What happens when the bike industry puts competition aside to grow the next generation of riders? In Payson, Arizona, Trek, Giant, SRAM, Shimano, Specialized, and Outride partnered with local advocates to build a complete youth cycling ecosystem. Through the Peloton Project, trails, bikes, education, and programming are now producing new riders for decades to come. Join an inside look at this transformative project to discover why collaboration is our industry’s most powerful growth strategy and how your brand can support youth ridership in your own backyard.

Jon McNeill, former president of Tesla, former COO of Lyft, and a member of the board of directors at General Motors and LuluLemon, is an experienced executive known for leading organizations through rapid change and operational complexity. His work focuses on disciplined decision-making, simplifying complex systems, and building frameworks that help teams move faster and execute with clarity. Drawing on his experience leading large-scale operations, McNeill shares how leaders can apply structured approaches to problem solving, focus on what matters most, and sustain momentum through periods of change. Take away valuable lessons on challenging assumptions, streamlining processes, and accelerating cycle time as tools for long-term growth. BLC attendees will receive an advance copy of McNeill’s forthcoming book, The Algorithm, offering an early look at the ideas shaping his perspective on leadership, innovation, and decision-making ahead of its official public release.

REI’s Head of Merchandising Alicia Applegate shares concise, real-world profitability lessons from the retailer’s post-COVID merchandising strategy across cycle, snow, water, and climb equipment businesses. Drawing on cross-category insights, Applegate lays out what worked, what didn’t, and how shifting customer behavior reshaped assortment, planning, replenishment, and allocation strategies. Gain practical takeaways for leading change in merchandising efficiencies, margin profiles, and inventory turn, all while building assortment credibility in a still-evolving retail landscape. Designed as a fast, high-impact overview, this talk offers actionable lessons attendees can apply immediately to improve profitability.

With nearly two decades of leadership in brand strategy and global market expansion, Giant Group CEO Phoebe Liu shares actionable lessons from her forward-thinking approach to integrating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices across the group’s global operations. From the importance of responsible manufacturing to why a long-term commitment to ESG is good for business, learn how the world’s largest bicycle manufacturer continues to transform and collaborate with industry partners to build a greener supply chain and drive sustainable development across the entire cycling ecosystem.

For many children, bicycling is their first sport. Before leagues, tryouts, or scoreboards, the simple bicycle is the foundation for movement, confidence, and independence. Drawing on his own childhood, nearly 20 years at ESPN, and founding the Aspen Institute’s Sports and Society Program, Tom Farrey explores why biking is essential to expanding access to youth sports and fostering lifelong physical activity. From lessons the bike industry can take from other sports to emerging policy opportunities and best practices from Project Play's Children’s Bill of Rights in Sports and 63X30 initiative, Farrey lays out how we can engage schools, communities, and partners to ensure every child has a safe, joyful path to sports.

When childhood friends Levi Conlow and Robby Deziel set out to build an affordable e-bike, they took a fresh look at how the industry traditionally operates. Drawing on Conlow’s background in business and Deziel’s experience in mechanical engineering, they challenged assumptions around pricing, distribution, marketing, and how brands connect with riders. The result was Lectric eBikes, a company built around accessibility and the simple enjoyment of riding. Hear from the co-founders as they share lessons from their approach, what worked, what they learned along the way, and how they continue to think thoughtfully about what, if anything, should be done differently next.

As the founder of the Modern Elder Academy and former head of global hospitality and strategy at Airbnb, Chip Conley brings a rare perspective on leadership, renewal, and navigating disruption. At Airbnb, Conley helped transform the company from a fast-growing startup into one of the world’s most recognized brands, all while redefining what it means to lead with purpose in a rapidly changing marketplace.