Meet Ann Nguyen at the virtual Women & Non-Binary Bike Summit!

On Saturday, June 26th, BikePGH will host the 8th Annual Women and Non-Binary Bike Summit presented by Dollar Bank.

The Virtual Women & Non-Binary Bike Summit will kick off with a keynote speech by Ann Nguyen, urban designer and member of Bicycle Colorado’s RIDE Advisory Board, on using the power of bicycling to drive change in social justice, environmental justice, and transportation infrastructure.

Our goal is to empower cis and trans women, non-binary, genderqueer, agender and gender variant people of all ages and abilities to feel comfortable and confident riding bikes around the city. Together, we can learn from and uplift each other to build a more connected and inclusive bicycling community.

Click here to register and keep scrolling to learn more about our amazing keynote speaker.

Q&A with Ann Nguyen

What led you to your passion for environmental and social justice?

My work ranges from green roofs, ecological restoration, parks, trails, transportation, and urban revitalization – I want my work to function beyond “just a pretty place.” The built environment should be sustainable, layered with multipurpose and anchored with the community’s needs. Environmental justice and social justice intersect when we see data of redlined neighborhoods experiencing less livable conditions such as significantly higher temperatures, less access to healthy food choices, longer distances to parks and lack of infrastructure for pedestrians and bicyclists.

How has cycling empowered you?

It brings me freedom: freedom from being tied to a bus schedule, car payments, static traffic, and a confined route.

This individual form of transport gives me a sense of self-sufficiency and symbolizes liberation from cultural barriers by simply choosing to travel differently. I ride to challenge the stereotype of who rides.

How do you address social biases and inequality in your work?

A lot of my work entails creating more accessible public spaces and community outreach, which is so important to connecting people and places as well as empowering/listening to those who are often left out of the narrative. What’s the point of a public space if it is not welcomed or used by its neighbors?

What have you found to be the largest obstacles towards creating accessible public spaces?

Sometimes accessibility is an afterthought for designers. I think in many U.S. cities, it has been difficult to allocate proper funds to fix spaces that are not currently accessible. The least we could do is have a 20-year plan to commit to improving these spaces.

EVENT DETAILS

Date: Saturday, June 26th
Time: 9:00am – 12:30pm ET (Live sessions will be recorded)
Place: Morning sessions will be held via Zoom
             Afternoon activities will be available on BikePGH’s website

Schedule:

• 9:00am ET. Keynote Speech
  • Ann Nguyen, Bicycle Colorado’s RIDE Advisory Board
• 10:15am ET. Fat Biking – Creating a Size-Inclusive Bicycling Community
  • Marley Blonsky & Kailey Kornhauser, All Bodies on Bikes
• 11:30am ET. Breaking Down Gendered Barriers to Bicycling
  • Kiran Herbert, People for Bikes
• 12:30pm ET. Afternoon Activities –
  • Join us for an ice cream group ride!
  • Take action with MoveForwardPGH
  • Get your free copy of Bike Girl Magic
  • Check out the best of BikePGH’s how-to videos
  • Skill-building activities to boost your biking confidence

Cost:

• Free Registration – Don’t let the cost of registration keep you from joining us!
• $10 Registration – Ticket proceeds will go towards BikePGH’s Women & Non-Binary program and help fund free Summit registrations.
• $20 Registration + BikePGH Membership – Includes event registration and a BikePGH Membership