by Trinity Ek, Mpact and Luke Distelhorst, King County Metro
The Mpact Innovators are a national networking group that welcomes the next generation of industry leaders and thinkers. The Innovators plan several events for the annual Mpact Transit + Community conference (formerly known as Rail~Volution).
Coffee Chats – a way to connect year-round
This year, the Mpact Innovators wanted to create some opportunities for people to connect informally year-round. Enter Coffee Chats—a way to meet up in small groups and share experiences from different vantage points around the country.
The first Coffee Chat, on May 9, focused on Housing and Transit Oriented Development (TOD), kicking off series of Mpact Innovator Coffee Chats planned for 2025. Aidan Doyle from SEPTA kindly did the honors as emcee, welcoming everyone and setting out the plan for the chat.
One thing to know: coffee chats are not “listen only, camera off” events. The idea is to talk and meet other people in this space. During the first Coffee Chat people said hello in small groups and started exploring what they see and know about TOD.
After about a half-hour of discussion, the big group shared some takeaways in a brief report out:
- Policies at the appropriate city, county, or state levels should support, standardize, and provide incentives for TOD.
- Public transit agencies that have a TOD policy have seen success when using Public-Private Partnerships, especially when collaborations ensure that land is still publicly owned while development costs are covered by a private developer.
- People have seen challenges arise from piecemeal development, where governing bodies are not in alignment.
- There are concerns over a potential lack of public funding for TOD.
- TODs should take into account all the community resources that can be reached without a personal vehicle.
The discussions, while brief given the format, opened avenues for individuals to explore. We encouraged each small group to exchange contact information for possible follow-up. The intent of the coffee chats is not to be definitive about a topic but rather to gauge what others are thinking, placing one’s own thoughts and work in a broader context. Another goal is to connect people working in diverse locations and t backgrounds, a core value of Mpact.
What was the general vibe of the first Coffee Chat? Here’s a word cloud of responses: “connected,” “awesome brainstorm,” and “common challenges” are among them. Attendees left feeling energized by their conversations and sharing that this was a unique way to connect.
The remaining 2025 Coffee Chats – here’s the line up
Want to join a Coffee Chat? Here’s the 2025 schedule:
July 11 Funding for transit, hosted by Kelechi Chibuikem, Omaha Metro
Securing sustainable, sufficient funding for transit is big on the minds of many. In this Coffee Chat, share your challenges and hear from others. Think about:
- Are you having funding challenges? How are you overcoming them?
- Do you have any new or non-traditional funding sources in your region?
- What success have you seen in your region for funding?
Sept 12 Public engagement, hosted by Christina Gotuaco Philip, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA)
Integrating community voice and values into planning creates places that serve the people who live in them. This Coffee Chat will offer a space to discuss:
- What creative tools do you use for public outreach?
- Describe a project where public outreach really made a difference.
- How do you seek to expand the reach of public outreach to folks not traditionally represented?
November 14 Lessons from Mpact Transit + Community
After the 2025 Mpact Transit + Community conference in Portland, Ore., share your lessons learned or ask the questions you wish you could’ve if you weren’t able to attend. Guiding the group in the final Coffee Chat of the year, we’ll talk about:
- What would you share with folks who weren’t able to attend the 2025 Mpact Transit + Community conference in Portland?
- If you didn’t attend, what session do you wish you could’ve gone to? (The schedule for 2025 will be available in late summer.)
Register for one or all
Come to as many as you want! Each chat is on Zoom the second Friday of every other month (so, July, September, November) from 10-11 am Central. Sign up for the sessions you’re interested in at http://bit.ly/MpactInnovatorCoffee25.
Many thanks to Luke Distelhorst from King Country Metro for his help with this recap.