Proceedings of the Rasmussen College Women's Cycling Summit, held on June 19 as part of Minnesota's Great River Energy Bicycle Festival, have been released. The Summit included a presentation of the Ryan Collegiate Women's All Stars team, a keynote address on the Cycling Made Real grassroots women's program and a panel discussion on corporate sponsorship. The Summit drew a standing-room-only audience.
The Ryan Collegiate Women's All Stars Team, sponsored by construction/development giant The Ryan Companies, was selected at the USA Cycling Collegiate Road Nationals held in May. This team, the first of its kind, competed at the Nature Valley Grand Prix, the Festival's pro stage race, which began the next day.
The Summit showcased Cycling Made Real, a highly successful grassroots program that is spreading across the country. Keynote speaker Christina DeKraay presented an overview of this program, which has seen entry-level women's fields grow by 10-fold wherever it's been implement. Her address was followed by a town hall meeting with members of the audience.
The final session, moderated by Tom Schuler of Team Sports, was a panel discussion of corporate sponsorship for teams, programs and events. Panelists included representatives from Wheaties, the Jelly Belly Candy Company, Materials Processing Corporation and the Coors Classic. Panelists provided a rare inside look at sponsors' goals and the decision-making processes that see some proposals funded while the vast majority are not.
Visit www.WomenCyclists.com for the complete proceedings.
