Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Loftus.
Katie, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Three years ago I started an all-women’s motorcycle show called Ride to the Warehouse. It’s an art show that celebrates and works to empower women in the motorcycle community. We call it Girl Moto power. I had been riding motorcycles for a while at that time and realized I didn’t know many women in the community. I began reaching out and finding a common thread among women riders. I got together with a few photographers and artists to help tell their stories and the show was born. The show was a hit but cost a lot to put together and execute. Three years later, the women’s segment of the motorcycle industry was growing in a market that was otherwise declining. With one out of five buyers being women there was more interest in this type of event. I was contacted by one of the artists from the last show that told me a sponsor was interested in putting together another show along with a street party. One of my friends had recently been diagnosed with cervical cancer and I felt this event would be a good vehicle to educate others and raise some funds for a cervical cancer education and support group called Cervivor Inc. The first show had over 500 people come to view the exhibit and the 2019 event had over 1000 plus in attendance. The show grew from some photos and the stories of a few women and their relationship with the motorcycle to a community of women working to empower themselves and others.
The 2019 event featured:
Four sponsors, 11 photographers, four artists, 44 women riders and 13 motorcycle apparel, accessory and other related vendors. Since the show in September, we’ve had a lot of interest to take the show on the tour so we’re shooting pictures and building content for other cities:
Los Angeles at the House of Machines, February 1st, 2020
Los Angeles at the Hotel Figueroa, March 2020 (official date to be announced)
Austin, Texas, April 3rd / 4th (details to be announced)
Sturgis, South Dakota during the Sturgis Black Hills Rally, August 7th – 16th (details to be announced)
Has it been a smooth road?
The road is never smooth all the way. It was a learning experience to manage the show that grows from 500 to 1000 plus. I feel my biggest challenge is creating a connection to the person that rides, not just the machine. Women have and are changing the community from it being all about the machine and now the old philosophies of the motorcycle industry are still just trying to grasp the women’s market. It’s the fastest growing segment of the industry at present.
Please tell us about your company.
The company is built to empower women to be the best they can be. We highlight them with photos and art to help bring their stories to life. We also have been helping women’s charities along the way. It’s all about Girl Moto Power.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
San Diego is my home town. I’ve lived here my whole life and enjoy just about every aspect of it. Being an avid motorcycle rider, San Diego offers the best year round weather and some of the best roads in the world to ride. I also like the San Diego culture. From the Mexican border to North County, the beach to Jacumba and beyond, the people here are as diverse and interesting as any other place and there’s a bit of a laid back attitude that makes everything just click for the most part. I do struggle with the high cost of living here as well as the wave of gentrification that’s washing out some of our most vibrant areas. I hope that San Diego will find a way to maintain a balance rather than pandering to developers wishing to cash in and make everything the same.
Contact Info:
- Address: 7315 Carmenita Rd. La Mesa, CA 91941
- Website: www.ridetothewarehouse.com
- Phone: 619-997-0232
- Email: ridetothewarehouse@gmail.com
Image Credit:
Cathrine kotch
Nate Hoffbauer
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