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  • SF2.LA: Part 2 – $10M

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    What is it like to raise $11 million for a health project in 9 months?

    As a startup founder, fundraising is my least favorite part of the job, but it’s necessary to solve big problems. In late 2023, I decided to join a group of people pushing the boundaries of health justice. I wanted to learn from them what it’s like to raise more than $310M over the last 30 years.

    Since 1994, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the Los Angeles LGBT Center have produced a unique experience called the AIDS/LifeCycle, a 545-mile bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles. It’s a fundraising event to reduce new HIV infections and improve the quality of life for people living with HIV/AIDS.

    To join this group, I needed to accomplish these two things:
    – I set a personal challenge to raise at least $10k.
    – I also needed to ride 545 miles by bike.

    Raising the minimum amount of money to participate is not easy ($3.5k). Only about 50% of participants were able to do that. So, I built an AI Strava Extension to help my fundraising efforts and then opened it to all participants to use. Thank you, DonorDrive , for being transparent and making your API open, and also Strava for accepting my submission as a Developer Partner.

    I raised the minimum amount of money to participate quite quickly, and I’m proud to have helped a significant number of other participants. In fact, 96% of participants who used the Strava extension were able to raise the minimum to participate in the ride, making some of them top fundraisers.

    Long story short, together, more than 1,300 participants and 400 volunteers fundraised $11 million using various fundraising strategies, from corporate matching to fundraising parties.

    How was the ride? Well, it was a unique experience that words can hardly do justice. The camaraderie, the physical challenge, and the shared purpose made it an unforgettable journey. I encourage you to sign up for AIDS/LifeCycle 2025 to experience it for yourself.

    My next challenge is to tackle other big problems, join Climate Ride challenges, and raise funds for organizations related to sustainability and climate change.

  • No gimmicks, please!

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    Want to boost your team’s productivity? Here’s an amazing list of strategies that I’ve been incorporating during the last 2 years.

    – Incentives to increase commuting by bike: Encourage cycling to work. It’s not just good for the environment, but those endorphins from exercise can elevate mood and improve focus. πŸŒΏπŸš΄β€β™‚οΈ

    – Longer lunch times for a quick walk: Allow your team to enjoy a walk after lunch. This reduces the insulin spike and helps maintain energy levels throughout the afternoon. πŸƒπŸƒβ€β™€οΈ

    – Nature time: Promote spending time outdoors. Being in nature reduces stress and boosts creativity, leading to more innovative problem-solving. 🌳✨

    There are no gimmicks, gamification, or digital tools that will do better than that.

    Today, I had the pleasure of participating in #BikeToWhateverDay, and it was a powerful reminder of how these elements can significantly enhance our mental and physical well-being.

    A big thank you to Bike East Bay for organizing this event and to the fantastic team I met along the way: GU Energy Labs, Backroads, and Sustainable Contra Costa. Your dedication made this experience unforgettable and impactful. πŸ™ŒπŸš΄β€β™‚οΈ

    Let’s incorporate more outdoor activities into our routines to foster a happier, healthier, and more productive work environment. Together, we can pedal towards a sustainable and successful future! πŸŒπŸ’š

  • Bicycle use now exceeds car use

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    Not in the US, sorry, it was in Paris.

    Still, should we continue prioritizing the present comfort of our cars, electric or otherwise, over simpler, healthier alternatives like biking, which also safeguard our future physical and mental health and the planet’s well-being?

    This shift not only challenges the notion that EVs are the ultimate solution for urban sustainability but also prompts us to rethink our reliance on technology. As bicycles surpass cars in usage, it’s time to evaluate whether simpler solutions might better serve our cities and us.

    Another good stuff, one of the biggest urban cycling trends in 2024 is children-focused initiatives: the bike bus and school streets.

    β€œThe future of cities belongs to its children, and this new movement just might prove to be a vital tipping point where they are finally considered and involved in the planning process.”

    – Chris Bruntlett, Dutch Cycling Embassy

  • SF2.LA: Part 1

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    Diego from 2 months ago:

    “No-code platforms are BS.”

    Diego from today:

    “No-code platforms are mostly BS. Except one, which is now my new BFF. πŸ˜‰”

    I once firmly believed that low/no-code platforms couldn’t create novel technologies. However, I had the opportunity to challenge this belief while developing a solution for a non-profit campaign.

    The goal was ambitious: to connect the Strava and DonorDrive APIs to boost AIDS/LifeCycle participants’ campaigns by automatically sharing their training efforts and helping with their fundraising goals. This was something I had already been doing manually for my campaign, and friends were curious about how they could do the same.

    After exploring various no/low-code platforms, I discovered FlutterFlow, which perfectly fit my needs. It offers a comprehensive Cloud IDE, encompassing UI, Design System, Database, Authentication, Frontend, Backend, Webhooks, Version Control and more.


    Initially, I struggled to grasp some concepts and could have had a better experience. However, the FlutterFlow community was incredibly supportive, and after four very long weekends, I had a solution ready for all 2500+ participants. It’s still a work in progress but is already assisting other AIDS/Lifecycle participants.

    I hope it will make a significant difference for the organizations behind the event.
    I’m immensely grateful for the support and feedback from the cycling and tech communities. Your encouragement has been pivotal in this journey. This project marks just the beginning. I now see these solutions as catalysts for change, inspiring more tech-driven initiatives for social causes.

    If you’re a participant (or thinking about becoming one), I’d love to hear your feedback and your experience using it: https://sf2.la/

  • The Bikeraft Guide by Steve β€œDoom” and Lizzy Scully

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    When you are having a midlife crisis and read a book called The Bikeraft Guide by a guy named Stave “Doom” you are the only one who left a review and still thinks it is a great idea. πŸ™‚