Curbivore is a forward-thinking conference that highlights the necessary pivots of businesses and other tech pioneers in the modern era.

Jonah Bliss of Curbivore was a guest on the Digital Hospitality podcast where he talked about the March 4 Curbivore conference in Downtown Los Angeles and how commerce is moving to the curb.

Check out this episode to find out how you can get FREE TICKETS to Curbivore. (HINT: be one of the first 50 to use the code CALIBBQ when registering online.)

WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnJDhRqHejE

 

3 Takeaways from this Episode —

 

Curb Appeal is Mass Appeal:

The pandemic has forced businesses to operate under new rules and increased flexibility. Whether it be increased outdoor seating or inclusion of food delivery, the “curb” has become a vital part of the livelihood of a business hoping to do more than survive during a time of fluctuating mandates and personal comfort levels.

[WATCH]

Car Dependency Disruption:

In many places in America, a car or two is an assumed necessity for families. The usage of cars, however, is tied to an increase of other space hogging property, such as parking lots. Ride sharing, eclectic bikes, and other alternate options provide the opportunity for urban development to occur with higher efficiency.

[WATCH]

Think Outside of the Walls:

The pandemic pivot caused retail stores to no longer have the luxury of focusing purely on the in house experience. Customer service must now be thought of in terms of a complete encounter that begins as soon as the decision is made to be a potential patron of a business.

[WATCH]

 

CURBIVORE 2022

Curbivore happens at 1061 S. Flower St. in Downtown Los Angeles. The 2022 conference is on March 4, 2022. 

Register for Curbivore: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/curbivore-2022-tickets-205235293287?discount=CaliBBQ

 

Jonah Bliss and Curbivore —

Jonah Bliss has played an integral role in decreasing the carbon footprint of society. His list of accomplishments include helping to launch Turo, a peer-to-peer car sharing business that has taken off in recent years, and working as Director of Marketing for Evelo, an electric bike company.

With those experiences in his back pocket, Jonah ventured into the world of live events where he strives to connect the dots of customer service in retail spaces. This is where Curbivore comes in.

“There’s an important conversation that needs to be had here, and people are talking within their silo.”

According to Bliss, many companies are operating ineffectively due to them not having an understanding of what their gaps and blindspots truly are because they essentially are not asking the right questions to the right people. Bliss’ goal with Curbivore is to get the entities involved to talk to each other and problem solve from a more informed place.

“Oh, there’s so many things we could be solving if we just kind of were willing to challenge the status quo a little bit.”

Jonah Bliss has made a living looking deeper into accepted modus operandi. Whether it’s working with a company that challenges the traditional practice of a single customer getting into their personal vehicle to drive to their location of choice or curating a space where restaurant business minds can be stretched beyond the scope of their four walls, Bliss has perpetually sought to uncover the best practice with the realization that “sometimes there’s a better tool for the job.”

The exploration of those better tools is what Bliss is looking to accomplish with Curbivore.

 

Curbivore in LA —

Though set in a relaxing outdoor atmosphere in Downtown LA with networking being a foundational purpose, Curbivore’s first in-person activation is intended to be more than a social event. It is providing the opportunity for the public to cross reference systems and see, test, and experience new technology that is, or will, transforming the future of customer service.

“The customer’s journey starts as soon as they leave their house, right?”

Bliss and Curbivore are attempting to expose people to the tools and technology available to make the circumference of customer service one that addresses any potential problem within the customer experience.

Attendees will get to “kick the tires on some cool hardware…and then they’ll be just great food and drink”. But it is not simply a one time event that promises resolution to all that ails businesses. It is an intentional spark of conversation that Bliss believes includes asking difficult and complex, but necessary questions that involve the entire population -from citizens and small business owners to politicians and lawmakers – of any given city or area.

The conference will have panel discussions over a variety of “curb” topics, including repurposing streets, sidewalks, and parking lots and innovative vehicles.

As Bliss eloquates: “…I don’t know. The best of all worlds is that this meeting is so great that we solve all these problems in a single day. Everyone’s like, oh it’s perfect. I know what to do and I love you. I’m never coming back because you solved my problem. I’m not sure we’re going to get to that one point at this time, but maybe that’s the ultimate goal…is to be so successful and make ourselves irrelevant.”

Noble aspirations aren’t the norm in business, but it is on brand for Jonah Bliss. The only ask he has for Curbivore attendees is to “come hungry and bring business cards”.

-Feature Article by Cali BBQ Media Writer TJ Void. Get in touch with TJ at tjvoid@calibbq.media.

***

What is Curbivore? —

The CURBIVORE conference is on March 4th, 2022 in Downtown Los Angeles.

Curbivore was created out of a shared passion to help restaurants, retailers, local governments, and interested individuals navigate the challenges of the post-pandemic economy.

The world is changing more rapidly than ever before. The hope is that by bringing together all sides of the table, Curbivore can foster a productive dialogue that helps create more equitable and sustainable cities, communities, startups and small businesses.

• Visit https://curbivore.co/about/ to learn more.

Join other top restaurateurs, innovative retailers, visionary city leaders, and tech’s top thinkers as we all work to bounce back from the pandemic.

• https://www.curbivore.co
  
• http://twitter.com/curbivorenews
  
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/curbivore/
  

 

Curbivore Speakers include:

Herb Coakley – Founder & CEO, Courial
Berber Jin – Reporter, The Information
Lee Hnetinka – Founder & CEO, FastAF
Zach Rash – CEO, Coco
Sheena Shiravi – VP Marketing, Eaze
Heather Kuklin – Chef & CEO, Madame Shugah
Joey Grassia – Founder & Co-CEO, Shef
Kristen Hawley – Founder & Editor, Expedite
Kevin Tan – Founder & CEO, Snackpass
Turner Novak – Founder, Banana Capital
Alex Fisch – Mayor, Culver City
Oskar Hjertonsson – CEO & Co-Founder, Cornershop
Gene Oh – CEO, Tranzito
Jordan Justus – CEO, Automotus
Dr. Regina Clewlow – CEO, Populus
Sachin Kansal – VP of Product, Uber
Dmitry Schevelenko – Co-Founder, Tortoise
David Lin – CEO, Duffl
Bobby Brannigan – CEO, Mercato
Donald Shoup – Distinguished Research Professor of Urban Planning, UCLA
Tom Schreiber – CEO, Perch
Joshua Brustein – Technology Editor, Bloomberg Businessweek
Nick Williams – Founder, Sally
Alex Canter – CEO, Nextbite
Mark Suster – Partner, Upfront Ventures
Matty Schaefer – CEO & Co-Founder, Vade
Alex Mitchell – SVP Unlocking Innovation, LA Cleantech Incubator
Dan Mitchell – City & Community Engagement, Nuro
Kelly Grogan – VP of Sales, Virtual Dining Concepts
Dmitry Shevelenko – Co-Founder & President, Tortoise
Louise Matsakis – Investigative Reporter, NBC News
Sam Roxas – VP of Public Affairs, REEF
Seleta Reynolds – General Manager, LADOT
Janette Villafana – Journalist, L.A. Taco
Aspa Lekka – Founder & COO, JOKR

***

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