With a solid educational foundation from UC Irvine in social ecology and writing, Beth Black combines her knack for community-building dynamics with the power of effective communication skills.

For six years, Beth co-owned and operated Pedego Greater Long Beach, a nationally known e-bike store that served mostly adults. Now, the huge demographic shift in e-bike use to teens and tweens has brought some unexpected safety challenges to the forefront.

Over the past few years, Beth noticed a worrying trend: teens riding e-bikes recklessly and aggressively. When a young rider nearly knocked her down during a walk in her neighborhood, it became clear that something needed to be done. This spark led her to create a comprehensive safety program, drawing on her education and experience.

Beth’s noticed that civic leaders often miss the mark with e-bike safety. They might teach basic road rules but skip over advanced skills like situational awareness and the behavioral side of riding safely. Instead, they slap on one-size-fits-all laws or freeze and do nothing. Beth knows that really understanding e-bike dynamics is key to making rules that truly help teens ride safer.

She looks forward to sharing her expertise as well as bringing together world-class experts, such as ER doctors, psychologists, law enforcement professionals, traffic engineering experts, cycling authorities, and more. Together, Beth believes they can champion safer e-biking for everyone.