2019 SYMPOSIUM PANELISTS


JESSI COMBS
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MEET JESSI COMBS

MOTO-CELEBRITY
“FORWARD MOTION” PANELST – 2019
“PAVING THE WAY” PANELIST - 2012

Jessi Combs was born in the Black Hills of Rapid City, SD. With a lifelong desire to become a race car driver, this fearless young lady found a love for speed and its machines at a very young age. Her family explored everything around them and gave her a solid appreciation for off-roading as well as racing in many forms.  In addition to her love for everything automotive, Jessi is somewhat of an artist and spends as much time as she can creating with her own hands.  She loves metal working, leather craft and photography, and can make almost anything one can dream up. She is an independent and adventurous spirit, boasting, “I will try everything at least twice...  I wouldn’t want to be jaded by the first attempt.”  

Having turned down a full scholarship to a prominent interior design school, she traveled North America before settling in Denver, CO to pursue a career in snowboarding.  This proved more painfully demanding on her physically than she had anticipated and rather decided on a career that involved her love for the throttle pedal and showcased her artistic abilities.  She moved to Laramie, WY to attend WyoTech where she studied Collision/Refinishing, Chassis Fabrication, Street RodFabrication, and Trim/Upholstery, graduating at the top of her class with a degree in Custom Automotive Fabrication.

Her time and involvement at the trade school led to her first fabrication job when the marketing department hired her and another student by the name of Ben Bright to build a car from the ground up in six months to debut at the Specialty Equipment Marketing Association’s (SEMA) show.  The car was auctioned for charity and Ms Combs hasn’t looked back since.

While her chosen career path didn’t initially include time on television, she found herself on Overhaulin’ as a guest fabricator and was soon hired as the co-host of Xtreme 4x4, part of the Powerblock on Spike TV; a position she held for four years and 90+ episodes.  Together with co-host Ian Johnson, they built everything from race trucks to street trucks and trail rigs to trailers for an audience of millions.

In a widely publicized yet unexplainable accident in 2007, while working in the studio, Jessi was folded in two by a large piece of machinery that had fallen on her, burst fracturing her spine's L3.  The accident should have left her wheelchair bound; but instead, after surgery, bed rest, therapy, eight months and a little help from God, Jessi was granted full medical release.  Appreciative of her health and her time with Xtreme 4x4, Jessi chose to move on with her career and in 2008 left the show in pursuit of other opportunities.

The next year was full of appearances on shows like 2 Guys Garage, TruckU, SEMA Show Special, DuplicolorTV, Full Throttle TV, Pirate4x4 TV Live, and Bosch 125.  Her on-screen personality was beginning to take shape as she honed her skills as a TV host while maintaining her integrity as a metal fabricator, builder and industrial artist.  In 2009 she appeared as a host and builder on the 7th season of Mythbusters to fill in for Kari Byron's maternity leave.

Recently, the Velocity Channel has been her home for television as she could be found on All Girls Garage and Overhaulin's 2011's return to TV as a host and ‘A-Team’ hybrid member. She can currently be seen on The List: 1001 Car Things To Do Before You Die on AOL's autoblog.com, also airing on the Velocity. 

The training associated with these programs has allowed Jessi to become a performance driver for the film and commercial world. She has driven everything from super cars to monster trucks, relics to rally cars, hot rods, two wheels, four wheels and even at times, no wheels. Stunt driving has opened a whole new passion into the arena of possibilities between woman and machine for Jessi. 

When it comes to competitive driving, Combs feels right at home in the driver seat. She has raced Ultra4's King of the Hammers in 2010, 2012, 2013, taking home a spec class win in 2014 as the first female to ever place at any Ultra4 event; she pressed on and wrapped up the season with the National Championship. Finishing the Baja 1000 is winning, although in 2011 taking home a class 10 podium finish is a true landmark in her racing resume. The North American Eagle Supersonic Speed Challenger added Jessi to the team for the 2013 attempt to break the 512 mph Women’s Landspeed World record made in 1976 by Kitty O’neil; to date, Jessi is the fastest woman on 4-wheels holding a record of 398 mph with a top speed of 440 mph (the team remains in pursuit for her to become the Fastest Woman on Earth). Early 2015 Combs competed in the Rallye Aicha des Gazelles, a 9 day all-female rally race that only uses 1960 hand-drawn maps and compass; they pulled 10th place overall and a 1st place finish in the First Participation category. The Race of Gentleman, held by the longstanding Oilers car club, invited Jessi as the first women to compete in their carnival event by racing a 1913 twin engine Model T down the beach; her ability to handle any situation with any car will forever be in the history books.

Jessi is proud of the relationships she has fostered throughout her career and she continues to represent many companies as a brand representative as well as a product expert.  These relationships coupled with her skills provided her the opportunity to develop a woman's line of welding gear (PPE) with Lincoln Electric in order to fill the demand and growth of ladies in the industry. Jessi has joined 8 years of epic 4-wheeling journeys with WARN Industries and proceeds to spread the word about their proven quality with the rest of the world. As a hands on builder, aligning with establishments such as CRC and Industrial Metal Supply only help her mission to express to others what woman are capable of in the shop. 

Not known for sitting still, this fast-paced girl is also working on starting her own metal fab shop: “A place where bad ass hot rods, motorcycles, custom trucks, race vehicles, and anything metal will originate with a feminine touch; where chicks can finally have a place to get dirty, be creative, use their skills, explore talents, go fast, and have fun in a comfortable working environment”. Her achievements and dedication to the hands on way of living have parlayed into a new brand that encompasses the lifestyle other passionate woman possess while living a REAL DEAL life. 


CRIS SOMMER SIMMONS
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MEET CRIS SOMMER SIMMONS

MOTORCYCLE HALL OF FAMER
“FORWARD MOTION” MODERATOR – 2019
"MOVING FORWARD" SYMPOSIUM PANELIST – 2013

Cris has enjoyed a lifetime love affair with two wheels. An eager passenger on her stepfather’s motorcycle at age 9, she got her first motorcycle (a Yamaha Twin jet 100) at 14, her first Harley at age 19 and has been riding ever since.  She was a longtime member of the Women’s International Motorcycle Association and in 1984, co-founded the 2nd Chapter of Women in the Wind. In 1985 Cris co-founded the world’s first motorcycle magazine for women called Harley Women. For over 5 years she acted as co-publisher and editor, often riding her motorcycle across the country to find the stories. On one such ride in 1989 she met her husband-to-be, rocker and fellow motorcycle enthusiast, Doobie Brother Patrick Simmons.

For several years starting in the late ‘80s Cris appeared in countless national newspaper articles, radio and television talk shows as a representative and advocate of the growing number of women who rode their own motorcycles. In 1988, she was awarded an Honorary Lifetime membership to Women in The Wind. Cris is a 25 year AMA member, a Lifetime HOG member as well as a Motor Maid and a member of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America. In 1990, she was honored as a pioneering woman motorcyclist in the American Motorcycle Associations’ Women In Motorcycling exhibit.

After selling her interest in Harley Women, Cris began a 15-year stint as a freelance motorcycle journalist, writing extensively for several magazines in the U.S., including American Iron, Motorcycle Collector, Iron Works, Easyriders, V-Twin, as well as magazines in Japan, Spain and in Australia.  Cris penned her own column for over 12 years in the popular Japanese Harley magazine Hot Bike Japan and is currently the women’s editor for American Iron magazine. She also speaks about women in motorcycling at events around the country.

In 1994, Cris wrote and self-published the award winning children’s motorcycle book Patrick Wants to Ride, for which she was honored with the AMA’s Brighter Image MVP Award.

Then, in 1995, Cris was one of 4 women featured in an original documentary on women motorcyclists for Turner Broadcasting called Biker Women.

In 2003, she was proud to be inducted into the National Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Anamosa Iowa and the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Westerville, Ohio. In 2008 she was inducted into the Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

In July of 2009, she released the popular book ‘The American Motorcycle Girls 1900-1950” (which is still one of the top selling motorcycle history books.).  Later that year Cycle Source Magazine named Cris the “Motorcycling Woman of the Year” for 2009.  

In Sept. of 2010, Cris rode her 1915 Harley-Davidson, Effie, 3,200 miles in the pre-1916 motorcycle cross country Motorcycle Cannonball. The grueling 16-day endurance ride started in Kitty Hawk, NC and ended up in Santa Monica, CA. Out of the 45 riders entered, she was one of only two women registered, and the only American woman rider. She made it all the way to Santa Monica and took 20th place.

In March of 2011, Cris released The Cannonball Diary, a book about her journey riding Effie across the country.

In the Fall of 2013 Cris and her husband Pat rode their 1914 and 1915 Harley-Davidsons 1,000 miles from Sturgis, SD to Milwaukee, WI to celebrate the 110th Anniversary of Harley-Davidson.

In 2014 the pair also rode the 4,100 mile pre-1937 Motorcycle Cannonball on their 1934 and 1929 Harley-Davidsons. Again in 2016, they both rode the Motorcycle Cannonball again, on their 1914 and 1915 H-Ds from Atlantic City, NJ to San Diego, CA.  The pair are also looking forward to the 2018 Motorcycle Cannonball, (on the same early bikes), riding from Portland, Maine to Portland, Oregon.


MARILYN STEMP
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MEET MARILYN STEMP

IRON TRADER NEWS
“FORWARD MOTION” MODERATOR – 2019
"SHIFTING GEARS" SPEAKER - 2018
"MY MOTORCYCLE LIFE" MODERATOR - 2017
"TWO-WHEELED TRANSFORMATION" MODERATOR - 2016

Marilyn met artsy, mechanically-minded Dennis Stemp, and followed him blithely down the road that led to IronWorks. She’s never regretted a second of it. Not even the many beans-on-toast dinners or stressful moments over the company checkbook. As single title publishers who had bumbled into the industry with little experience, their learning curve was steep. Marilyn has said, “we didn’t know what we didn’t know so we just kept moving ahead.”

In the early years, when printing bills came more quickly than advertising revenue, Marilyn and Dennis turned to their own garage for funding… and started selling their bikes.

Marilyn recalls “the one that was toughest: the Harley-Davidson XLCR. Losing that motorcycle stands in testament to how darn determined we were that IronWorks would succeed.” and it won’t surprise anyone, that she knows where that bike is, still.

Marilyn looks back fondly and states “We’d put everything we had into IronWorks – and a little bit more. But I like to think we also carved out a niche by approaching the topic in a new way. We figured there were other riders like us with more enthusiasm for the machinery than the lifestyle – which ultimately led to living the lifestyle, just in a different way. So we snubbed sound bites and instead took the time to dig deeper and connect the dots. To tell the stories of people and their motorcycles with candor and respect. To do that in complete sentences with no bro-talk. To make space for women columnists and minority bike owners. We were inclusive before it was a thing.”

“Those years earned us some credibility and laid the foundation for a future I wasn’t yet aware of or prepared for.” And when Dennis passed away in 2000, reeling from the loss, with two children depending on her and always another deadline to meet, she daily doubted her abilities. She would ask herself “Had a woman ever been editor of a nationally-circulated, mainstream motorcycle magazine before? Did she have the chops to chart the path? And, oh, yeah, how many cupcakes does the third-grade need tomorrow? Yes, running IronWorks pushed her to move off the pillion, so to speak, and forced her to confront new challenges.

Fourteen years later, when IronWorks’ publisher pulled the plug, it was devastating. But Marilyn remains proud of what her team accomplished, including her son, Vincent, who was on staff then. In 2014, she decided that she had to reinvent herself. And she did just that. Iron Trader News was re-established online with Marilyn in the editor’s chair. In 2015 Marilyn became founding editor the Sturgis Rider Daily, a newspaper published during the Sturgis Rally for the Sturgis Buffalo Chip. She also edits the monthly Kiwi Indian E-news. In between, she wrote the Harley-Davidson-sanctioned history of their Custom Vehicle Operations titled Harley-Davidson CVO for Motorbooks International/Quatro Publishing, and edited Gloria, A Lifetime Motorcyclist by Gloria Tramontin Struck for Wolfgang Publishing.

To keep from being bored Marilyn has maintained memberships in the AMA, AMCA, H.O.G. and MRF, and has consistently supported efforts to capture our shared history and promote the positive aspects of motorcycling, such as providing editorial support for the Legends Ride and Biker Belles charity events; she has acted as moderator for the Biker Belles symposium on several occasions. She helped organize and promote Builder Breakfast Charity events in both Daytona and Sturgis in the mid-2000s to benefit Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Boggy Creek Gang Camp. With her friend Jeff Najar, Marilyn revived the event at Sturgis in 2015 as the Flying Piston Charity Breakfast held in association with the Buffalo Chip’s Motorcycles As Art Exhibition to benefit the tech ed scholarships and Motorcycle Missions. And just for fun, she is a partner in the world’s largest Evel Knievel collection, now housed in the new Evel Knievel Museum in Topeka, Kansas.

Marilyn proudly exclaims” It’s a splendid gift to work in an industry that’s endlessly innovative while holding tight to its traditions. Better yet, motorcycling is populated by such authentic people. Over time, many of them have become for me not simply business associates or acquaintances, but essential friends and family. I love my family of birth, but my family of choice is all that more dear, perhaps for the serendipity of it all.” 

In August of 2018, serendipity led Marilyn Stemp to the ranks of the Sturgis Hall of Fame. Later that year she was honored to be inducted into the Las Vegas Motorcycle Hall of Fame during Las Vegas BikeFest and in early 2019 she accepted an honorary position as a National Ambassador for All Kids Bike with Strider Sports Int’l.

2019 SPECIAL GUESTS


ALISA CLICKENGER
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MEET ALISA CLICKENGER

MOTO TRAVELER & JOURNALIST
“SHIFTING GEARS” PANELIST - 2018

Twenty years ago, Alisa Clickenger had a dream in which she was running for her life. In waking life, she was in the middle of a painful divorce. Within this dream she found salvation in the form of a motorcycle and sped away from imminent danger. Never having ridden a motorcycle before, Alisa awoke with the sensation of mastery over machine and wind in her hair. The metaphor of motor‐cycling saving her life has become increasingly clear to her, and in 2006, Alisa quit her job as Director of Operations for an IT company and decided to re-invent herself as a moto-traveler and writer.

In 2009-2010, Alisa went on a seven-month, solo motorcycle journey from New York to Argentina, riding through Mexico, and Central and South America by herself. She’s ridden across America multiple times and other motorcycle trips have taken her to Alaska, all over Europe, India, Israel, Cuba, Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro and most recently Southern Africa.

Alisa’s mission is to support and empower other riders, particularly women, to achieve their two-wheeled dreams. Sharing the wisdom she's gained on the open road, Alisa is now a coach for women who want to grow their business, mindset, dreams, and capacity. Through her female-focused motorcycle touring company, www.WomensMotorcycle Tours.com, Alisa offers life-changing
experiences on two wheels.

In May Alisa was named to Dealer News magazine’s Top 100 Leaders in Powersports and is the author of Boost Your Confidence through Motorcycling: A Woman's Guide to Being Your Best Self On and Off the
Bike, which she will be signing at the Biker Belles. Sign up to ride cross-country with Alisa in 2020 leaving from the Biker Belles celebration to celebrate Women's Right to Vote at www.CentennialRide.com.


LOUSIE LEWIS
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MEET LOUSIE LEWIS

AUTHOR

Louise Lewis has 30 years of experience in marketing and advertising, having held senior-level positions on the client, advertising agency, and advertising sales sides of the business.

To balance out her strong business sense, Louise considers herself a self-growth junkie, continuing to seek light, love, and wisdom in her daily life. Her charitable nature has been put to good use as a volunteer for Big Brother/Sister, Catholic Ministries Juvenile Detention, and CHOC Children’s Hospital.

She has devoted over a decade to her meaning of life journey with her ‘biker dudes’.

She has earned a bachelor’s degree in Communications at California State University, Fullerton. Born and raised in Louisiana, she now resides in Florida.


ELLIE RAINS
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MEET ELLIE RAINS

MIDWEST WOMEN RIDERS FOUNDER

Started out on a mini bike as a young girl like so many others in the 60’s.

Then rode my boyfriend’s (who is now my husband) dirt bike in the field across the street from his house during the 70’s.  

Tim, my husband had several makes and models of motorcycles which i would ride.

But it wasn’t till 2008 when I purchased  my first Harley,, a 2008 Deluxe… and became a serious rider. 

Long distance riding quickly became an addiction. I loved the way riding made me feel. FREEDOM & Empowering

It was then that I began to realize that many ladies were riding their own as well, which led me to creating Midwest Women Riders in 2008. The community grew quickly, ladies where excited to have a group where we could discuss, organize rides, support one another and have a sisterhood without a club affiliation. A more relaxed community where you could participate as you wanted with no pressure. While welcoming club and organization information to be shared for those who are wanting more structure.

Last May 2019 the group hosted a weekend event where 400 women riders from 16 states attended all while raising funds for area charities.

Since the founding of MWR, the largely successful group Women Riders Motorcycle Group USA, which is highly respected amongst the motorcycle community was formed. 

Welcoming women who ride and those that have a strong desire to learn. The community is focused on the women rider with principles of unity, loyalty, respect, sisterhood while welcoming all makes and models. 

The community has evolved over the years to meet the needs of the members.

Being diligent at promoting and networking the group through social media while traveling the country has always been important to me. With a strong emphasis on no drama, unity and respect, which is expected. The ability to give women a respectable community to call their own. 

I may be the founder or leader of WRMGUSA but I truly believe the community of women within the group is what makes us successful in our efforts. I have to give credit to the ladies by maintaining the integrity and high standards of the community.

Newly retired I am able to have much more flexibility and time to achieve goals that I only dreamed about for myself and my communities.

Continuing to unite women who ride, inspire, encourage and support ladies to ride their own is a great thing. 

I’m a wife, a mom, a grandma and I'm a motorcycle rider!


SAVANNAH ROSE
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MEET SAVANNAH ROSE

BUILDER
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
MOTORCYCLE PHOTOGRAPHER

Hailing from Southern California and currently living in the Midwest, Savannah Rose is a freelance motorcycle photographer and Social Media Manager, along with being a RiderCoach for the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. She’s a strong advocate for women riders, and especially women in the motorcycle industry.

Savannah built her third bike, a 2000 Sportster that she bought from her mother, from the ground up, in her kitchen - it turns out that Wisconsin winters and lack of a heated garage are harsh - but improvising with what she had, she managed to build a custom bike exactly to her design for the Sturgis Buffalo Chip Motorcycles As Art Show curated by Michael Lichter during  the '17 Sturgis Rally. From the engine rebuild to the bodywork and paint, her goal was to do as much as possible on her own, and assist in aspects of the build and learn about the things she couldn't do.

After working with multiple notable motorcycle companies, including S&S Cycle, Drag Specialties, and Cycle Source Magazine, she strives to make sure she does what she loves for a living. Traveling the country, covering the best and biggest motorcycle events is where she flourishes.
 
She is now working on learning more in the fabrication department - with the help of Lincoln Electric and WeldTables, she’s working to develop the welding skills to further her work in both motorcycles and in art. 

Chances are you’ll spot her around during Rally Week at the Buffalo Chip - keep an eye out for her Sporty Chopper, and if you see her camera lens pointed your direction, be sure to smile! 


DIVA AMY SKALING
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MEET DIVA AMY SKALING

TEAM DIVA
BIKER BELLES AMBASSADOR
“RIDE ON” SYMPOSIUM PANELIST - 2014

Diva Amy lives by her mantra, “Anything worth doing … is worth OVERdoing.”  It especially applies to her beloved Custom Diva Glides she embellished with Swarovski Crystals one by one. She is a “long road lover”, preferring to ride the long distances, waking up in a different place every morning, exploring our great U.S. and Canada.

She comes from a world of sales, design, and merchandising…starting with the snow ski apparel business and moved forward entering the motorcycle world. She applied her mantra creating her own company, TEAM DIVA, creating custom designs in apparel and accessories vending at many of the motorcycle events from Daytona Beach to Hollister, CA. and points in between. Her embellished headwear is now sold on her ETSY store.

Paying her dues in the vending trenches led her to fundraising for many causes in the motorcycle world. Diva Amy has been working on the Biker Belles Charity Ride Team for many years, creating the Comfort Zone, working on the silent auction, and the retail area. She is the Biker Belles Ambassador and will be the Ride Captain of the event this year. “I am very proud to be a part of the Buffalo Chip Family Team,” says Diva Amy. Make sure you find her and check out Diva Glide 2 on Tuesday, August 6, 2019 for the Biker Belles Charity Ride.


GLORIA STRUCK
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MEET GLORIA STRUCK

FEATURED SPEAKER 2015
HONORARY GUEST 2012-2018

While Gloria Tramontin Struck came from a motorcycling family, she didn't originally have any burning desire to ride. In fact, in 1941, when she was 16, her older brother decided to teach her to ride while she told him tearfully, “I don’t want to know how to ride.” Well, he won out, and since then she has owned 14 bikes—three Indians and 11 Harleys. She now rides a 2004 Heritage Softail Classic.

Gloria was born in 1925 behind her family's business, the Lexington Cycle Shop, in Clifton, NJ. The business had been selling bicycles and Excelsior-Henderson motorcycles since 1915. When she was only three years old, her father, Ernest, died at the age of 32, leaving her 28-year-old mother, Pierina, to take over the shop. Pierina became an Indian dealer in the ‘30s until her retirement in 1947 when Gloria's brother, Arthur "Bub" Tramontin, took over as a Harley Dealer. Bub's son is now the third generation to operate the business that will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2015.

In 1946, at age 21, Gloria joined the Motor Maids. She and the founders’ daughter, Betty Fauls, are the club’s longest standing members still riding. Two years ago, the two were the first in the Motor Maids’ history to be honored for 65 years of active riding.

Gloria has logged over 500 thousand miles, riding all 48 continental states many times over. She has made the trip to Daytona Bike Week numerous times since 1951, and she attends many Rallies, Motor Maid events and conventions from New Jersey to California.


VALERIE THOMPSON
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MEET VALERIE THOMPSON

WORLD'S FASTEST FEMALE MOTORCYCLE RACER
"MY MOTORCYCLE LIFE" SYMPOSIUM PANELIST – 2017

Valerie is the “World’s Fastest Female Motorcycle Racer” and an eight-time land speed record holder with membership in the Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame, seven 200 MPH Clubs and one 300 MPH Club. In 2018, she piloted the famed BUB 7 Streamliner to a record speed of 328.467 mph (528.616 km/h) and is the only female rider featured on the “World’s Top 10 Fastest Motorcycle Riders” list. She was recently included on the Dealernews “Top 100 Leaders in Powersports” list.

In addition to pursuing the fastest motorcycle title of 376.363 mph, Valerie assumed driving duties of the Treit and Davenport Target 550 Streamliner in 2019 for her first land speed record attempt on 4-wheels. Marlo Treit and Les Davenport have four decades of land speed racing experience in a variety of record-setting vehicles. The team’s goal is to break the current conventional wheel-driven, piston-powered automobile FIA class speed record of 417.020 mph.

Valerie is the first woman in the seat of the Target 550 Streamliner, so she could achieve the goal of becoming the first woman over 400 mph both in a car and motorcycle. While other women have reached fabulous speeds in a car and others in a motorcycle streamliner, NO woman has done both. She has the opportunity to be the first driver over 500 mph in a piston engine car, and over 400 mph in a motorcycle. Something that NOBODY – man or woman has accomplished.

Awards & Acknowledgements

  • Named “Top 100 Leaders in Powersports” list Dealernews - 2019
  • Only female featured on the “World’s Top 10 Fastest Motorcycle Riders” list - 2019
  • Featured in "Rockets and Titans" a worldwide film documentary scheduled for theater distribution in 2019
  • Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame Inductee – 2018
  • First female member of the Australia 300 MPH Club on a motorcycle – 2018
  • Recipient of the Dry Lakes Racers Australia “Fastest Lady Award” (328.467 mph) - 2018
  • First female appointee to the Bonneville 200 MPH Club Board of Directors – 2017
  • Recipient of the “Top Speed Award” at the Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials” (304.263 mph) - 2016
  • Guest Celebrity rider/speaker International Female Ride Day – 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019
  • Career-best speed of 217.7 mph (350.53 km/h) on a conventional bike - one-mile course
  • Recipient of American Woman Riders Association Community Hero Award for support of the HopeKids
    organization
  • Recipient of Red-Carpet Award by Delores Seright, author of Amazing Women “Shattering Barriers”

TV & Film Acknowledgements

  • Co-starred in Super Bowl Commercial
  • Often seen on Barrett-Jackson Auto Auctions television broadcasts as a celebrity vehicle presenter
  • Featured in award-winning documentary films, including “Why We Ride” and “Mega Speed” (Discovery Channel)

Valerie’s quest to become the world’s fastest motorcycle racer is the subject of P-51 Pictures and MN8 upcoming 2019 feature film documentary, “Rockets and Titans.”

For updates, photos and celebrity appearances, visit ValerieThompsonRacing.com. 


STACI WILT
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MEET STACI WILT

WRITER
CONSULTANT

Not your average Millennial, Staci has been riding motorcycles for nine years, or 170,000 miles worth of long distance, primarily solo motorcycle trips…which ever way you want to look at it.

After years of sleeping in the dirt next to one of her Harleys, exploring the country’s back roads, testing the latest riding gear, and offering guidance and providing inspiration to her peers for their road trips, Staci launched Ride to Food in 2019. The platform aims to provide advice for traveling via motorcycle, inspiration to push the boundaries, and of course, to help grow the next generation of riders.

Passionate to make a difference for current and future riders, Staci has worked on a plethora of motorcycle marketing related activities, including event coordination, activation, digital campaigns, and more. She has been a marketing director and consultant for multiple Harley-Davidson® dealers over the last ten years, and has had photo and written work published in some of the industry’s top digital and print publications.

Not only does Staci love to push boundaries in every day life, she loves to do so on her motorcycles as well. Staci rides a 2003 Sportster and 2015 Dyna Low Rider, neither of which are close to stock. She loves the customization process, learning about the latest performance parts, and gaining knowledge and skills in riding ability.

When Staci isn’t on a motorcycle, she’s probably hiking, camping, or swimming in the nearest watering hole possible, soaking up the sun rays and enjoying life.


GINA WOODS
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MEET GINA WOODS

OPEN ROAD RADIO

Gina Woods is the co-creator and co-producer of Open Road Radio. Her passion and charisma is what drives the one-of-a-kind talk show to maintaining its stellar reputation. Based on her ideas, Open Road Radio has grown into the most successful radio station of its kind. They focus exclusively on the history, evolution, passion, and culture of motorcycling. Gina has taken her original idea and transformed it into an award-winning broadcast. The Open Road Radio has been up and running since 1997, and along the way, they’ve collected numerous awards from a variety of charities. Gina fell in love with motorcycles and the biker’s way of life at a young age. She has been riding for more than 20 years, and her skills and knowledge of riding make her a credible source on the air. She has become a respected ambassador of the motorcycle culture.


KELLY YAZDI
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MEET KELLY YAZDI

MODEL
ACTRESS
EVENTS CREATOR

Since she was a little girl, Kelly has always found a home in the saddle. Growing up in rural Minnesota, Kelly spent her childhood working with horses, riding dirt bikes and was always seeking out any adrenaline-pumping activities. On the day she turned 18, she obtained her M1 license and sought to be a driving force for women, and a spokesmodel for living with passion. 

As an actress, model and events creator, Kelly has been able to combine her passions and create a career that she calls the "Aloha Way of Life," a life's work built off passion, tenacity and empowerment.  In 2017, she created what came to be known as the Wild Gypsy Tour, the first ever all-women's motorcycle festival at the Sturgis Buffalo Chip. Kelly was also part of the creative team that brought to life the first ever women's big-wave surf event, Queen of the Bay, that launched in 2017 as well.  

In addition to her women's-oriented events, Kelly also collaborated with Roland Sands (Roland Sands Design) to bring forth the Moto Beach Classic, the first ever clash-of-the-cultures motorcycles event that dominated Huntington Beach in 2017.  And coming in 2019, Kelly will be birthing the Aloha Way of Life Festival in Oahu, Hawaii, an event celebrating the aloha spirit and communities of Hawaii through the avenues of music, motorcycling, surfing and sustainable art. 

PAST PANELISTS & SPECIAL GUESTS


LISA BONE
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MEET LISA BONE

BONE MOUNTAIN MOTOR GEAR
"MY MOTORCYCLE LIFE" SYMPOSIUM PANELIST - 2017

Lisa Bone is the CEO of Bone Mountain Motor Gear, LLC, a company founded in 2012 in Gladstone, Missouri. She is dedicated to enhancing the safety, comfort and convenience of motorcycle and motorsport riders by providing thoughtfully–designed products that are made of quality, lasting material and manufactured in the USA. Lisa, and her husband James, hold a patent and offer many trademarked products.

Lisa has been on a motorcycle since childhood and into her early teens as her family competed on the Motor-cross and Flat-track circuit. In 2012, she was so inspired by the women that she respected, and that “rode their own”, that she jumped on her own bike again. Her longest single solo ride, to date, was 3000 miles on her 2005 Softail Deluxe.

Previously, Lisa was a motion picture producer for six years in Los Angeles and Kansas City, and then has operated a successful business for 23 years in the beauty industry.

She earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Missouri Western State College in 1985.

Lisa is also the Founder of Safe Place for Kids, Inc., a not for profit agency since 2006.  Safe Place for Kids builds and provides safe shelters for at risk children in the metropolitan Kansas City area. 

Additionally, Lisa’s service to the Kansas City, MO community also includes: 

·    Harvest Ball Society: Ball and Benefactor Committee 2015-2017

·    Board member of Northland Early Education Center, VP, 2005-2007.

·    Board Member-Presbyterian Children’s Services-2006-2008.

·    Volunteer for MOCSA (Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault) 2004-2006.

·    Volunteer coordinator -Touched by Cancer Foundation Golf 2002-2004.

·    Golf tournament volunteer coordinator and fundraiser-Hope House, a domestic violence shelter, 2004-2006.

·    Secretary- Brooktree HOA in Gladstone, MO, 2009-2011.

When Lisa is not working or volunteering, she enjoys spending time with her husband James, and her children, Morgan, Jakob and Trevor, and granddaughters Ainsley and Riley.  Lisa unwinds by camping, reading, travel and enjoying nature. Lisa and James have logged more than 80K miles and enjoy traveling on their motorcycles cross-country.


LETICIA CLINE
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MEET LETICIA CLINE

MOTO-JOURNALIST
IRON LILLIES CO-FOUNDER
"TWO-WHEELED TRANSFORMATION" PANELIST - 2016

Leticia Cline grew up with her dad building bikes in the living room of their house. Her baby photos show her sitting on rat bikes and choppers and after a while it just became instinctual. She favored the smell of grease over flowers. Her dad put her on a Honda 50 when she was 4 and she never looked back. Together they would spend summers in his garage taking apart bikes, polishing all the pieces and putting them back together, he would handle each piece as if it were a rare and ancient artifact all while telling her what it’s function was and how it related to life. He was quite the philosopher and at the time, to a pre teen little girl it was annoying.

Once she got older she started to appreciate his life lessons more and they would ride to biker events together. When she started announcing for Supercross and Motocross races she would bring her dad with her and then when she had my son she bought him a Honda 50 for his 4th Birthday to continue the tradition.

Leticia’s father passed away the summer of 2008 and it devastated her. She rode his Softtail to the funeral, and then she never got on a bike again until spring of 2014. Before then her life was consumed with a motorcycle race every weekend, dealers conventions, motorcycle events and just riding, but she suddenly found herself unable to go to any of those things. She changed her life completely, moved to NYC and became the director of Marketing and PR at a fortune 500 company. The stage was set for her to be the next powerful lady in business but it just wasn’t her.

After five years of being on autopilot Leticia woke up and moved to back Florida to find herself again. In March 2014 she took her son to Daytona Supercross. The smell of the exhaust and dirt, the excitement on her little boy’s face as he watched the race only assured her of where she belonged. The ride home was emotional, but she knew what she had to do. The next day she rented a Thruxton, rode 300 miles to a motorcycle event and bought her dad a patch to place on his grave. The following week she purchased her Iron 883 and now she rides all over the country.

Leticia was afraid that riding would be to unbearably sad to not share it with her father, but strangely she feels closer now to him than ever. And that’s one of the great things about motorcycles: they’re more then a form of transportation… they're a form of transformation.

Currently Leticia is a journalist for some of the top motorcycle magazines and blogs. Everyday she get to test parts, gear, and motorcycles and write about it. She’s also a MSF Rider Coach and has an all-women's traveling class planned for 2017 along with a 10,000 mile trip across America with Kristen Lassen called The Lost Latitudes.

Leticia am the co founder of an all-womens, all-Harley riding club in Orlando called the Iron Lilies, LLC www.theironlilies.com


KARLEE COBB
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MEET KARLEE COBB

KLOCK WERKS KUSTOM CYCLES
YOUNGEST RACER EVER TO SET RECORD ON BONNEVILLE SALT FLATS
"TWO-WHEELED TRANSFORMATION" PANELIST - 2016
RIDE CAPTAIN 2017-2018

Karlee Cobb works full time at Klock Werks Kustom Cycles in Mitchell, SD, in accounting, customer service, apparel management, and as a racer. Karlee was the youngest to ever set a record on the Bonneville Salt Flats in 2008, at the age of 14. She has attended the Jason DiSalvo Speed Academy and ridden on the Barber Motorsports track in Alabama. In addition she attended the Lynn St. James “Women in the Winner’s Circle” school while still in high school. Karlee has also designed two motorcycle customizations, one for Triumph and one for Indian, and received national recognition.

Accomplished at her young age, Karlee works as a volunteer to inspire young girls with her mom, Laura Klock, and the other volunteers that run the Helping With Horsepower Bike Rebuild Program. Karlee also recently stepped into a lead role with Mitchell Animal Rescue.


COOKIE CRUM
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CLAUDIA GARBER
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MEET CLAUDIA GARBER

HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTOR COMPANY
“PAVING THE WAY” SYMPOSIUM PANELIST – 2012

As Director of Market Outreach for Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Claudia Garber leads the strategy of inspiring more women to enter the sport of motorcycling. Prior to this current position, she served in marketing, communication and product planning roles for Harley-Davidson’s Asia Pacific and Latin American regions.

Garber joined Harley-Davidson in 2006 after a successful career at Case New Holland, a global manufacturer of construction and agricultural equipment. During her 16 years at Case New Holland, Garber held a variety of marketing, communication and brand management roles, the most recent being Director of Strategic Marketing. She has an M.B.A. from “Thunderbird”, the American Graduate School of International Management, and a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Garber, her husband and two sons reside in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She currently rides a Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Lo.


ANDIE GASKINS
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MEET ANDIE GASKINS

FAST ANDIE RACING
“RIDE ON” SYMPOSIUM PANELIST - 2014

Andie Gaskins has only been riding since 2007, but you wouldn’t know it from her already stellar résumé. This unassuming mother of two may be small in stature, but makes up for it as a fierce competitor on the drag strip. Over the past few years, Andie has competed in the Sturgis drag circuit, finishing second in overall points her first year, followed by a points championship in 2009. She also has competed in the All Harley Drag Racing Association during the Sturgis Rally, qualifying in the number one spot in the Super Eliminator class in 2009, and then qualifying in the number one spot and winning the Super Sport class in 2010. 

For the past two race seasons, Andie worked with the world class George Bryce of Star Racing (most wins as crew chief in NHRA). After training with George in Florida, she is back at the racetrack and more focused and fast than ever. 


CAT HAMMES
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MEET CAT HAMMES

ONELEGGEDBLOND.COM
“RIDE ON” SYMPOSIUM PANELIST – 2014

Cat Hammes uses her own misfortunes and struggles to inspire others. In May of 2006, she suffered a devastating motorcycle crash, resulting in skull fractures, broken bones, a collapsed lung and the eventual amputation of her left leg. By medical opinion, she should have been dead. After the crash, she was left with a mangled Harley, along with a broken mind, body, and spirit. 

During the toughest time of her life, Cat battled back, developing a brand new attitude on life and figuring out what to do “when death throws you back.” As she went through rehabilitation, she met veterans who had suffered far greater losses than she could imagine. Inspired, Cat began sharing her story with hopes of helping others get through their own seemingly impossible situations. When she’s not cruising on her Harley-Davidson Fatboy, Cat spends her time rehabbing, volunteering to help veterans and educating the public on amputee issues, motorcycle safety and Riding Above the Tombstone. 


TRISH HORSTMAN
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MEET TRISH HORSTMAN

BAKER DRIVETRAIN – FORMER MARKETING DIRECTOR
“MOVING FORWARD” SYMPOSIUM PANELIST – 2013

Growing up around motorcycles and being an artist, Trish developed a keen sense for blending the two in her role at BAKER. She was with the company from 2004 to 2014 and worked closely with Bert and Lisa Baker to help develop, maintain, promote and strengthen the core brand. She rides a 1972 Ironhead XLCH and balances a busy life between BAKER and her tattoo shop My Little Needle Tattoos in Detroit, as well as contributing to Garage Girls and working as partner on Throttle Gals Magazine.


IRON COWGIRL MISSY
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IRON COWGIRL MISSY

2016 will be Iron Cowgirl’s seventh year as a Buffalo Chip showcase artist, and she will be performing her raw, emotionally drive music at the 2016 Biker Belles Lunch.


MALINDA JOHNSON
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MEET MALINDA JOHNSON

OPEN ROAD GIRL
"MY MOTORCYCLE LIFE" SYMPOSIUM PANELIST – 2017

Open Road Girl is not only a brand of apparel but it's also a lifestyle. Malinda‘s vision for her company has grown beyond creating cool stuff to wear to becoming a rallying brand for sisterhood and empowerment. A bike owner since 2005, Malinda has shared her challenges as a beginning rider as a way to encourage other women to follow her lead in fueling their personal passion for riding and connecting with others for camaraderie and friendship out on the open road. Today, over 60,000 female riders have bonded over Malinda’s inspirational message of self-discovery and determination to find her own path. With her as an example–they are embracing their desire to ride and in turn are encouraging other women to discover that joy.


LAURA KLOCK
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MEET LAURA KLOCK

HELPING WITH HORSEPOWER
KLOCK WERKS KUSTOM CYCLES
“PAVING THE WAY” SYMPOSIUM PANELIST - 2012
RIDE CAPTAIN 2017-2018

Laura Klock is President, one of the founding members, facilitators and incorporators of Helping With Horsepower™. Laura is past VP and Marketing Director of Klock Werks Kustom Cycles, was a Motorcycle Safety Foundation certified RiderCoach for 10 years, is a spokesperson for women in motorcycling, and mom to Erika and Karlee Cobb. Since founding HWH in 2010, Laura has added Healing Touch Practitioner, Lay Counselor, and Senior SpiritHorse Instructor to her certifications.

The “roads of life” brought Laura to Mitchell, S.D., in 2005 to help her friend Brian, with the marketing aspect of his then small motorcycle products company, Klock Werks. After the company participated in, and won, the Discovery Channel’s Biker Build-Off competition in 2006, it was Laura who drove when the team decided to capitalize on its recent celebrity by racing the winning bike at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. She set a land speed record in her first two passes.

That first time racing on the Flats represented a fork in the road for Klock Werks and for Laura. Her feedback regarding the bike’s handling at a high rate of speed led Brian and the Klock Werks team to develop a windshield that would create more downforce, aiding stability. The company patented the product and it has since become its top-selling product line, and Laura‘s daughters, Erika and Karlee Cobb, joined her with racing. By 2008 they had become the first mother, daughter, daughter trio in land speed racing history to hold records at the same time.

Laura’s record-setting runs at the Flats led to public speaking engagements, where she shares her experiences in overcoming struggles to achieve goals. She was invited to speak at the Abbott House, a residential treatment facility for girls ages 7 to 17 in Mitchell, SD, and says she immediately connected and desired to help them. She had used motorcycles to teach her own two daughters about success, failure and hard work and wanted to try the same approach at Abbott House. She says divine inspiration gave her the idea to have the girls help transform a damaged motorcycle and raffle the finished product to benefit the facility. The first project succeeded and led her to develop a curriculum called the Helping With HorsepowerTM Bike Rebuild Program, which has been used by multiple treatment facilities and second-chance high school programs since its launch in 2010.

Laura volunteers at the Abbott House for Helping with HorsepowerTM . She licenses the Helping with HorsepowerTMcurriculum to other facilities across the US, teaching other locations how to run their own program, and helping young people through their struggles. “As they’re transforming the motorcycle we’re relating it to life, and we’re teaching them self confidence, problem solving, how to work as a team, how to handle success and failure,” she says. “It’s just as much about the message as the motorcycle. It’s awesome. We see a healthy sense of pride, and hope, rise up in the kids as we work on the bike.”

Laura is also a certified instructor of the HWH SpiritHorse Program, runs the HWH Entrepreneurial Experience.


SHANTEL KREBS
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MEET SHANTEL KREBS

SOUTH DAKOTA SECRETARY OF STATE
CANDIDATE FOR US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FORMER SOUTH DAKOTA LEGISLATOR 2005-2014
MISS SOUTH DAKOTA 1997

Shantel Krebs grew up on a farm near Arlington in Kingsbury County where her dad ran cattle and her mom did the books. A typical South Dakotan, she was helping out on the farm from an early age. But chores were much more fun when she was able to perform them with the help of her grandfather’s old Suzuki 80 dirt bike. The low profile was perfect for a small girl learning to ride across the dirt of the farm. When she turned 16 she had a yearning for something more powerful, and so made her first independent “big” purchase; a Honda 250 Rebel.

“Mom and Dad made me take the Safety Course,” said Shantel. “It made me a more defensive rider and helped me get my license. Now I’ve been riding practically my whole life. I just love the freedom and fresh air.”

Before serving in the South Dakota State Legislature representing Minnehaha and Lincoln counties, Shantel was named Miss South Dakota. She is now serving as South Dakota Secretary of State and is running for the state’s at-large seat in the United States House of Representatives.


MEG MCDONOUGH
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MEET MEG MCDONOUGH

RIDE EXPERT
CO-FOUNDER OF BIKER BELLES

Meg McDonough’s riding history is twelve years long, but her love and enthusiasm for the sport make it seem as if she’s been riding all her life. Her riding career started in 2003 with the purchase of a brand-new Road King Classic. Since then Meg has taken that bike through 39 different states and logged countless miles. 

Meg’s passion and devotion for the biker way of life earned her the honor of becoming the very first female officer within the legendary Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club. Originally she was offered the position of road captain, but two short years later Meg was elected vice president of the renowned group. Meg has used motorcycling to help her overcome personal obstacles and provide a sense of happiness in her own life.


ELYSE MCKINNON
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MEET ELYSE MCKINNON

DRAG BIKE GIRL

Elyse is an NHRA licensed motorcycle drag racer and BMW Expert. She started her drag racing career on a BMW S 1000 RR and it remains the only model she has raced. She loves the adrenaline rush and the challenge of continuously working to go as fast as possible. It took a lot of seat time and thousands of passes down the track to form good habits which now allow her to have consistent, successful races. Her career best Elapsed Time in the ¼ mile is 8.50 seconds. Also, she made a pass at 166.64 mph which is the fastest known ¼ mile speed of a stock 1000cc motor.

In 2017 her racing accomplishments included 5th place finish in the PMRA Pro ET Championship, 6th in PMRA Super Comp Championship, PMRA Ultra Street Runner-up, and Runner-up at Street Car Takeover.


LEAH MISCH
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MEET LEAH MISCH

MOTO JOURNALIST & INSPIRATIONAL SPEAKER
“SHIFTING GEARS” PANELIST - 2018

After surviving an abusive relationship and finding herself morbidly obese and disconnected from family and friends, Leah began a journey of discovering passions in her life by creating her bucket list. This was a list of goals she never thought possible to achieve.

In 2010, Leah created a community support fitness team and called it “You Go Girl,” which were the words her mother told her growing up. Together the team supported members towards leading a physically active lifestyle. During this same time Leah began her own journey of overcoming morbid obesity and reversed premature chronic conditions through diet and exercise.

With this new zest of life, she also learned to ride a motorcycle and even ran her first 5k.  Leah’s new found passions were put to a halt after a motorcycle accident nearly left her paralyzed. As Leah continued to recover from her injuries she remembered the feeling she had when she ran her first 5k. It was something she never thought she could do being 90 pounds heavier.

Leah continued to recover from her injuries. She slowly started walking, jogging, and running again!  Running races taught Leah determination and perseverance. After her first half marathon, Leah was motivated to overcome her fears and start riding a motorcycle again. Since then she completed numerous marathons and travelled 32 states with a goal to travel all of the states on her motorcycle.

Leah seized the opportunity to combine her love for motorcycling with another passion of travelling. She first began solo travels around the Midwest.  Eventually she outgrew her 650 Suzuki Boulevard and purchased a new Indian Scout in 2015 and embarked on a 10,000 mile Journey over 50 days while maintaining her remote job as a nurse health coach.


AUDREY NESBITT
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MEET AUDREY NESBITT

RUSS BROWN MOTORCYCLE ATTORNEYS
“RIDE ON” SYMPOSIUM PANELIST – 2014

Audrey Nesbitt was the National Online Director of Marketing & PR for over seven years at Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys. During her time there, Audrey was a key proponent of safety in the motorcycle industry. She constantly promoted the industry to readers and followers through the Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys blog and large social media reach—championing awareness of important motorcycle related issues such as Russ Brown’s '”Keep Me Alive Don't Text And Drive” campaign, the importance of proper riding apparel, state specific road regulations for motorcyclists, defensive driving skills and plenty of others. From writing about great women in the industry to human-interest stories to safety tips and what's new in the industry as a whole, Audrey's enthusiasm and passion for the motorcycle industry clearly shows through in her work. 

Audrey has been influential in supporting many major motorcycle events like Rolling Thunder® INC, Ride for Freedom, Biker Belles, the Legends Ride®, the Freedom Celebration Ride and the BAM program - Russ Brown's free emergency roadside and legal assistance program for riders Nationwide.


BRITTNEY OLSEN
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MEET BRITTNEY OLSEN

21ST CENTURY RACING

Bio coming soon!


CHRISTINE PAIGE DIERS
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MEET CHRISTINE PAIGE DIERS

STURGIS MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM & HALL OF FAME
“PAVING THE WAY” SYMPOSIUM PANELIST – 2012

Christine Paige Diers was the Executive Director of the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame from 2007-2015. Here, she is responsible for community, government and public relations, fundraising, board relations and staff oversight. In addition, Christine designs and installs exhibits at the museum.

Prior to becoming Executive Director of the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame, Christine worked in public and media relations, association management, and spent several years as a news reporter and news director for a variety of public and commercial radio stations.


JODY PEREWITZ
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MEET JODY PEREWITZ

PEREWITZ CYCLE FAB
LAND SPEED RECORD HOLDER
"TWO-WHEELED TRANSFORMATION" PANELIST - 2016

Jody Perewitz has been around motorcycles all her life and is very well known in the motorcycle community. She’s in charge of marketing for the nationally known Perewitz Cycle Fabrication of Halifax, Massachusetts, makers of award-winning customs.

Jody Perewitz has become one of the most recognizable women in the motorcycle industry today. Jody has paved her own way into history by becoming the first woman to ever jockey an American V-Twin powered motorcycle into the record books at well over 200 MPH. She currently holds 12 Landspeed records, one of which is a World record. She has her sights set on new records in 2016, with a brand new bike, boasting another American power plant. Jody has plans to take her new machine past the 220 mph barrier.

When Jody is not blasting down the Bonneville Salt Flats or melting some asphalt at air strips across America racing she handles the marketing and most of the day to day activities at Perewitz Cycle Fab located in Halifax MA. She works side by side with her father legend Dave Perewitz. Having a great teacher Jody knowledge grows everyday. Not only is Dave teaching her about the business but also how to paint. The Perewitz name is world renown in the custom paint world for producing some of the most sought after customs to ever hit the streets across the globe.

Make sure to follow Team J’Witz on all their record setting runs at www.facebook.com/teamjwitz


VICKI ROBERTS-SANFELIPO
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MEET VICKI ROBERTS-SANFELIPO

SAFETY EXPERT

Vicki “Spitfire” Sanfelipo is best known in the motorcycle community for her efforts to reduce injuries and fatalities to motorcyclists through First Response Education. Vicki, an RN/EMT, established Accident Scene Management (ASM) in 1996. Since then, ASM has become the Leading International Motorcycle Trauma Training organization and is the only accredited Bystander Program in the United States. 

ASM’s goal is to have instructors in every state some day and is currently working to establish a “Motorcycle Trauma Best Practice” model that can be adopted in every state. To date, over 25,000 Motorcyclists and Professional Rescuers have been trained.

Vicki’s passion for motorcycling has manifested itself in other areas as she:

  • Is a keynote speaker on motorcycle safety
  • Has appeared in a number of TV interviews
  • Is a motorcycle safety columnist for Allstate Rider News
  • Has written and produced several videos on motorcycle safety
  • Has appeared in several books about female riders, most notable “Biker Chicks of North America”.
  •  Joined the Iron Butt Association in 2009.
  • Co-founded “Women In Motion”, a group of 25 trained female Road Guards. Vicki has been Road Guarding and leading group rides since 1996.
  • Co-founded “Road Guardians,” an organization that promotes lifelong learning and a commitment to motorcycle safety.
  • Co-founded “Diamond Posse,” women serving veterans.

Although from Wisconsin, Vicki has deep roots in the Black Hills. In 2002 she married Motorcycle Hall of Fame recipient, Tony Sanfelipo, on the same day he was inducted into the Hall of Fame as the first Freedom Fighter. Tony & Vicki were the first people to ever be married on the arm of Crazy Horse Mountain.


SHELLY ROSSMEYER PEPE
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MEET SHELLY ROSSMEYER PEPE

DAYTONA HARLEY-DAVIDSON
“MOVING FORWARD” SYMPOSIUM PANELIST – 2013

Bio coming soon!


SARAH SCHILKE
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MEET SARAH SCHILKE

BMW MOTORRAD USA
"TWO-WHEELED TRANSFORMATION" PANELIST - 2016

Sarah Schilke is an avid street rider and off-road rider who has made a career out of her passion with over two decades in the motorcycle industry under her kidney belt.

Sarah currently heads the marketing department at BMW Motorrad USA and has previously held positions at notable powersports businesses such as Schuberth Helmets, the International Motorcycle Shows and the American Motorcyclist Association.

Sarah was the first woman to be elected to the Board of Directors of the Motorcycle Industry Council and was an original member of the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM) Commission on Women in Motorcycling. She is a lifetime member of the AMA and was recently named one of the 50 Makers of Motorcycling by Bonnier Motorcycle Group.


GENEVIEVE SCHMITT
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MEET GENEVIEVE SCHMITT

WOMEN RIDERS NOW
“PAVING THE WAY” SYMPOSIUM PANELIST – 2012

Genevieve Schmitt is founder and editor of WomenRidersNow.com, an online magazine for women motorcycle riders and those thinking of riding. As a trained broadcast and print journalist, Genevieve has been working in the motorcycle industry for nearly 25 years and focusing on women for the last 15 years. Through her articles and speeches she has inspired thousands of women to ride a motorcycle. Genevieve is a 2001 inductee into the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame for her work raising awareness of women riders.


KRISTY SWANSON
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MEET KRISTY SWANSON

ACTRESS
“MOVING FORWARD” SYMPOSIUM PANELIST - 2013

Kristy Swanson is a highly acclaimed actress, bringing her star power and charisma to this year’s Sturgis Rally. She has been in multiple blockbuster movies. Along with roles in “Big Daddy,” and “Hot Shots,” she is probably best known for her portrayal of Buffy, in the Twentieth Century Fox feature film, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” She has also starred in multiple television show, as well as making guest appearances in such shows as “Just Shoot Me,” “CSI Miami,” and “Law and Order: Criminal Intent.” Kristy had very little interest in bikes before she met her husband, two-time Olympic bronze medalist Lloyd Eisler, who loves to ride. She purchased a Can Am Spyder and immediately fell in love with the open road. Along with her love to ride, she is equally passionate about helping others, seen from her involvement with charities like the Wounded Warrior Project and the Iraq Star Foundation.


KATHY TOLLESON
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MEET KATHY TOLLESON

ROAR MOTORCYCLES
“RIDE ON” SYMPOSIUM PANELIST – 2014

Kathy Tolleson is the founder and CEO of ROAR Motorcycles, Inc. As CEO of this company, she has helped bring a fresh look to the female segment of the motorcycle industry. Kathy is also the author of “Hear My ROAR, Women, Motorcycles and Mental Health.” The book is a wonderful compilation of life tips related to motorcycling, her story and the philosophy of ROAR. Kathy shares her love of motorcycling and personal anecdotes to help empower women to be all they can be. She started riding at the age of ten and now, at sixty, her passion is to help introduce other women to the sport of motorcycling.

Kathy opened and ran a dealership specializing in the women’s market in Daytona Beach for six years. ROAR has customized and fit motorcycles for women from all over the United States. ROAR has motorcycles in 27 states, Canada, France and Germany. She believes women are hungry for “out-of-the-box” designs, colors, accessories and presentation. Kathy has taught a Pre MSF Course Confidence Building Class to help women bridge their fears and take the leap of taking the MSF Course. 

She is now ready to multiply the ROAR concept through boutique dealerships and ROAR Certified Departments in existing dealership. In 2012, ROAR licensed West Coast ROAR in Vancouver Island, Canada and have recently turned the local Florida market over to ROAR Volusia in order to concentrate on the big picture of ROAR.


TIGRA TSUJIKAWA
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MEET TIGRA TSUJIKAWA

STURGIS MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM MARKETING & DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
“MOVING FORWARD” SYMPOSIUM PANELIST – 2013

Long-time rider Tigra Tsujikawa is the Marketing & Development Director for the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum. Her career spans two decades and includes stints with such powersports industry leaders as Kawasaki, Fox Racing, the American Motorcyclist Association and Advanstar (producers of the nation's largest motorcycle shows).

During her time with the AMA, Tigra successfully managed the last two AMA International Women & Motorcycling Conferences, Vintage Motorcycle Days and the annual Hall Of Fame induction ceremonies, among other special events. Most recently, she was the Engagement Marketing Director for Advanstar where she utilized her experience to develop rider outreach programs for the International Motorcycle Shows on the consumer side and engage dealers to attend the nation's oldest motorcycle trade show, Dealer Expo.

Her passion for riding has kept her focused on this industry and ways to improve it.  A rider for the past 30 years, she has done some desert racing in the past and is still an active streetbike and dirtbike rider, logging thousands of miles in the saddle each year. 

"I love riding and feel the happiest on two wheels or meeting other riders," she says with a smile.  "I also try to bring new people into the world of motorcycling whenever and wherever I can.”


JACQUI VAN HAM
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JACQUI VAN HAM

ANNOUNCER/SPOKESPERSON, BRAND SPECIALIST
"MY MOTORCYCLE LIFE" SYMPOSIUM PANELIST - 2017

Often found at Vintage Races and Rallies across the United States, Jacqui Van Ham has been a constant presence in the motorcycle community since the early 2000's. Her passion for the industry soon led to the opportunity to contribute to several publications. With a unique blend of devotion and charisma, she quickly became a voice in a community that had few younger female members, but was growing.

After contributing to BMW ON, Moto Revue Classic, BMW MO, Motorcycle Classics, and Cafe Racer magazine, she hatched a plan to discover the vintage motorcycle and motorcycle racing culture in Europe and publish detailed articles about the fantastic and diverse communities there. The pinnacle of these reports was a feature and cover photo in Classic Bike, one of the few American women to ever be asked to do so. While continuing with freelance moto-journalism, she started working within the motorcycle industry as a Brand/Product Specialist and Announcer. This was a bold move into the Trade Show arena, where there had been very few women working professionally. 

When not working, Jacqui remains as big a fan as ever and can often be found spreading her enthusiasm at Premiere Powersport events, including Moto GP, Barber Vintage Days, Daytona Bike Week, Sturgis, Mid Ohio Vintage Days, Pebble Beach, Bonneville Speed Week, Brooklyn Invitational, The Annual Motorcycle Film Festival, The Handbuilt Show, Motoblot Chicago, AMA racing, and Moto America Superbike races. It truly is, “All Bikes, All the Time.”

Recent Brand/ Experience

  • ADVANSTAR​ Marketplace at IMS (Rotating brands per show) IMS San Mateo, Long Beach, Chicago, New York 2009/2011
  • Powerlet​; Harley Davidson 110th Rally 2013
  • Interphone/-Twisted Throttle​; IMS TOUR Fall/Winter/Spring 2013
  • Allstate Motorcycle Insurance​; ANNOUNCER- Roar on the Shore 2014, Delmarva 2014, Bikes Blues and BBQ 2014, Lone Star Rally 2014
  • Victory Motorcycles​; SPOKESPERSON/ ANNOUNCER- IMS TOUR Winter/Spring 2014,
  • Daytona Bike Week 2014, Sturgis Rally 2014, IMS TOUR Fall/Winter/Spring 2015, Daytona
  • Bike Week 2015, Moto GP Demo Truck 2015, Sturgis Rally 2015, IMS TOUR
  • Fall/Winter/Spring 2015/2016, Daytona Bike Week 2016, Sturgis 2016
  • Indian Motorcycles​; Hooligan Race ANNOUNCER- Handbuilt Show 2016, Sturgis 2016
  • SPOKESPERSON/ANNOUNCER Daytona 2017 (Indian Motorcycle and Slingshot)
  • Choppertown​; Traveling LIVE STREAM Video Correspondent 2016/2017 2 MIL Audience
  • Progressive Motorcycle Insurance​; SPOKESPERSON/ANNOUNCER- Bikes, Blues &BBQ
  • 2016, Babes Ride Out 2016, Lone Star Rally 2016, IMS TOUR Fall/Winter/Spring 2016-2017,
  • Leesburg Bike Fest 2017, Ohio Bike Week 2017, Laconia Bike Week 2017, Motoblot 2017
  • UBM/ADVANSTAR International Motorcycle Show​; SPOKESPERSON/ANNOUNCER/ALL
  • MEDIA INTERVIEWS - IMS TOUR Fall/Winter/Spring 2016-2017

Jacqui is also proud to have been considered for “Motorcycling Woman of the Year” by Cycle Source Magazine/Media, “Top Women Motorcycle Bloggers” by OperationsManagement.net, and featured on TheMotoLady.com, TheVintagent.com, CyrilHuzeblog.com, CafeRacerxxx.com, Moterrific.com, TheMotart-Journal.com, GoodSparkGarage.com, SelvedgeYard.com, and dozens of forums worldwide. She also continues to publish freelance articles in the US and abroad, and is a frequent contributor to many moto-specific Social Media accounts.