Anat Caspi, PhD
Session(s): Translating Experiences to Data, TDEI Data Workshop
Bio: Dr. Anat Caspi designs for the fullness of human experience, guided by the belief that designing technology for heterogeneous populations necessarily requires mixed practices of participatory design, qualitative and quantitative methods. Her research interests are in the areas of applied machine learning, ubiquitous computing and contextually aware robotic systems. She is the Director of the Taskar Center for Accessible Technology at the Paul G. Allen School for Computer Science & Engineering (located at the University of Washington). The Center’s mission is to develop, translate and deploy technologies with a focus on benefiting individuals with disabilities. TCAT has been developing open source universally accessible technologies in the areas of sensors & switches for contextually-aware, responsive environments, as well as transportation and mobility.
Paulo Nunes-Ueno
Session(s): Keynote
Bio: Paulo Nunes-Ueno is a transportation innovator working locally, regionally, and nationally in the US. He played a vital role in Washington State’s transportation policy, securing major wins for transit and active transportation. His firm, Nunes-Ueno Consulting, works with private and public clients to improve mobility, reduce emissions, and increase transportation justice.
In Seattle, he served as director of transit and mobility, merging planning, parking, and mobility programs. At Seattle Children’s Hospital, he revolutionized enterprise commute programs, reducing solo driving by 25%.
Born in São Paulo, Brazil, Paulo studied theater at NYU, worked as a theater director, then turned to transportation and earned a master’s at the University of Washington.
Paulo now resides in Philadelphia with his family and dog, Cookie. His work continues to shape the nation’s transportation landscape.
Amara Schermerhorn
Session(s): Connected by Transit: The Future of Community Access, Transit Rider Experience Panel
Bio: Amara Schermerhorn is a seminar co-coordinator for the Disability Mobility Initiative at Disability Rights Washington. As a nature enthusiast, she is passionate about active transportation and complete sidewalk networks. Additionally, she is the graphic designer for Empower Movement WA, a coalition of nondrivers that advocates for equitable transit in underserved communities across Washington State.
Tanisha Sepúlveda
Session(s): Connected by Transit: The Future of Community Access, Transit Rider Experience Panel
Bio: Tanisha Sepúlveda has a background in architectural engineering drafting and is a program coordinator for Empower Movement WA, a coalition of BIPOC and disabled mobility advocates supported by Disability Rights Washington (DRW) and Front and Centered. She is also co-coordinator for the nondriver seminars hosted by the Disability Mobility Initiative through DRW. As a power wheelchair user since 2010, Sepúlveda recognizes the lack of accessibility in the built environment and advocates for equitable access to transit and housing, with a focus on sidewalk repair and maintenance.
Bill Howe, PhD
Session(s): TDEI Data Workshop
Bio: Bill Howe is Associate Professor in the Information School and Adjunct Associate Professor in the Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering and the Department of Electrical Engineering. His research interests are in data management, machine learning, and visualization, particularly as applied in the physical and social sciences. As Founding Associate Director of the UW eScience Institute, Dr. Howe played a leadership role in the Moore-Sloan Data Science Environment program through a $32.8 million grant awarded jointly to UW, NYU, and UC Berkeley, and founded UW’s Data Science for Social Good Program. With support from the MacArthur Foundation, NSF, and Microsoft, Howe directs UW’s participation in the Cascadia Urban Analytics Cooperative. He founded the UW Data Science Masters Degree, serving as its inaugural Program Chair, and created a first MOOC on data science that attracted over 200,000 students. His research has been featured in the Economist and Nature News, and he has authored award-winning papers in conferences across data management, machine learning, and visualization. He has a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Portland State University and a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial & Systems Engineering from Georgia Tech.
Kunal Mehta
Session(s): Translating Experiences to Data, Storytelling to Data Workshop
Bio: Kunal Mehta (he/him) is a researcher and designer at the Taskar Center for Accessible Technology. Currently pursuing a masters degree in the Human Centered Design and Engineering program at the University of Washington, Kunal is passionate about crafting intuitive experiences that facilitate seamless navigation for every individual.
Laura Loe
Session(s): WA Data for On-Demand Transit Workgroup, OTP Regional Workgroup Meeting
Bio: Laura Loe (she/her) is the Program Manager at Hopelink for Find a Ride. Find a Ride is the name of Central Puget Sound’s regional One-Call/One-Click system. Find a Ride launched our new trip planner in March 2024. Learn more about the project’s roadmap, including future integration with AccessMap. The One-Call/One-Click project grew out of an inclusive planning process led by the King County Mobility Coalition, along with partners from Pierce and Snohomish counties. Laura’s background includes affordable housing advocacy, math and science education, FIRST LEGO League robotics coach, and experience as a King County Metro Bus Driver.
Matthew Weidner
Session(s): Coordinating Cross County Transportation Options, On-Demand Transit Coordinator Panel
Bio: Matthew Weidner leads strategic planning and systems analysis for King County Metro’s demand responsive transportation (DRT) practice. Matthew leads the agency’s DRT research and spearheads translational technology initiatives to turn theoretical research into operational reality for DRT. He also advises the agency’s DRT strategic technology direction and guides its investment in innovative and emerging mobility programs. With nearly 20 years in the industry, Matthew has been honored to speak at numerous conferences both nationally and internationally, and serves on numerous transportation technology committees across the United States.
Jeff Abrams
Session(s): Transit Rider Experience Panel
Bio: In the 1970s, I spent six years working towards a PhD in Neuropharmacology at the University of Washington, but ended my academic life when I could no longer tolerate the cruelty involved in animal testing.
I spent the next seven years as a sailmaker, a profession as far removed from science as possible. However, my technical appetite never died, and while there, I became hooked on an Apple II computer used for sail design. I taught myself programming, and in the mid-80s, was hired by Group Health Cooperative to write pharmacy software. Later, I became a Database Engineer at Microsoft where I worked for 15 years.
When blindness forced me to retire, I began writing science fiction and have a small but growing collection of published work.
While not writing, I’ve become heavily involved in the Seattle area accessibility community, helping out with whatever technical expertise I can offer.
I’ve been an advisor and beta tester for several projects including the National Library Service’s mobile book reader, BARD, Sound Transit’s Digital Assistant, King County Metro’s ORCA application, and Hope link’s Find-a-Ride transportation finding application.,
I’m a past member of Sound Transit’s Citizens Accessibility Advisory Council and am currently the vice-chairman of the Patron Advisory Council for the Washington Talking Book and Braille Library.
Aerius Franklin
Session(s): Transit Rider Experience Panel
Bio: I am disability advocate for a center for independent living and I live cerebral palsy diplegia since birth I use public transportation every day I hope sitting on this panel allow to echo my voice and share my lived experience
Jamin Mason
Session(s): Transit Rider Experience Panel
Bio: I am an American Negro (Mulatto to be specific) born and raised in Kitsap County. The majority of my life was spent in institutions County jails and penitentiary’s. That was until I got my blessing in disguise and whoever is in charge sat my butt in a wheelchair. After slowing down and realizing how twisted every system designed to facilitate we the people in getting justice was failing miserably. Since I couldn’t get physical anymore (thank God) I decided to start using my right to use my voice to advocate for the constituencies that effects my life. My top two civic duties are Disability rights and reparations for the descendants of the Negroes who built this country with slave labor. I use public transportation constantly due to my fight with multiple sclerosis and have definitely had my share of negative experiences throughout my uphill battle. If I can help make things better for others I would love to contribute
Jill Reasoner
Session(s): Transit Rider Experience Panel
Bio: I am a legally blind mom of five, living in a suburb of Monroe. Yet, I’m in the process of moving to a more urban city to be closer to public transit opportunities. Living a mile from the closest bus stop precludes me from taking advantage of para transit as well, so I am utterly dependent on others to drive me. I am quite committed in opening regular driver’s minds to the privileges and freedoms they have as a driver.
Justin Deno
Session(s): OTP Regional Workgroup Meeting
Bio: Justin is the Program Manager of Passenger Facing Technology in Sound Transit’s Research and Innovation group. The goal of the PFT Program is to improve the passenger experience by investing in innovative solutions that remove real or perceived barriers to ridership and improve the dependability of information provided to passengers so they can make informed decisions that suit their mobility needs.
Prior to Sound Transit Justin worked at Siemens Mobility and Bytemark, focusing on mobile fare collection solutions.
Sandy Phan
Session(s): On-Demand Transit Coordinator Panel
Bio: Sandy oversees the Community Transportation Navigators program, a peer-to-peer approach providing trusted transportation information and outreach education to hard-to-reach communities, encouraging community champions to utilize their networks to ensure local communities receive culturally inclusive information and resources. Sandy studied Public Health & Global Health at the University of Washington and has a passion and desire to develop community-orientated services to meet the needs of diverse populations and cultures.
Lester Alano
Session(s): On-Demand Transit Coordinator Panel
Bio: Lester was born in Vancouver, BC, Canada, and lived in Washington and Germany for years. Lester is a proud Filipino residing in Federal Way with his Maltese and Shi Tzu mix dog, Chewie. Lester provides transportation resources and support to Health Through Housing sites, Sidney Wilson and Don’s Place. During Lester’s free time, he enjoys the outdoors, fishing, and spending time with his son and daughter.
Thomas Craig
Session(s): WA Data for On-Demand Transit Workgroup
Bio: Thomas Craig is a data analyst at the Washington State Department of Transportation Public Transportation Division with 10 years of experience in public transit technology. Previously as the manager of a technology vendor and consultancy, Thomas managed statewide and regional transit data and customer information projects representing over 300 small and rural operators.
Jon Campbell
Session(s): OTP Regional Workgroup Meeting
Bio: Jon is an Associate and Manager of Mobility Software with Arcadis IBI Group based in Portland, Oregon. Jon works on open-source software tools for trip planning and transit data management. This includes OpenTripPlanner (OTP), an open source, multimodal trip planning platform that has been used by transit agencies around the world. He has worked with agencies including TriMet in Portland, the ATL in Atlanta, and Sound Transit in Seattle to implement and enhance the OTP platform. Jon and his colleagues are currently working to augment OTP’s trip discovery and planning features with booking and payment integrations to form an open-source Mobility as a Service toolkit. Throughout his work, Jon is motivated to ensure that technology, software, and data can help foster equitable and accessible mobility options for all.
Brian Vallene
Session(s): OTP Regional Workgroup Meeting
Bio: Brian Vallene is the Sr. Manager – Digital Experience at Community Transit. He is responsible for the agency’s digital strategy and led the effort to redesign the Community Transit website in 2023. Brian was instrumental in the decision to implement Open Trip Planner (OTP) as part of the redesigned website and is an active participant in the OTP Regional Working Group.
Judy Jones
Session(s): Transit Rider Experience Panel
Bio: As a blind individual, Judy has experienced various transit systems across the nation as a rider starting in the seventies, including the transit authority on the island of Oahu. She has served in those transit advisory bodies along the way.
Since retiring in 2017 as regional office manager with the state of Idaho, and subsequent move to Washington, Judy has become involved with Skagit Transit, presently serving her third term as advisory committee Chair. She believes citizen involvement in transit authorities is crucial to improving those agencies. Better transit creates better living.
Kevin Chambers
Session(s): Coordinating Cross County Transportation Options, On-Demand Transit Coordinator Experience Panel
Joe Kunzler
Session(s): Transit Rider Experience Panel
Bio: I served on a transit community advisory committee from Oct 2015 until Jan 2022 for 6 years, 4 months, and was an officer from 1/2017-12/2021. Also take transit almost everywhere and have a part-time job as an aviation journalist for Simple Flying where when I can I incorporate public transportation into my stories. However, due to the lack of span of service of the transit I ride to/from home, many trips become impossible or require the assistance of an expensive ride-hailing/transportation network company/TNC to complete.
Jenny Anderson
Session(s): Transit Rider Experience Panel
Bio: I have served on the Snohomish County, Dart, transportation advisory committee, I am in school to become minister, and I’m constantly involved with Community Transit board meetings, and I ride Dart on a continual basis every day. I also complain a lot about legitimate causes, because the squeaky wheel gets the most grease.
Chad Blevins
Session(s): Pedestrian Access & Cycle Data at Meta Maps
Daryl Sierra
Session(s): On-Demand Transit Coordinator Experience Panel
Cyrus Chimento
Session(s): USDOT BTS Meeting
