ITS Canada, and the Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council. He also is a member of the New York and Michigan bars and an associate member of the Society of Automotive Engineers. Mr. Peracchio received his Juris Doctor degree from Columbia University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Brown University.
Mitch Rohde
Quantum Signal AI, LLC
Biography
Mitch Rohde, PhD
Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder
Quantum Signal AI LLC
Dr. Mitch Rohde is the CEO and co-founder of Quantum Signal AI (QSAI), an advanced math-based engineering R&D company headquartered in Saline, Michigan. Under Mitch’s leadership, the company has been building and delivering solutions leveraging intelligent algorithms for over two decades, including extensive work in autonomous and robotic vehicle technology, systems, and tools. In 2019 QSAI was acquired by Ford Autonomous Vehicles LLC, and he now continues to manage the organization but with a new dedicated focus on building the future of transportation. In his spare time, Mitch is a serious collector and restorer of antique arcade equipment, with 75 classic and rare machines in his collection. He holds BS and MS degrees in Electrical Engineering and MS and PhD degrees in Biomedical Engineering, all from the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, and is a member of Sigma Xi, AUVSI, IEEE, SAE, HKN, and TBP.
Julia Roberts
WoMobility | WAVE
Biography
Julia Roberts is the Executive Director for Western-Washtenaw Area Value Express (WAVE) as well as founder and CEO of WoMobility consulting. She cultivates inclusive shared transportation in Michigan and beyond. Her experience includes gigs in innovation, labor union reform, and community organizing, before trailblazing a career in public transit. As a recent Champion for Change through the Nonprofit Enterprise at Work, she aspires to move the travel and tech industry ahead in a socially just way.
Bernie Sapienza
Vision Zero Automotive Network
Biography
Bernie Sapienza
Vision Zero Automotive Network
Bernie has a long history with aftermarket consumer electronics. At age 16, he bought an 8-track player to install in his 1971 Oldsmobile and his love for car gadgets, devices, and equipment has never waned. During college, he obtained an entry-level position in a stereo store. There, he learned the basics of consumer electronics and installation. After college, he got the “dream job” as the “head merchant” at a medium-sized retail chain selling consumer electronics called Tweeter. Over a 15-year period, Tweeter grew to become a national retailer and nearly $1B in annual sales with nearly 170 stores in over half of the United States. Shortly after Tweeter, Bernie left retail to pursue intellectual properties and spent over 12 years engaged in the digital radio roll-out of HD Radio. Today, HD Radio is found in most new cars sold. Today, as Executive Director of the Vision Zero Automotive Network, he’s engaged in saving lives. Armed with several decades of experience in aftermarket consumer electronics, Bernie is now applying his skills to a cause that is near and dear to his heart – saving lives through technology.
Maggie Striz Calnin
Michigan Clean Cities
Biography
Maggie Striz Calnin
Michigan Clean Cities
Maggie Striz Calnin serves as the Director for the Michigan Clean Cities coalition—an affiliate of NextEnergy—that drives market growth for clean transportation solutions, accelerates the transition to clean fuels and vehicles, and provides actionable information, funding, and connections to collaborators.
Striz Calnin’s career is focused on helping private-, public-, and third-sector (nonprofit) organizations to develop, fund, and manage projects and strategy. Her background includes work in politics and government, community organizing, and issue advocacy. She has developed and managed a variety of programs and projects funded by international, federal, and state agencies as well as multinational nongovernmental organizations.
Striz Calnin’s international experience includes supporting projects through the United Kingdom Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (a program of the U.K. Department for International Development) and the Office of the Chief Economic Advisor to the president of Nigeria. Additionally, she has completed work with a boutique guest house in Xizhou, China to develop a sustainability plan for the hotel, which is located in an ecologically significant lake basin.
Striz Calnin holds a Master of Natural Resources degree from Virginia Tech as a member of the inaugural cohort of the Executive Master of Natural Resources Leadership for Sustainability program. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science-Prelaw from Michigan State University (MSU). Her professional development activities include completing the Sustainable Communities Certificate Program at MSU and The Grantsmanship Center’s Project Planning and Proposal Development certification program.
Bob Tiderington
BrightDrop
Biography
Robert (Bob) Tiderington is Head of Business Development & Partnerships at BrightDrop, the
new electric delivery and logistics business from General Motors, where he is responsible for
creating a variety of business opportunities which will contribute to and benefit BrightDrop’s
business growth.
Prior to his current role, Tiderington was a Senior Manager within GM’s Innovation & Growth
team where he was Business Lead for a project called Smart Cargo, focused on developing
solutions for delivery and logistics companies. This led to a new business unit called eDelivery –
the internal organization which launched publicly in January 2021 as BrightDrop.
In addition, he was previously responsible for developing GM’s urban mobility strategy on the
company’s Urban Active Solutions team, where he helped to create solutions like Maven, a car-
sharing and ride-sharing business. Throughout his work with urban mobility, Tiderington has
developed a personal mission to help build Detroit as the “mobility” city where a variety of
unique and convenient mobility solutions can enhance peoples’ lives.
Tiderington began his career in 1996 as a Business Analyst at the Chevrolet Customer Assistance
Center. Throughout his 20+ year career at GM, Tiderington has held different positions within
Product Planning & Development, Marketing, Corporate Development and Global Connected
Consumer groups. He is also a Strategic Advisor to two different start-ups in the mobility space,
Edwards Ridecare and Airspace Experience Technologies.
Tiderington received a BA in Sociology from the University of Michigan, and an MBA from
University of Detroit-Mercy, with a focus in Marketing. He resides in Metropolitan Detroit with
his family. Outside of work, Tiderington is an avid golfer, college football fan and is an Officer of
the athletic booster club for his children’s high school.
Jeff Varick
Brandmotion, LLC
Biography
Jeff Varick
Brandmotion, LLC
Jeff Varick is Founder and CEO of Brandmotion, LLC, a Novi, Michigan-based vehicle systems engineering company focused on improving vehicle safety performance through emerging technology integration.
Brandmotion is the pioneer and market leader in integrating Connected Vehicle (CV) solutions to advance V2X communication technology to greater numbers of cars and trucks already on the road. The company was an inaugural member of the University of Michigan Mobility Transformation Center (MCity), and has served in Vehicle Integrator roles for over 20 national CV Deployments, including Smart Columbus, Denver Smart City and the Tampa USDOT CV Pilot, where as Vehicle Integrator, Brandmotion is responsible for all sourcing, verification, integration, installation, and field support of the vehicles.
Brandmotion is also a developer of highly integrated vehicle retrofit safety solutions for the automotive aftermarket. Brandmotion distributes emerging safety technology and OEM-quality vehicle accessory solutions under the Brandmotion brand through a North American network of over 2,500 installers, fleets, and dealers.
Meg Wallace
Toyota North America Research & Development
Biography
Meg Wallace has a MSME from Georgia Tech and started her career at Toyota Research & Development working in seat evaluation and development. She currently supports Toyota’s workforce development and is the Team Lead in Michigan for Toyota’s “Driving Possibilities” K-12 initiative that will take a wholistic approach to encouraging more underrepresented students to be interested in and ready for the STEM career pipeline.
Greg Weber
EAVX
Biography
Greg is an automotive development and production veteran with broad experience in ADAS, software, electronics systems, mechanical design, chassis, and electrification. He has demonstrated achievements in reducing costs while improving functionality, quality, and marketability of a complete spectrum of vehicle systems, software, and electronics, with particular expertise in powertrain controls. Greg also innovated and directed projects in NAFTA, LATAM, EMEA, APAC regions from concept through implementation, delivering cost-effective, high-performance, and technically compliant products on time and budget.
Rick Whitford
Deloitte Consulting
Biography
Rick Whitford
Deloitte Consulting
Rick is a Managing Director in Deloitte’s AI and Data Engineering practice and the Edge AI offering leader. In the role, he is responsible for leading a team that is pushing the boundaries of what is possible on devices in the field using computer vision, sensor fusion, and other deep learning techniques. Rick has more than 20 years of experience in advanced data visualization and reporting, as well as in analytics platform development, enterprise architecture, and software development. His expertise involves integrating large volumes of structured and unstructured data sets to gain meaningful and actionable business insights as well as implementing enterprise-wide Business Intelligence solutions. Rick holds a BS in Computer Science, an MS in Information Systems, and an MBA from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland
Alan Wilkinson
Oliver Wyman Global Automotive
Biography
Alan Wilkinson
Oliver Wyman
Alan Wilkinson is a Partner in Oliver Wyman’s Global Automotive and Manufacturing Industries Practice. He advises manufacturers and suppliers in the areas of cost reduction, operational improvement, and product and technology strategy. He has 14 years of product development engineering, strategy, and planning experience at Ford Motor Company and 15 years of consulting experience in the areas of cost and warranty reduction, operational efficiency, market and technology strategy, and revenue enhancement.
Mr. Wilkinson holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, a Master of Science in Structural Engineering from the University of California, San Diego, and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from California State University, Northridge.
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