Our Team

John Rossant personally leads the CoMotion team. He is the Founder and Chairman of NewCities Foundation, a major global non-profit institution dedicated to improving the quality of life and work in cities.

John Rossant personally leads the CoMotion team. He is the Founder and Chairman of the NewCities Foundation, a major global non-profit institution dedicated to improving the quality of life and work in cities. He previously led the team producing the famous World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland every January and has been been the producer of major World Economic Forum conferences in China, Latin America, Southeast Asia and Africa. He has also played key roles in Monaco, with the Monaco Media Forum and the ongoing Prince’s Roundtable on Philanthropy. In 2010, French President Nicolas Sarkozy asked John to organize the first global summit on the future of the Internet, the e-G8. John has worked with heads of state and government and leading CEOs from around the world. John is the co-author of the forthcoming Hop, Skip, Go - How the Mobility Revolution is Transforming Our Lives, HarperCollins.

John Penney is Chief Growth Officer leading companies in climate tech innovation. For more than 20 years he has been applying systems thinking to identify trends and design innovative global businesses in digital media and entertainment. He transforms business models, crafts strategic partnerships, and pioneers product and service strategies underpinned by financial rigor.

John Penney is Chief Growth Officer leading companies in climate tech innovation. For more than 20 years he has been applying systems thinking to identify trends and design innovative global businesses in digital media and entertainment. He transforms business models, crafts strategic partnerships, and pioneers product and service strategies underpinned by financial rigor. John is the Growth and Strategy Advisor to the CEO of Pebble, a next-gen Silicon Valley sustainable living  start-up founded by ex-Apple, Tesla, and automotive executives at the intersection of EVs, smart homes, robotics, AI, and sustainable energy. John is also an advisor to the CEOs & Founders of Aclymate, a carbon accounting start-up, and Greenfactory.ai, an industrial AI company helping manufacturers deliver enhanced profitability and sustainability. For the past three years, John has also been Chief Growth Strategist of market expansion consultancy NextGen Foundry, advising clients The Volvo Group, Bosch, Infineon Technologies, The Nature Group,  Translink Capital, and California Technology International. Having started his career in media and entertainment business innovation, John has held senior executive positions with 20th Century Fox, Starz, IMG, HBO, and Viacom. John launched the first streaming service in  the Middle East, Starz Play Arabia, raising $50M in private equity capital, curating a roll-out plan for 19  countries, and being selected as Chairman by lead investor GE. He currently serves on the Board of Industry Leaders of the Consumer Technology Association, which stages CES, the annual innovation show in Las Vegas, where he moderates keynote panels. John is also an Executive Board Member of Sustain SoCal, a trade association in sustainability and cleantech. John holds an MBA from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, where he is a Guest Lecturer on Climate Change and Business Strategy. He also holds an MPA with a concentration in Science & Technology Policy from Columbia University and a BA in Social Psychology from Wesleyan University. John is a dual EU citizen, keynote speaker, moderator, and evangelist living in Los Angeles with his wife, daughter, and two dogs.

Tim manages the day to day operations of CoMotion, oversees the development of new projects and is overall responsible for all Partnerships.

Tim manages the day to day operations of CoMotion, oversees the development of new projects and is overall responsible for all Partnerships. He has been working with NewCities since 2015 and has developed the program and content of many Foundation events, including Cityquest and the NewCities Summit. He has developed and facilitated workshops and roundtables on urban development and innovation. Based in Europe, he currently manages a number of new partnerships there and is directing the international development of CoMotion for NewCities. Before joining the Foundation, he worked at PublicisLive, where he organized a number of leadership events, and for political campaigns in the United Kingdom. Tim grew up in Paris, and after obtaining a BA in History and Politics at the University of York in England, he spent two years working in Spain and London. He then studied for a research degree at the University of Oxford, where he achieved a distinction. A history and urban enthusiast, he speaks English, French and Italian fluently and is competent in Spanish.

Jake Laffoley is a Senior Designer and Creative Director based in Paris. He specialises in strategy-led branding and the development of rich digital and in-person experiences.

Jake Laffoley is a Senior Designer and Creative Director based in Paris. He joined CoMotion in March 2017 when it was a humble startup. He leads the visual communication and marketing for all CoMotion events and research. He specialises in strategy-led branding and the development of rich digital and in-person experiences. He has worked in London, Paris, New York and Montréal. He holds a BA from the Cass School of Art, Architecture and Design, London and a post-graduate diploma from the Institut des Hautes Études en Arts Plastiques (IHEAP), Paris.

Anna joined CoMotion in January 2022 as Head of Programming and leads the development of program and content for CoMotion's portfolio of global events and webinars.

Anna joined CoMotion in January 2022 as Head of Programming and leads the development of program and content for CoMotion's portfolio of global events and webinars. She has produced events across North America, Europe, Japan, and Australia and draws upon years of experience in urban and transportation policy analysis, shared mobility planning, community engagement and research. Much like CoMotion, Anna's career history combines the best of the public, private, and nonprofit sectors with prior roles at LADOT, Jarrett Walker + Associates, CicLAvia, and Human Rights Watch. She holds a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.

Vivian has over 20 years of senior experience in both government and the private sector, specializing in communications, government relations, and public affairs. She has a strong focus on technology and mobility innovation.

Vivian has over 20 years of senior experience in both government and the private sector, specializing in communications, government relations, and public affairs. She has a strong focus on technology and mobility innovation. In her previous roles, Vivian has played a crucial part in the expansion of shared mobility companies in North America and Asia-Pacific. She led teams that collaborated closely with local governments and universities to establish regulations for new transportation modes. She has held policy and public affairs positions at Helbiz, Lime, and Spin, where she worked with regulators to ensure safe and reliable transportation options in various markets. Prior to her work in the mobility sector, Vivian held multiple senior government roles. She served as the Chief Executive Officer of Volunteer Florida and as Chief of Staff at the Florida Department of Children and Families. She also worked as Deputy Chief of Staff to former United States Senator George LeMieux. While Vivian resides with her family in Miami, Florida, her professional endeavors and love for travel have taken her to six continents.

Dan heads up partnerships at CoMotion; he ensures each one is making the most of their benefits and works on bespoke arrangements during the events and throughout the year. He has been working with CoMotion since the beginning of 2024.

Dan heads up partnerships at CoMotion; he ensures each one is making the most of their benefits and works on bespoke arrangements during the events and throughout the year. He has been working with CoMotion since the beginning of 2024. As an expert in public, private, partnerships, he is always seeing who he can connect for mutual benefit. Dan has worked in Boston, Colorado, New York and Amsterdam. Prior to his role at CoMotion, he led the team at BYCS as Director of Business Development and Operations, a global advocacy organization promoting cycling in cities around the world, working with entities such as the WHO, the Indian National and State Governments, EIT, and the World Bank. Dan currently splits his time between Amsterdam, Mexico, and Los Angeles, and is fluent in English, while becoming conversational in both Dutch and Spanish. Dan holds a BA in sociology from Colorado College.

Jed is a digital designer based in the south-east of the UK.

Jed is a digital designer based in the south-east of the UK.

Jack Craver edits CoMotion NEWS, after serving as a long-time political reporter for The Capital Times, The Austin Monitor, and AustinPolitics.net

Jack Craver edits CoMotion NEWS, after serving as a long-time political reporter for The Capital Times, The Austin Monitor, and AustinPolitics.net

Alex is a Master of Urban Governance candidate at Sciences Po in Paris, France, and an Urban Planning exchange student at UCLA's Luskin School of Public Affairs.

Alex is a Master of Urban Governance candidate at Sciences Po in Paris, France, and an Urban Planning exchange student at UCLA's Luskin School of Public Affairs. He completed his undergraduate education at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. His initial academic background in Political Science has shifted his career ambition toward the urban realm, with particular interest in the interconnection between housing and mobility policy. Having conducted research in both realms, his most recent capstone project for the International Automobile Federation (FIA) analyzed the role of incentive structure in overcoming barriers to EV electrification in Rwanda

Shaylyn Becton is pursuing her Master’s of Urban and Regional Planning at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs with a concentration in Design and Development.

Shaylyn Becton is pursuing her Master’s of Urban and Regional Planning at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs with a concentration in Design and Development. Shaylyn is passionate about sustainable urban design and has a background in research, transactional real estate law, and hospitality.