Forum on Innovative Transit: New Models for Silicon Valley

CUPERTINO, CA – The City of Cupertino will be holding a forum on Monday, August 3, from 7 pm to 9 pm at Community Hall, 10350 Torre Avenue in Cupertino to present innovative transit models for Silicon Valley. There will be presentations and discussions with five thought leaders in the field of transportation, including the Hon. Rod Diridon, Sr., Dan Whisenhunt, Ryan Kauffman, Stefan Heck, and Jason Dowlatabadi. Cupertino Mayor Rod Sinks will act as moderator.

The Hon. Rod Diridon, Sr. served as the executive director of the Mineta Transportation Institute from 1995 until 2014 when he moved to Emeritus status. He has chaired more than 100 international, national, state and local programs, most related to transit and the environment. Mr. Diridon is regarded by many as the “father” of modern transit service in Silicon Valley. Dan Whisenhunt, VP of Real Estate & Development at Apple, is responsible for corporate real estate and facilities, including transportation and energy. He is currently working on delivery of Apple’s new campus in Cupertino as well as other campus facilities around the world. Ryan Kauffman, Head of Transportation & Commute at Apple, leads global transportation initiatives including solving commuter issues across the Bay Area. He is focused on expanding adoption of commute alternatives throughout Apple’s corporate footprint. Stefan Heck, a consulting professor at the Precourt Institute for Energy at Stanford University, directs Precourt’s Energy Transformation Collaborative and has worked extensively with Fortune and Global 100 companies. Jason Dowlatabadi is a member of Uber’s Policy Research team which studies how Uber affects partners, riders and the communities where it operates.

Mayor Sinks states, “New technology and transportation models are challenging conventional wisdom and this forum will bring insight on how we can sustain growth in our region.”

The forum will be broadcast live on the City Channel (Comcast Channel 26 and AT&T Uverse Channel 99) and streamed live on the City Website (cupertino.org/webcast). Light refreshments will be provided.

Cupertino, CA, is on the western edge of Silicon Valley against the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. With a population of 62,000 within 13 square miles, Cupertino is 42 miles south of San Francisco and home to many high-tech companies, most notably Apple, Inc.

Watch the Forum Video

Panelist Bios & Presentations

	Rod Diridon, Sr., served as executive director of the Mineta Transportation Institute from 1995, four years after the Institute's creation, until 2014 when he moved to Emeritus status. Mr. Diridon has chaired more than 100 international, national, state and local programs, most related to transit and the environment. He provides legislative testimony on sustainable transportation issues and is regarded by many as the “father” of modern transit service in Silicon Valley. Governors Davis and Schwarzenegger appointed him to the California High-Speed Rail Authority Board, of which he is chair emeritus.   Download his presentation
	Stefan Heck is a consulting professor at the Precourt Institute for Energy at Stanford university. He teaches courses and conducts research and also directs Precourt’s Energy Transformation Collaborative. Previously, he was a director at McKinsey & Company, and he co-founded the Cleantech & Sustainability Transformations practices. He has worked extensively with Fortune and Global 100 Technology, industrial, infrastructure, building systems, utility, and energy companies. He received his Ph.D. in cognitive Science from UCSD and a B.S. with honors in Symbolic Systems from Stanford University. Download his presentation
	Jason Dowlatabadi is a member of Uber’s policy research team, which studies how Uber affects Partners, Riders, and the communities it operates in. He co-founded a small consultancy company that provided quick research capacity. He then worked as a consultant helping to inform regulatory policy for municipalities across North America. Download his presentation
	Dan Whisenhunt is VP, Real Estate & Development at Apple. He is responsible for Apple's corporate real estate and facilities, including transportation and energy. He is currently working on delivery of Apple's new campus in Cupertino as well as other campus facilities around the world.
	Ryan Kauffman is the head of Transportation & Commute at Apple. He leads Apple's global transportation initiatives including solving commuter issues across the Bay Area. He is focused on expanding adoption of commute alternatives throughout Apple's corporate footprint. Download Apple's presentation