S7E3: Pedaling Towards Change w/ Donna Matturro McAleer

So much of our lives are spent in a car. Whether it’s driving to
work, scooting around kids to friends houses and other
activities, or running to the post office, we really are stuck in
a car-centric culture. But today’s guest is trying to get us out
of that rut, one bicycle at a time.





Donna Matturro McAleer is the Executive Director of Bicycle
Collective, a group of non-profit bike shops refurbishing donated
bicycles and putting them into the hands of those in need,
focusing on children, Newly resettled refugees, immigrants,
individuals experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity and
more.





In this episode, they explore the broader economic,
environmental, and community impacts of making bicycles
accessible as a form of sustainable transportation. We’ll also
hear about the Bicycle Collective's programs, sustainable
business model, and pandemic growth.





Eccles Business Buzz is a production of the David Eccles School
of Business and is produced by University FM.



Show Links:

Donna Matturro McAleer | LinkedIn

Donna Matturro McAleer | 2024 CEO of the Year - Utah Business

Bicycle Collective

David Eccles School of Business (@ubusiness) • Instagram

Eccles Alumni Network (@ecclesalumni) • Instagram 




Episode Quotes:




In a car-centric country where transportation poses
significant barriers to economic stability, bicycles emerge as a
transformative tool. 





[03:32] If you think about it, Frances, In Utah, in our country,
we are a car-centric country. But if you think about
transportation, transportation is a formidable barrier to
economic mobility. Access to nearly everything associated with
economic progress and upward mobility, whether that's getting to
school, getting to a job, getting to a job interview, fairly
priced goods and services, medical services, healthcare, depends
on the ability to get from one place to another efficiently and
in an affordable manner. And that's where a bike can really be a
transformative tool, especially in a place like Salt Lake City
and throughout this state where so many resources may be
concentrated within a few miles.





Choosing a bike over a car can cut your carbon footprint
by 67% and transform communities





[08:22] Choosing a bike over a car just once a day reduces the
average person's carbon footprint from transportation admissions
by 67%. So, that's just once a day. Think about if you use it as
your primary form of transportation, a moderate increase in
bicycling each year could save 6 to 14 million tons of carbon
dioxide. So, there's huge, huge impacts that bicycling has on the
individual, on the community, on the economy, and on the
environment, all in a positive way. It's not a trade off of one
or another. We get to experience all those things with biking.





Bicycle Collective is a resource for everyone





[20:16] Bicycle Collective is really for everyone. Whether you
are a first-time cyclist or maybe you want to try a new
discipline, but you want to get in at an affordable level. So,
maybe you never tried mountain biking and you want to get a
mountain bike or you want to start road riding or, hey, I've been
road riding, I've been mountain biking, but I want to be a bike
commuter. We are a great resource for cycling enthusiasts,
first-timers.