Staff
Tiffany Cogell, Interim Executive Director
Tiffany is a longtime resident of the Boston area. She is an equity-practice consultant at Design4Equity, serves as the Benefit Director on The Green Engineer’s Board of Directors, a League Cycling Instructor (LCI) with the League of American Bicyclists. She is a mother of four (and too many plants),a brand new Grandma, and passionate about reflecting inclusion, economic equity, and collective empowerment through design, art, housing, and public spaces.
Tiffany has been with the BCU in one way or another since 2014. She served on the BCU board since 2021, and been a trusted advisor to past Executive Directors. Tiffany is also a founding organizer of Ride for Black Lives Boston. She has helped lead monthly rides that highlighted the need for protection, joy, and justice for Black lives.
Carmen Blyden, Community Organizer
Carmen Blyden brings over a decade of experience in leadership, wellness coaching, and community building. Born and raised in Boston, Carmen has a deep love for the city and a strong commitment to advocating for equity, safety, and access in historically underserved neighborhoods.
As a mental health advocate and seasoned leader, Carmen's approach to organizing is rooted in care, connection, and justice. She believes that everyone deserves to move through their city safely and with dignity, whether on a bike, on foot, or on public transit. She centers community voices and lived experiences in all of her work, building relationships that drive action and foster belonging.
Carmen began riding bikes as a way to stay active and connect more deeply with her son, and it quickly became something they enjoy doing together. That personal connection fuels her passion for making Boston’s streets safer, more joyful, and more inclusive for families and future generations. Outside of her role, Carmen is a proud mother of two and grandmother of three, and continues to show up for her community with purpose, presence, and power.
Dan Totten, Strategic Organizer
Dan Totten (he/they) has been a longtime advocate for mobility justice in the Boston area. As the legislative aide to a Cambridge City Councillor, he played a key role in advancing the Cycling Safety Ordinance, landmark legislation that has led to more than 16 miles of bike lanes installed since 2020. Beyond mobility, Dan has also been deeply involved in LGBTQ+ advocacy and housing justice, working to protect shelter access and expand housing options for people surviving poverty on the street.
At the BCU, Dan focuses on legislative priorities and infrastructure projects, working closely with residents, city officials, and coalition partners to make streets safer and more accessible for all. He is especially committed to building relationships in historically marginalized communities and ensuring that safe cycling infrastructure reflects equity and inclusion.
If you can catch him outside of organizing, Dan enjoys watching the Red Sox, going on runs around the Esplanade, or playing board games with friends.
Mandy Wilkens, Events and Communications Manager
Mandy (they/them) started at the BCU coming from years of organizing in dozens of grassroots community campaigns across the Boston area. From their home neighborhood of Allston to Roxbury, they’ve helped organize struggles around a huge variety of issues, from reproductive justice to police brutality. In 2019, Mandy lead the organizing effort to plan and facilitate the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance event, which highlights the lives of those lost in the intersection of transphobia and racism across the world. Mandy has also been a frequent volunteer at the Boston Liberation Center in Roxbury since their opening in 2021.
If you haven’t run into Mandy doing outreach, at a rally, or at the BLC, it’s pretty likely you’ve seen them darting around on their bike. In the rare moments when Mandy isn’t organizing they’re either at band practice, working on project bikes or at a local metal or punk show.
