Business in brief: Asheville mom starts kids cycling club

Teaching children to ride a bike can be nerve-racking for parents and kids alike. And Asheville mom Emi Kubota, a longtime cyclist, realized that while a lot of classes existed to teach kids how to ski, there was nothing for cycling.

Kubota, a cycling instructor with the League of American Bicyclists, taught her daughter to ride a bike before her third birthday. She saw her daughter gain self-confidence — and, crucially, develop a love for the outdoors. In June, Kubota launched KidCycle Club, a cycling club that teaches cycling skills to kids from 12 months to 12 years old.

Children on a four-wheel pre-balance bike can learn to glide forward and pick up their feet as early as 12 months old. She pinpoints 12 to 18 months as a great age for getting on a bike because kids are less inhibited. During the toddler years, a child can ride a balance bike, which does not have pedals and allows their feet to touch the ground. Older children learn to ride a pedal bike, relying on their balance skills. “We’re teaching kids to ride without training wheels,” Kubota explains. “We really focus on bicycle independence.”

KidCycle Club is offering four-week bicycling lessons. Classes contain small obstacles — such as riding around cones or riding over ramps made from wooden plates — for kids to learn skills like turning and speed control. Classes take place at Burton Street Community Center and Kolo Bike Park (located in Asheville Treetops Adventure Park). Private lessons are also available.

KidCycle Club requires helmets for classes and lessons. Helmets, pedal bikes, balance bikes and a pre-balance bike are available for rental. More information at https://www.kidcycleclub.com/.

Goodwill seeks local designers for fashion show

As they say on “Project Runway,” one day you’re in and the next day you’re out. Local fashion designers are invited to get “in” with Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina for its sixth annual upcycled fashion show, Color Me Goodwill.

Designers can apply as individuals or as teams of up to three people, and they must submit photos of their existing or past work, or links to an online portfolio of work. Seven selected designers and/or teams will each choose a theme color and receive $200 to shop for clothing and materials at local Goodwill stores, which each will upcycle into a five-piece collection.

The fashion show will take place April 29 at The Orange Peel. A panel of judges (probably not Heidi Klum) will score the collections based on creative use of the original materials and construction of garments. First-place winner receives a $500 prize, and one designer will take home an audience-choice award of $200.

Visit www.goodwillnwnc.org/cmgdesigners/ to apply by Monday, Nov. 1.

New location

• Mojo Coworking will move to a new location at 81 Broadway with almost 50% more space on Monday, Nov. 1. The new location expands the conference room capacity and doubles the number of private offices. The expansion is part of a partnership with Hobgood Holdings, a real estate holding company owned by Blair Hobgood. Mojo Coworking, owned by Craig McAnsh, opened in Asheville in 2011. More information at www.mojocoworking.com/.

Save the dates

• Leadership Asheville at UNC Asheville will hold “Evolving Asheville — The Economy” as part of its Buzz Breakfast Series on Tuesday, Oct. 26, 8-10 a.m. Speakers include Rosanna Mulcahy, business inclusion manager for the city of Asheville, and Vic Isley, president and CEO of Explore Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau. The breakfast will be held at the Crowne Plaza Resort Expo Center, 1 Resort Drive. For tickets or more information, email leadershipasheville@unca.edu or visit http://avl.mx/aka.
• Wanda Marie, certified master coach and trainer, and Lesley King, a certified professional coach who specializes in empowerment, will hold “Insight Full,” a group speed-coaching session, Thursday, Nov. 4, 5:30-8:30 p.m., at Asheville Masonic Temple, 80 Broadway Street. More information and tickets at http://avl.mx/akb.
• Mountain BizWorks is hosting Mountain Raise Live Offering Event, where graduates from its ScaleUp entrepreneurial cohort will present their pitches to investors, Wednesday, Nov. 10, 5:30-8:30 p.m., in the event space at Hi-Wire Brewing, 2B Huntsman Place. Tickets are available http://avl.mx/ak2.

Hats off

• Rachel Edens, a native of North Carolina, is joining Buncombe County government as its first chief equity and human rights officer and will lead the Equity and Inclusion Workgroup. Edens most recently worked at the Vermont Humanities, where she served as Community Programs Officer. Edens’ first day is Monday, Nov. 1. Learn more at http://avl.mx/ake.
• Formation PR + Brand of Hendersonville, founded by Erica Allison, is a two-time winner in the 2021 Hermes Creative Awards, an international competition held by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals. The company won the gold award in the print media category for the Pisgah Legal Affordable Care Act Enrollment Campaign, and the platinum award in electronic media for the Dogwood Health Trust’s Digital Annual Report. “Being a woman-owned business has its challenges, especially if you are a mom,” Allison told Xpress. “I learned years ago that it’s a true ebb and flow all the way around. This is not a solo endeavor. Success in both personal and professional life comes as a result of a supportive family, amazing team members and clients, a lot of grit and determination, and knowing when to go for the next rung on the ladder and when to settle in and excel where you are.”
• AdventHealth Hendersonville named Kristy Ellison its director of behavioral health. She will oversee the hospital’s 36-bed behavioral health unit. A native of Henderson County, Ellison was previously the quality assurance supervisor for AdventHealth’s Behavioral Health Unit.