City of Long Beach Bike-Friendly Business District (BFBD) program (2010-present): Designed and manage this pilot program that’s the first of its kind in the nation. Program includes commuter and cargo bikes for business errands and deliveries, bike repair clinics, bike valets, bicycle portraits through a partnership with a local photographer, merchant discounts and creative media promotion. Work closely with businesses, the city, the county, bike advocates and other community members to educate them about the economic benefits of bicycling and turn skeptics into supporters. Manage the programs, budgets, promotions, subcontractors and interns.

Bike Saturdays (2011-present): Created this incentive program whereby bicyclists receive discounts and promotions from more than 80 restaurants, cafes and shops in Long Beach every Saturday. Originating in the four BFBDs, the program is expanding citywide. Designed the “Shop-Dine-Bike LB” window decals and promote the program in print ads, on websites and via social media, like Facebook and Twitter.

Passerelle Investment Company (2010-present): Conduct in-depth research and write focus papers on cutting edge urban planning programs, such as BFBDs, parklets and the conversion of parking lots into pocket parks. Advise the company on maneuvering through city channels, engaging city leaders and which programs to prioritize.

Cali Bike Tours (2011-present): Advise the company on its business plan, operations and marketing. Help align its goals with other bicycle and sustainability initiatives, such as bicycle safety and green purchasing.

Arts Council for Long Beach (2011): Connected the ACLB and public art team with a native gardener to create the landscape design for eight large geometric planters made from salvaged wood in an underutilized public space. Coordinated in that space the City’s first zero-waste events – two events comprised of symposia, workshops and music, bringing together the urban gardening community for one and the bilingual spoken word and performance community for the other. Curated the programming, which included community plantings, take-home planter boxes, seed bombs and worm composting for the former, and breakdancing and several art workshops with repurposed materials for the latter. Gave opening speech on behalf of the Council. Hired all vendors and managed budget, event assistants and subcontractors.

South Coast Publishing, Inc. (2003-present): Managed the editorial and writers for the Port of Long Beach’s and Long Beach Water Department’s centennial publications. Serve as a green business, mobility and urban planning consulting editor to the Long Beach Business Journal.

Downtown Long Beach Associates(2011): Interviewed the organization’s 30 board members and wrote website bios.

Exhibit IQ (2003-04, 2010): Wrote two traveling, green museum exhibits, CSI: Crime Scene Insects and Glow: Living Lights, which have shown at natural history museums throughout North America since 2004.

Urban Place Consulting Group, Inc. (2003-08): Consulted as a member of the management team of this placemaking and business improvement district (BID) management firm. Wrote From Open Spaces to Vital Places, a paper about successful park management; wrote company business proposals; created marketing pieces; and produced several newsletters for its geographically diverse clients – from California to Rhode Island – where we traveled to interview civic and business leaders.

Figueroa Corridor Partnership (2003-08): As part of the management team, directed marketing and communications for this Los Angeles BID. Created the marketing and media strategy, pitched and landed a ULI event, produced the quarterly newsletter, redesigned and managed the website and presented annually to the board of directors. Hired and managed web and graphic design subcontractors. Pitched media stories that positioned the district as an innovative, mixed-use neighborhood, and secured significant coverage on transit-oriented developments, pedestrian-friendly urban design, green roofs and other sustainable planning news.

Claremont Museum of Art & Claremont Packing House (2006-08): As part of the management team, created the marketing strategy and budget for the new museum (a Packing House tenant), managed all marketing programs and subcontractors, participated in staff meetings and presented to the board. Publicized the green renovation of the historic Packing House and its transformation into a community hotspot. Set up press conferences, secured two CNN Headline News segments, a Huell Howser show and several articles in high-profile regional and national publications.

Claremont Village Square & Hotel Casa 425 (2007-08): Garnered media coverage emphasizing the Square’s community open space, public fountain and public art and the boutique hotel’s gourmet vegan muffins from a local bakery, free bikes for guests and a transit- and pedestrian-friendly location. Landed travel articles about the city of Claremont in national newspapers and magazines.

Folk Music Center (2007): Secured a Huell Howser episode and other media coverage for Ben Harper’s family store.

Truly Wize Organic Bakery (2007): Advised the bakery on strategic marketing and website promotions.

Ecoshack (2004): Helped publicize the design lab’s creative offsite facility in Joshua Tree as well as its international Green Tent Competition through a targeted mail and phone campaign to eco-minded corporate leaders.

RECENT NEWS COVERAGE:

Bike-Friendly Business Districts:
Grist: Cycles and cents – One city sets out to prove that bikes are good for business (January 11, 2012)
The Nation: Can Long Beach Prove that Bikes Are Good for Business? (January 11, 2012)
Sunset: Long Beach day trip – East Village (January 2012)
Long Beach Press Telegram: The Bottom Line – Bike-friendly LB attracts cycling-culture entrepreneurs (December 23, 2011)
California Business Alliance for a Green Economy – Member Profile (December 20, 2011)
Long Beach Business Journal: National Bike Advocate Mia Birk Speaks in Long Beach (December 20, 2011)
Bicycling: Road Trip – Bikes Mean Business (December 9, 2011)
deLab: Long Beach Bike Tour (December 8, 2011)
Los Altos Patch: Can a Bike-Friendly Downtown Provide a Low-Cost Boost of Vitality? (November 27, 2011)
Long Beach Press Telegram: Small Business Saturday (November 24, 2011)
American Planning Association, Los Angeles: Transportation Planning: Off the Grid in Los Angeles (October 17, 2011)
National Center for Bicycling & Walking’s CenterLines newsletter (October 12, 2011)
Long Beach Business Journal (October 10, 2011)
Metro blog – The Source (October 4, 2011)
The Path Less Pedaled website (September 26, 2011)
Streetsblog L.A.: Long Beach’s Leap Towards Livability (August 18, 2011)
Streetsblog L.A.: Long Beach: Good for Bikes, Good for Business  (August 17, 2011)
KCET website (June 7, 2011)
Long Beach Business Journal (June 7, 2011)
LBTV news clip (June 6, 2011)
Bikeable Communities blog (June 4, 2011)
Mayor Bob Foster’s blog (June 2, 2011)
Uptown Gazette (June 2, 2011)
KSCI-LA18 (June 1, 2011)

DENGUE FEVER Bike-Friendly Business District Event
Video by Filmmaker Mike Bauch (September 13, 2011)
OC Weekly (September 12, 2011)
Long Beach Post (September 12, 2011)
Examiner.com (September 11, 2011)
Losanjealous (September 8, 2011)

PARK(ing) Day:
Video by Filmmaker Mike Bauch (September 19, 2011)
The Patch (September 18, 2011)
4th Street Long Beach blog (September 13, 2011)
Daily 49er (September 14, 2011)