2017 DOT Civil Rights Virtual Symposium Speaker Bios - Session 5

Innovation and Emerging Technologies To Advance Universal Transportation

Rick Opstelten

Rik Opstelten is a Program Manager with the Federal Transit Administration, part of the United States Department of Transportation.  He works on a variety of efforts that help ensure that the public transportation system serves everyone as effectively as possible, including Mobility on Demand, the Accessible Transportation Technologies Research Initiative, and Mobility Services for All Americans. Prior to joining the FTA office of research in the Summer of 2016, Rik oversaw FTA-funded technical assistance centers on mobility management and transportation accessibility and worked to better coordinate human service transportation at the federal level. He has a long history of working to ensure universal access to opportunity.

Ben Schutzman

Ben Schutzman is Director of Transportation Innovation at the MBTA. He currently oversees the MBTA’s On-Demand Paratransit Pilot with Uber and Lyft, which is working to improve the customer experience and reduce MBTA paratransit operating costs. Additionally, he runs the organization’s Innovation Proposal Policy team that evaluates and procures new products and services. Prior to the MBTA, Ben interned at Uber, worked in management consulting, and owned a shipping and storage company. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a degree in Civil Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis.