Cars are in at least their second major innovation; the technology involved in electric vehicles is incredible. The potential within autonomous vehicles is staggering, especially when you think about their impact on safety, reliability, efficiency, the environment, etc. We as a society are talking about those things. However, you know what we're not talking about very much? The roads. Those pieces of asphalt and cement we drive on. We have almost 4 million miles of roads in the United States, and we almost never talk about innovation within our roads and where it needs to go. But, it's happening now, and believe it or not, it is an incredibly compelling discussion. It's just not very sexy. Well, that's about to change because my guest this week is Allie Kelly. Allie is the Executive Director at The Ray, the only nonprofit organization in the world running a living laboratory on a public highway. The ideas that Allie brings to the table are invigorating, and when you are talking about Allie herself, well, you'll see; she is a force of nature. You won't want to miss this interesting, timely and compelling conversation on this week's episode of The QTS Experience.
About Our Guest:
https://theray.org
Allie Kelly is Executive Director at The Ray, which has developed an 18-mile stretch of interstate in Georgia, where they’re using renewable materials; building clean energy for clean transport; testing road connectivity, improved lighting and signage; and collecting traffic, weather, and collision data to make the roads of the future. Working with Georgia DOT and FHWA, Allie has guided more than a dozen projects from concept to construction on The Ray Highway. The nonprofit organization is now working with more than 24 agencies in 15 states, scaling innovations from the I-85 testbed across the country. Following in the legacy of Ray Anderson, The Ray believes that the technologies exist to make transportation Zero Deaths, Zero Carbon and Zero Waste. Previously, Allie held senior roles at the Georgia Conservancy, and as a Founder and Executive Director at Georgia Watch. Allie serves on the boards of the Fulton Technology and Energy Enhancement Authority as chairman, as chairman of the ASPIRE Center Executive Advisory Board, and as a board member for HUB404.