Franklin Jones
The seeds for B-line were planted into Franklin’s life long before he knew it. Who knows where it all really began, perhaps somewhere in that lofty call to serve the Common Good instilled upon all Bowdoin College grads. A formal genealogy of B-Line began with Franklin’s first “real” job out of school as a bicycle and pedestrian planner in Bend, OR for David Evans and Associates. The concept silently percolated over a thirteen-month, 10K bicycle trip from Japan to Ireland and then had some time to rest as Franklin entered a rewarding career in education as a sixth grade teacher in the SF Bay Area. In 2008, his entrepreneurial and adventurous spirit took over and Franklin departed sunny San Francisco for the greener pastures of Portland, OR. Never short on ideas to enhance the community around him, Franklin combined his interest in seeing how business can be a catalyst for social and environmental change with his love of cycling and founded B-Line. Franklin loves how when the right tool for the job is used, the right team steps up, and a day-to-day commitment towards a sustainable future is embedded in the culture of a company all stakeholders benefit–everybody wins. You can catch him on the trikes working to enhance the fabric of our cities one pedal stroke at a time.
Aaron Dance
Aaron was born and raised in Louisville Kentucky. He enjoys a good adventure of any kind, be it a mountain hike, three week cycling tour, sail boat race or just a game of ball in the park. He has been riding bikes for fun all his life and working in the Cycling and music industry for the past five years. Feel free to talk with him, he knows the answer to almost any question, especially related to Bikes, Bourbon or Bands; and if not a good conversation will start anyway. He has recently moved to Portland after several years of visits and has found a home at B-line, not only pedaling, but running warehouse operations and logistics.
Bill Hewitt
As a long-time Portlander, Bill has held many jobs over time and says pedaling for B-Line is one of his best jobs yet. Bill has spent most of his time living “outside the box” and feels that pedaling for B-Line has knocked down a wall of the box and life is better. Bill is resident “handyman” at B-Line, building all sorts of contraptions to make our gears run smoothly, and also loves to hop on the front of a pedicab and give our friends and family tours of Bridgetown.
Mike Moore
When not chasing after his dog or watching B-horror flicks, Mike spends every moment on his bike. Currently a student at PCC, Mike is focusing on Computer Science and Environmentalism. An East Coast guy in every manner, Mike grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania. Mike settled in Portland after he traversed the US in a rickety van with his band mates. At B-Line, Mike is the Office Depot guru. Need pens? Flag him down!
Bill Murdock
An Oregon native, Bill has been a cyclist his whole life, been in the bicycle industry since 1998, and a professional mechanic for over ten years. He is also a dedicated motorcyclist, air-cooled VW mechanic, and home-shop machinist. Bill says, “B-Line allows me to apply my experience in both the motorcycle and bicycle industries and contribute to a responsible urban lifestyle.” Watch for Bill’s guest blogs on how things really work at B-Line.
Kevin Nichols
Kevin grew up in and around the Dallas/Ft. Worth area in Texas but has called Portland home for the past four years. Kevin studied photojournalism at University of North Texas and currently does photography services for events, studio lighting, weddings, and private portraits; and he also really enjoys taking photos of architecture, nature and candid people. Riding bikes has always been a joy for Kevin; he sold his car before moving to Portland found he hasn’t needed one since. Never would he have guessed that he’d be riding as part of his career, but he is happy to be a part of a company that puts the environment and community first and looks forward to helping B-Line continue to grow. Kevin can be found most days delivering fresh Grand Central Bakery bread all over downtown.
Chelsea Parrett
A California native, but a true Oregonian in her heart, Chelsea has spent over 13 years living in the Northwest. A recent PSU graduate, Chelsea studied Community and Sustainable Urban Development where she discovered her passion for both social change and environmentalism. As the B-Share Program Coordinator, Chelsea is dedicated to issues surrounding food justice and security here in Portland and believes that B-Line is the perfect mechanism for effective and sustainable change. On her days off she enjoys rock climbing, photography, backpacking, and wakeboarding with her family. You’ll be sure to find her at any given music festival, or just dancing it up for soul night at the Goodfoot.
Amanda Schutze
Originally from “America’s High Five” (aka Michigan) I grew up wandering the beautiful beaches of the Great Lakes, climbing sand dunes, and hiking though the forests and farmlands my home state has to offer. My interests in community involvement, the environment, activism, and fine arts have drawn me to many places across the country. After completing my BA in fine art at Grand Valley State University I served as an AmeriCorp intern at The Clay Studio of Missoula in Montana where I came to appreciate the value of biking as a sustainable practice, reliable transportation and fun activity. Here in Portland I see B-Line as an amazing opportunity to grow with an innovative business that incorporates many of my interests, while I get to explore the city and ride a tricycle!
Jocelyn Stokes
From the desert trekking of her youth in Arizona to her conservation photography of sun bears in Borneo, Jocelyn Stokes has literally pursued her environmentalist ambition around the world and back. Upon returning to Portland, where Jocelyn graduated from Lewis & Clark with a Bachelor’s degree in the Arts and Sciences, she was ‘Stoked’ to reconnect with the bike-friendly, environmentalist community of this beloved green Metro. Now, pedaling B-Line tricycles to deliver C0²emission -free, organic produce and other goodies to conscious local businesses for a community-based and sustainably innovative company (B-Line!) sustains her mission for promoting environmental advocacy, action-oriented lifestyles and having way too much fun! Jocelyn is B-Line’s event and promotional diva–get in touch with her to find out the power of putting B-Line behind your brand on the streets of Portland!
Amy White
Amy moved to Portland in September from the central coast of California, where she raised a daughter and many businesses including a pedicab business. She loves that B-line is her “real job” and says it may well be the most fun to date. In her free time, she enjoys urban farming (some might call it gardening), exploring nature and art of almost any medium. Follow Amy and the smell of fresh-baked bread as she delivers Grand Central Bakery bread fresh from the oven to restaurants near you!
Cooper Williams
Cooper transplanted from Seattle in 2008. He graduated from Portland State with a BS in Graphic Design. He also likes to dabble in urban planning, street art, map making, cooking, typography, and web development. When he isn’t peddling around town, he runs his own business called Six One Way, creating identity systems and building custom websites for small businesses.