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ENAiBLE Panel: The Last Mile— Challenges for retail and service delivery

Event Details

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For retailers and service providers, the infrastructure and logistics of transportation, particularly in the “last mile,” create many challenges for the delivery of products and services and for employees trying to reach work destinations. On the delivery side, consumers expect faster, more transparent deliveries, with forewarning of precisely when the item will be placed at their door. For employee transportation, individual vehicles exacerbate the very traffic problems that complicate deliveries. In many cities, public transportation systems are not extensive enough to take employees directly to the employer’s door. These are complex, multifaceted problems with a myriad of technologies, including the promise of AI to power logistics or transportation planning, so where do companies start? 

In this webinar, we’ll hear from Karina Ricks, Partner at Cityfi; Karen Lightman, Executive Director of Metro 21;  and Sarah Fox, faculty at the School of Computer Science, as they discuss the pros and cons of rapidly evolving technologies touted as the next solution for the last mile. We’ll address questions such as: 

  • What is the role of retailers and service providers in supporting innovation in the delivery and public transportation sectors? How can retail and service providers work with local, state, and federal governments to encourage support of technology start-ups in these areas of exploration?
  • Scooters, bikes, and other short-distance human mobility solutions have complex trade-offs and often create dissatisfaction among community members who do not need these transportation solutions. How can retail and service providers participate in such programs to ensure their employees have these last-mile options?

Join us for a lively discussion of how retail and service providers can interact with and support local, state, and federal governments and technology innovators to tackle these last-mile challenges. The panel discussion will be followed by a Q & A. You can submit your questions below or during the Q & A period. 

Thursday, December 14, 2023
2:00-3:00 p.m. EST
Virtual Program

All participants must register for this event. A Zoom login link will be provided before the virtual program in a confirmation email. 

Register by Wednesday, December 13

Questions? Contact ENAiBLE

Moderator

Raelin Musuraca

Assistant Teaching Professor, Human-Computer Interaction Institute, School of Computer Science

Raelin Sawka Musuraca is a researcher and strategist with more than 20 years of experience helping companies develop a deep understanding of their customers through human-centered research and design. Examining the full customer journey, Raelin turns research insights into actionable initiatives designed to improve the customer experience with a focus on increasing revenue, decreasing costs, and elevating shareholder value.

Currently, Raelin is an Assistant Teaching Professor at the Human-Computer Interaction Institute (HCII) at Carnegie Mellon University. Her goals are to help students build a strong methods-based foundation, develop critical thinking and empathic skills, and understand the drivers of business value. Prior to Carnegie Mellon, Raelin managed customer experience efforts at American Eagle Outfitters where she led the Voice of the Customer program and Customer Journey Mapping initiatives. Raelin also led Client Experience Strategy at BNY Mellon and through her own digital firm Sharp Creative consulted with retail, hospitality, and consumer product companies.

  

Raelin Musuraca  

Panelists

 

Karina Ricks

Partner, Cityfi

Karina Ricks is a Partner at Cityfi. She leverages her international, city, federal and private sector experience to bring together government, community and companies in collaborations that advance core values of equity, safety, climate preservation and economic growth. Karina’s background and expertise span and integrate transportation and mobility with physical and digital infrastructure, systems and data, land use planning and urban design, and community and economic development. Her previous professional roles include serving as Associate Administrator for Innovation, Research and Demonstration at the Federal Transit Administration of USDOT; founding Director of Pittsburgh’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure; Director of Transportation Planning for Washington, DC; and Office Director and Sector Leader for Nelson\Nygaard Associates.

Karina is rooted in a commitment to authentic collaboration, human-centered design, and continuous learning.

Karina is a Fulbright Scholar, holds a Master’s Degree in City and Regional Planning from Cornell University and a pre-law degree from the James Madison College of Michigan State University. She has served as a strategic advisor to the World Bank and international observer with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

   Karina Ricks 
     

Sarah Fox

Assistant Professor, Human-Computer Interaction Institute, School of Computer Science

Sarah Fox is an Assistant Professor at Carnegie Mellon University in the Human Computer Interaction Institute, where she directs the Tech Solidarity Lab. Her research focuses on how technological artifacts challenge or propagate social exclusions by examining existing systems and building alternatives. Her work has earned awards in leading computing venues including ACM CSCW, CHI, and DIS, and has been featured in Design Issues, the Journal of Peer Production, and New Media and Society. Prior to CMU, she was a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of Communication and the Design Lab at the University of California, San Diego. She holds a Ph.D. in Human Centered Design & Engineering from the University of Washington and has worked in design research at Microsoft Research, Google, and Intel Labs.

   Sarah Fox 
     

Karen Lightman

Executive Director, Metro21: Smart Cities Institute

Karen is an internationally recognized leader in building and supporting communities based on emerging technologies. She is well-regarded in the MEMS (MicroElectroMechanical Systems) industry, having helped start and then lead MEMS & Sensors Industry Group (MSIG), the largest industry consortium solely focused on MEMS and sensors. Under her leadership, MSIG covered every sector of the MEMS value chain and successfully orchestrated numerous annual international conferences, workshops and tradeshows. Karen led the successful acquisition of MSIG by SEMI, the world’s largest semiconductor association. Karen has expertise with commercializing academic research, building industry-based consortiums and strategically leading teams to explore market-based opportunities. Her diverse background spans the consumer, military, healthcare, manufacturing, and automotive sectors. Karen is ranked by EETimes as one of the top 25 “Women in Tech.” She is a passionate advocate and spokesperson for technology solutions to real-world problems and has held several board positions and is currently treasurer on the board of the MetroLab Network.

Karen has a BA from the University of Vermont (UVM) and a MS in Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College. She and her family reside in Pittsburgh, PA.

   Karen Lightman 
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