4 Things to Watch At This Year’s Tech and Mobility Conference

Maylin Tu
Maylin Tu is a freelance writer who lives in L.A. She writes about scooters, bikes and micro-mobility. Find her hovering by the cheese at your next local tech mixer.
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Photo by Maylin Tu

CoMotion L.A., the annual transportation and technology conference focused on urban mobility, is taking place in Little Tokyo this week. This year’s theme, “The Multimodal City,” brings together public and private players from a range of transportation and mobility spaces, including public officials from cities that span from Los Angeles to Paris and a broad swath of tech companies, including Lacuna, Waymo and BP Pulse.


On the agenda: How do we electrify everything, collect data, reduce emissions, get people out of gas-powered, tire-burning vehicles and into something greener, safer and more equitable (i.e. trains). On the minds of many at the conference will be the billions of dollars the federal government has allocated for new transportation infrastructure.

But first things first: How do you host an entire conference on the multimodal city without a single workshop or panel focused on micromobility or active transportation (biking or walking)?

Oh, wait — there’s a fireside chat called “Sustainability in the Slow Lane” with no listed speakers. Um, it’s only the slow lane if you’ve never zipped past L.A. rush hour traffic on a bike or scooter, Brian. Snark aside, it’s frustrating to see more sustainable and healthy forms of mobility characterized primarily as “slow.” Sure, speed is great, but have you ever biked down The Strand during sunset? Also, the lack of programming on pedestrian and cyclist safety is disappointing.

If micromobility is out, then UAM (urban air mobility) and AAM (advanced air mobility) and eVTOLs (electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft) are in. Space may be the final frontier but investor eyes are fixed on more terrestrial solutions. When it comes to aerial ridesharing, cities are still trying to figure out what will fly: “How should community acceptance be defined, and what is needed to achieve it?” asks one workshop. CoMotion will attempt to answer this and other questions in panels and workshops, drawing on industry players such as Supernal and Overair, the company that announced a partnership with nonprofit Urban Movement Labs to bring aerial taxis to L.A.

Here are some other highlights we’re looking forward to:

The Future of Transit Payments

As L.A. Metro develops and expands its new mobility wallet (set to launch next year), it will be interesting to hear how the agency is reaching unbanked customers often ignored by big tech companies. Metro is also contemplating raising fares and instituting fare-capping, a change that advocates say could hurt the estimated 20% of riders who pay with cash. We’ll be looking at what measures the city is planning to put in place (if any) to make sure its plans for the future don’t leave behind its most vulnerable travelers. Metro might also be set to announce which private mobility players it will be integrating into the mobility wallet — will Angelenos be able to pay for a Lyft or Lime ride with their TAP card or app in the future, setting the city on the path to true multimodal bliss?

Creating a ‘Universal Basic Mobility’ Toolkit in Los Angeles

In conjunction with the mobility wallet it is developing, L.A. is launching the biggest experiment in “universal basic mobility” (UBM) in the country, with 2,000 total people enrolled from South L.A. Participants will receive $150 per month to spend on multimodal transportation from private companies (like Uber) and public transit agencies (like Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus). This panel will explore how all the different elements of the UBM pilot will work together. We’ll be looking at how LADOT is partnering with nonprofits in South L.A. to get the word out about the pilot, future infrastructure improvements for bikes and pedestrians and how the agency plans to measure success.

Bringing Streetcars Back to LA: A Design Visioning Exercise

A workshop sponsored by ArtCenter College of Design takes inspiration from L.A.’s past to envision its future. If you are occasionally struck by nostalgic yearning for a less car-centric city connected by street cars instead of freeways, then this experience may be for you. Hopefully there won’t be too many urbanists crying into their coffee.

The Urban Frontlines of the Autonomous Rollout

With robotaxis coming to L.A. in the near future, it’s worth looking at lessons from other cities (i.e., San Francisco). Waymo is already seeking community buy-in and recently partnered with Bike LA (formerly the L.A. County Bike Coalition). Will Angelenos embrace autonomous technology on already clogged streets? Will robotaxis play nice with bikes, scooters and pedestrians? We’re looking forward to some healthy debate and the presence of Alex Roy (podcaster at Autonocast) seems like a good sign.

LA’s Data Center Supply Crunch

🔦 Spotlight

Happy Friday Los Angeles!

The Los Angeles data center market is experiencing a significant supply crunch, ranking 12th in growth among top markets since 2020 with only 265 megawatts of colocation inventory (data centers where businesses rent space to store their computing hardware and servers). Despite this, demand is surging, driven by AI, cloud, and hyperscaler needs, with AI accounting for 20% of new data center demand nationally. This scarcity is creating a highly competitive environment, with vacancy rates at a record low 3% and asking rents rising 13-37% year-over-year. For Los Angeles, this presents both challenges and opportunities in the big picture. The city's strategic position as a global entertainment hub and its connectivity to international markets through subsea cables make it an attractive location for data centers. However, the limited inventory and rising costs could potentially hinder growth and innovation in the tech sector. To maintain its competitive edge, Los Angeles will need to address these constraints through new developments, such as GI Partners' 16 MW addition at One Wilshire, and by focusing on high-connectivity, high-power capacity submarkets. The city's tech community should prepare for a landscape of increased competition for quality data center space, higher costs, and the need for innovative solutions to meet growing demand, particularly in AI and cloud services. While Los Angeles faces a challenging data center supply crunch, its strategic advantages and ongoing developments offer a promising path forward.


🤝 Venture Deals

LA Companies

  • Daisy, a one-year-old startup that designs and installs smart home and office technology systems, raised a $7M Series B co-led by Goldcrest and Bungalow, with previous investors Bullish and Burst Capital also stepping up. The company has raised a total of $13.3 million. - learn more

LA Venture Funds


    ✨ Featured Event ✨

    LA TECH CEO SUMMIT

    LA’s tech leadership is set to reunite after a long break! This two day summit will focus on building strong connections, sharing insights, and fortifying the local tech community.

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    Register Here


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    🌐Decentralizing Data & Vacations: Sony's Web3 Leap and Sensible Weather's KOA Partnership

    🔦 Spotlight

    Happy Long Weekend Los Angeles!

    Sony Group is making a significant push into the blockchain and Web3 space, leveraging its Sony Pictures and Sony Music divisions along with a new global incubator. The company has developed the Soneium blockchain through Sony Block Solutions Labs, a joint venture aimed at accelerating Web3 innovation. Sony is launching the "Soneium Minato" public testnet and a developer incubation program called "Soneium Spark" to foster ecosystem growth and adoption. The initiative includes strategic partnerships with Web3 companies such as Astar Network, Circle, and Optimism. Sony aims to create a fan community centered on creators and connect diverse values through Soneium, with the ultimate goal of integrating Web3 services into people's daily lives. While the company acknowledges the challenges faced by Web3, including limited user adoption and the need for mainstream use cases, it remains committed to decentralizing the concentrated power of the current internet landscape.

    In completely unrelated and more digestible news Sensible Weather, a leading weather protection provider that we’ve featured many times, has partnered with Kampgrounds of America (KOA) to offer Weather Guarantees at over 450 KOA Campgrounds across the United States. This collaboration allows campers to purchase weather protection for their outdoor experiences, providing peace of mind and potential reimbursements of up to 100% of their nightly rate if weather conditions exceed predefined parameters. The partnership comes at an opportune time, as camping has seen a significant increase in popularity, with active campers growing by 68% over the past decade. If you are looking to do some camping this fall make sure you look into Sensible Weather protections to ensure that unpredictable weather won't dampen (nailed it) your camping experience.


    🤝 Venture Deals

    LA Companies

    • Space and Time, a blockchain data warehouse developer, raised a $20M Series A led by Framework Ventures. - learn more
    • Miris, a provider of spatial content streaming solutions, raised a $26M Seed Round led by IAG Capital Partners. - learn more

    LA Venture Funds

    • Fika Ventures led a $4.55M Seed Round for Revenew, a San Francisco startup that aims to help digital platforms and marketplaces manage their payments and optimize financial operations. - learn more
    • Bonfire Ventures participated in a $25M Series A for Supio, an AI platform for personal injury law firms. - learn more
    • Amplify LA participated in a $2M Seed Round for Pryzm, a startup that provides tools and data to help businesses navigate government contracting more efficiently. - learn more

      ✨ Featured Event ✨

      LA TECH CEO SUMMIT

      LA’s tech leadership is set to reunite after a long break! This two day summit will focus on building strong connections, sharing insights, and fortifying the local tech community.

      Learn More Here

      Register Here


      Download the dot.LA App

      Personality Assessments Improving Workplace Dynamics

      Misunderstandings can have significant and sometimes severe impacts, far beyond the hilarious cake pictured above. Many organizations are increasingly using personality assessments to improve team dynamics and productivity. Tests like the Enneagram, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), and DISC assessment are valuable tools for developing existing teams in addition to hiring new employees. These assessments provide insights into team members' motivations, communication styles, and work preferences, helping colleagues understand each other better. By highlighting the different personalities within a team, these tests can enhance communication, resolve conflicts, and optimize task assignments based on individual strengths. As companies aim for greater efficiency and collaboration, the Enneagram, MBTI, and DISC assessments are becoming essential for transforming established teams into more effective and cohesive units.


      Image Source: iEQ9

      Enneagram

      The Enneagram test is a sophisticated personality assessment that categorizes individuals into nine distinct personality types, each defined by unique motivations, fears,and behavioral patterns. This holistic approach enhances team dynamics in a business setting by fostering self-awareness, improving communication, and facilitating conflict resolution among team members. By understanding different personality types, teams can optimize their composition, tailor professional development, and create a more empathetic and collaborative environment. This framework not only helps leaders adapt their styles to better support diverse team members but also promotes inclusivity and effective collaboration, ultimately leading to improved team performance, productivity, and retention.

      Resources:iEQ9. We recommend getting an Enneagram coach to get the most out of the results.

      Key Features: Focus on core motivations. Accounts for personality shifts under stress or growth. Offers practical, actionable guidance for personal growth. Uses a dynamic, adaptive questioning approach. Claims 95% accuracy rate through advanced techniques.


      Image Source: DiSC Profile

      DiSC (Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness)

      The DiSC assessment is a widely used behavioral analysis tool that categorizes individuals into four primary personality types: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness. For businesses, DiSC provides valuable insights into employees' communication styles, work preferences, and motivations. By understanding these behavioral tendencies, teams can improve collaboration, reduce conflicts, and enhance overall productivity. Implementing DiSC in a business setting can lead to more effective leadership, tailored communication strategies, and optimized task allocation based on individual strengths.

      Resources:DiSC Profile.

      Key Features: Designed specifically for workplace applications. Focuses on observable behaviors rather than psychological traits. Widely researched and validated over 40+ years. Provides practical strategies for improving interactions.


      Image Source: The Myers-Briggs Company

      The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

      The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a widely used personality assessment tool that categorizes individuals into 16 distinct personality types based on four dichotomies: Extraversion/Introversion, Sensing/Intuition, Thinking/Feeling, and Judging/Perceiving. For businesses, the MBTI provides valuable insights into employees' communication styles, decision-making processes, and work preferences.This helps promote a more productive workplace, and enables employees to become involved in more meaningful ways, all while leveraging everyone’s unique strengths.

      Resources:The Myers-Briggs Company.

      Key Features: Focuses on preferences rather than traits. Focuses on how people perceive and judge information. Widely used in business and career counseling


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