Brytanee is the Founder and Principal of emergent labs, a justice-oriented design studio that uplifts the multi-layered experiences of Black, Indigenous, and Communities of Color to navigate complex issues. She brings over 10 years of experience centering people, with a particular focus on the healing of racialized communities through the lenses of transportation, arts and culture, and economic development. Brytanee seeks to leverage her passion for the built environment to develop justice-oriented organizations, governments, and companies while building power in communities of color.
Before starting emergent labs, she launched several regional and local initiatives. Brytanee has complementary work experience in the fields of health equity and affordable housing and has led community engagement projects focused on addressing racial disparities. This unique experience has honed her ability to design comprehensive and crosscutting transportation-related programs, projects, and policies, build coalitions, and deeply understand how vital it is for transportation infrastructure to create healthy communities and connect residents to economic opportunity. Brytanee is a McNair Scholar, Next City Vanguard Alum, and the daughter of the Black Feminist movement. She has spoken and moderated panels for the American Planning Association, PolicyLink Equity Summit, National Association for City Transportation Officials, San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association, and the North American Bikeshare Association.
Sandra Espadas brings over 20 years of experience advising public outreach strategies and supporting the implementation of a variety of urban planning/design projects and sustainability strategies. She has extensive experience leading place-based initiatives that strengthen human capital, advance economic opportunity, and support neighborhood development goals in disinvested communities. In this role, she has secured over $18 million in program-related investments and grant funding to support the implementation of local community plans. Sandra has extensive knowledge and experience in leading culturally competent engagement methods and excels in building collaborative relationships among various community stakeholders.
Angie Hacker is the CEO of Prosper Sustainably. She has over 20 years of experience designing and leading community climate and energy initiatives in private, nonprofit and public roles spanning local, state, federal, and tribal government. Her consulting projects currently include serving as Statewide Best Practices Coordinator for the California Climate and Energy Collaborative under CivicWell, and consultant for many other state, local and tribal climate initiatives and advisory bodies. Angie believes a key to tackling the climate crisis and protecting people is to make it easier for communities to access funding, data, input, technical assistance, collaborations, best practices, and knowledge. She is a member of the American Society of Adaptation Professionals and has a Bachelor of Science from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and a Master of Public Administration from New York University.
Dr. Kamal Hamdan is the Annenberg Endowed Professor and Executive Director of the Center for Innovation in STEM Education at California State University Dominguez Hills (CSUDH). Dr. Hamdan has over 35 years of experience working in the California public K-12 and university school system. For the past 24 years at CSUDH, he has served as the Principal Investigator and Director of multiple federally and state-funded for over 20 STEM grants.
In 2015, he led the establishment of the Toyota Center for Innovation in STEM Education and the development of the Mobile Fabrication Laboratory project. In 2020, Dr. Hamdan developed the Technology for Everyone (T4E1) project to engage college students and K-12 students, teachers, and parents in hands-on challenge-based and technology rich STEM programming and advanced technology training. In 2016, Dr. Hamdan received the Wang Family Excellence Award for the “Education, and Professional and Applied Sciences” category, a CSU system-wide award. In 2024, Dr. Hamdan led the establishment of the Center for Resilient, Equitable, and Sustainable Transportation (CREST) at CSUDH, the first of its kind center to provide mobility solutions to the CSUDH community and to over 600,000 residents of 11 targeted communities. In Fall 2024, Dr. Hamdan and his CREST team will implement the Toro Clean Air Carshare (T-CAC) program which is supported by the Clean Mobility Options program.
Mary Holing is Vice President of Innovation Pilots at the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI). LACI’s Innovation Pilots bring the benefits of the green economy to neighborhoods that often lack cleantech solutions yet are burdened with poor environmental quality, and to surface learnings that can be applied to scale the adoption of cleantech solutions throughout the Los Angeles region and beyond. LACI deploys these pilot projects with and within disadvantaged communities to address community needs as well as key technology, business model and educational challenges. Currently LACI innovation pilots include electric vehicle car share and e-bike lending library models.
Mary is an attorney with experience in local government, electric vehicle markets, state policy making, and on campaigns. Prior to joining LACI, she was the VP of Environmental Policy for the Silicon Valley Leadership Group where she advocated for policies at the local, state, and federal levels that grow the clean tech economy, expand EV markets, and achieve state and federal carbon reduction goals. She has also served as a Deputy City Attorney in the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office for five years, where she represented the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. She is a graduate of the University of Southern California and UC Law San Francisco (formerly Hastings). In 2022 she was recognized as one of Silicon Valley Business Journal’s 40 under 40 honorees.
John Jones III was born in Gardena and raised in the Florence-Firestone and Watts communities of Los Angeles. Growing up, he believed he was destined for gang life, as both sides of his family were involved in a local gang in Watts. However, at the age of 14, after being part of a tagging crew, his life took a positive turn when he met Deputy Ernie Ortega and Ramsey Nicholson, who became mentors and helped guide him towards a better path.
In the summer of 1994, Jones and his friends were offered jobs by individuals who had once negatively influenced his life. From this experience, he learned the value of hard work, the importance of earning an honest living, and the harsh truths of gang life. During this time, he also became active at Roosevelt Park, where he played youth football and basketball, eventually continuing to play both sports at Fremont and Huntington Park High Schools.
At 19, Jones became a father, which led to significant life changes. He left school and set aside his plans to enlist in the military in order to provide for his family. Determined to succeed, he enrolled in the LA Job Corps and Guajome Park Academy (SIATech), where he earned his high school diploma as well as certifications in Business Management and Office Management by the age of 21. His career then led him to serve as a Field Deputy for Council District 15 under Councilmember Joe Buscaino for seven years. Following his time with LA City, he was appointed by Mayor Eric Garcetti as a Commissioner for the LA City Transportation Committee.
At 28, Jones took on an opportunity that would shape his future and impact his community: he co-founded East Side Riders Bike Club (ESRBC). Since its inception, ESRBC has been dedicated to supporting the Watts community through initiatives that provide food, bicycles, and other resources. In 2018, the organization officially became a nonprofit, furthering its mission to uplift those in need.
Today, John continues to lead ESRBC as President and CEO. He also serves on the board for the Caltrans District 7 Transportation Committee and is a member of the LA County Bicycle Master Plan 2023.
Tegan Knifton is an experienced workforce and economic development leader with a background in energy and banking, and a Master’s of Arts in Organizational Management. Currently leading the regional workforce development efforts in Sacramento for Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), she is focused on promoting equitable career pathways supporting the region’s economy and SMUD’s industry-leading zero carbon goals.
Robyn Marquis is the Senior Director of Innovative Mobility at CALSTART. She oversees a portfolio of personal mobility, school mobility, and last-mile delivery. This includes the Clean Mobility Options program administrator team and CALSTART’s Innovative Mobility Working Group, a consortium of public agencies, solution providers, and other key stakeholders advancing more equitable mobility options to reduce climate impacts. Robyn previously served as the Program Lead for the New York Clean Transportation Prizes, an $85 million initiative to improve mobility and accelerate electrification in underserved communities. Robyn earned her doctorate in Transportation Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York.
Joy currently spearheads MCE’s strategy and implementation for multiple transportation electrification programs, focusing on creating equitable solutions across MCE’s service area. With over a decade of experience in clean mobility project development and management, Joy has consistently demonstrated her ability to build partnerships with diverse stakeholders, including local governments, non-profits, mobility and transit providers, and community groups. She excels at guiding strategic decision-making processes that prioritize people.
Before joining MCE, Joy served as the Clean Mobility Director at TransForm for over five years. In this role, she successfully managed one of the pioneering Clean Mobility Options funded projects, “Mobility Hubs in Affordable Housing,” showcasing her commitment to innovation in people-centered program design. She tailored programs to meet communities’ unique needs, including conducting one of the first community transportation needs assessments before deploying clean mobility solutions.
Joy holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master’s in Public Health from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Outside of supporting an equitable electric transition for communities, Joy is a Bay Area native who enjoys grocery shopping (yes!), farmers’ markets, biking, and exploring the Bay Area’s hidden back roads.
Adelia Sandoval is a lineal descendant of her Acjachemen Ancestors who were the original inhabitants of Orange County California. Adelia is the Spiritual Overseer (Púul) and Cultural Director for the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians/Acjachemen Nation, the indigenous people of Orange County California. She shares her Acjachemen Culture through art, writing, storytelling, and singing. Adelia is a ceremonial leader, song keeper, wisdom holder, tribal teacher, and healer.
She served as a trustee on the Global Council of the United Religions Initiative, a global interfaith organization that, “promotes peace, justice and healing for the Earth and all living beings.”
Adelia is the Village Elder/Mentor and representative of the Acjachemen People for the Ecology Center (a 28-acre regenerative, organic farm) in San Juan Capistrano where she brings traditional knowledge and ancestral blessings.
She is a member of Women of Spirit and Faith and contributed to their book, Women, Spirituality and Transformative Leadership: Where Grace Meets Power. She also contributed to the book: Women of Spirit Share Rituals Divine.
She is an ordained minister and created a ministry called Song of the Earth, a Native American healing service held in outdoor sanctuaries. She is an advisor to various interfaith and environmental organizations and educational institutions. In November of 2019 Adelia was ordained as a Catholic Deacon in a Progressive Catholic Tradition and serves at Saint Matthew Ecumenical Catholic Church in Orange, California.
Terri Steele’s commitment to public service, sustainability, equity and innovation spans the trajectory of her 35-year career. Terri serves as a communications, development and sustainability advisor for the recently-opened Chicano Park Museum and Cultural Center (CPMCC) in the portside San Diego community of Barrio Logan. She is an integral part of the team delivering over $15 million in funding to CPMCC for clean energy program innovations. These innovations address chronic air pollution, extreme heat as a threat to public health, transportation inequities and residential and business parking strangleholds imposed on San Diego’s portside communities for decades. Terri is spearheading the launch of La Via Verde — San Diego’s first no-cost, bilingual, zero-emission, app-based microtransit service. This service aligns with CPMCC’s mission of preserving, celebrating and advancing understanding of the region’s Chican@, Latin@, Mexican and Indigenous cultures, while empowering individuals to be agents of positive change in their communities.
Launching this year, Via Verde is anticipated to eliminate an estimated 26,000 combustion engine vehicle trips a year, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, driving transportation equity and serving as a beacon of sustainability for the community. Via Verde is being fueled by a 163 kW solar cantilever and 860 kW of storage, which supports grid independence, climate resilience and a charging innovation that keeps La Via Verde free for the community while at full buildout creating 18 local jobs for driver/ambassadors.
Josephine S. Talamantez is an Organizational Management, Public Policy and Governmental Relations consultant with a specialization in Arts, History and Cultural Public Programming, Historic Preservation, Cultural Resource Management and Public History. Talamantez has a Master’s degree in History focusing on the Chicano civil rights era and on public history programming and is the Former Chief of Programs/Legislative Liaison for the California Arts Council. Representing a family with 100 years of multi-generational activism in the portside Logan/Barrio Logan community, Josephine S. Talamantez is Founder and Board Chair of the Chicano Park Museum and Cultural Center. As an 8-year elected member of the Barrio Logan Planning Group, Talamantez helped deliver the first community plan update in 43 years.
Ms. Talamantez is an active member of the San Diego Air Pollution Control District’s Portside Communities Steering Committee, the Barrio Logan Association and an appointed member of the Latinx Advisory Committee for San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria. This year, she’s delivering San Diego’s first app-based, bilingual, zero emission microtransit service to San Diego’s portside communities.
Dr. Roger Teal has 4 decades of experience in research, development, and implementation of innovative transportation services. He is a former tenured faculty member at UC Irvine in the field of transportation systems who during the past 30 years has managed large technology development projects in multiple industry sectors, including for demand responsive transit (DRT) services. Dr. Teal organized and chaired 2 international conferences on DRT in 2014 and 2016, and is widely known for his expertise in this field. Dr. Teal oversees DemandTrans transportation technology portfolio, which includes platforms for DRT (microtransit) service management, Mobility as a Service (MaaS), and the automated exchange of trips across multiple DRT service providers in a region, as well as an application for driver/vehicle scheduling optimization for large paratransit operations. He has managed the implementation and functional expansion of DemandTrans’ MaaS platform for the Stockton region for San Joaquin Council of Governments.
Patrick is a Climate Finance Analyst at the California Economic Development and Infrastructure Bank (IBank) developing and deploying financial products to decarbonize California and leverage private capital in California under the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund program. At IBank he covers a variety of clean infrastructure sectors and specializes in zero-emission vehicle and infrastructure markets. Previously he worked at the state’s Department of Finance and was a Fellow in the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development. He’s also worked as a business development consultant and a freelance sports journalist.
Craig has more than four decades of experience in transportation planning, engineering and project management, both in the private and public sectors. His areas of expertise include traffic engineering, street design, bicycle and pedestrian planning and design, ADA accessibility design, and design for “all ages and abilities.” He is currently the City of Escondido’s Traffic and Transportation Engineer. This position includes the responsibility to lead the Clean Mobility Options program’s Community Transportation Needs Assessment for the City of Escondido, taking an in-depth look at the transportation needs of Escondido’s disadvantaged areas.
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