Zach Stone

Co-Founder/Chief Strategy Officer of Red Kite Project

Zach Stone, is the co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Red Kite Project, a resiliency building firm. Zach has spent the last 15 years as a mediator, facilitator and corporate coach. He holds a degree in Behavioral Health from Drexel University and certificates in crisis intervention and human services. He has a graduate certificate in Organizational Development from Babson College/Goldman Sachs joint initiatives program. He is on staff at Drexel in the Behavioral Health Department. He has worked with transit companies for over five years, helping to create cultural shifts that keep their workforce safer and healthier including a 65% drop in assaults in Philadelphia.

Transit Dispatches•by Zach Stone•August 22, 2019

Tools for defusing conflict with public transportation passengers

When dealing with triggered, erratic, aggressive or emotionally unstable people, we often naturally choose the least effective method of de-escalation.

Transit Dispatches•by Zach Stone•June 14, 2017

Why Investing in 'Half Measures' When Hiring Frontline Employees Will Bring Public Transit to Its Knees

The public transit industry faces a severe human resources crisis... we began to focus on the science behind identifying and hiring more resilient human beings up front, in order to make it easier to build resilience and preparedness with employees once they are onboard.

Safety Corner•by Zach Stone•July 27, 2016

5 Tips for Keeping Bus Operators Safe

Ah, summer. Pool parties, barbecues, the smell of honeysuckle and the sight of lightning bugs. Or — a rise in crime, agitated riders seeking air conditioning, heat stroke, a new fiscal year, and the necessary, but unpopular, fare increases. However you view the summer months, with a direct correlation between high temperatures and increased crime, it's vital for transit leaders to be asking themselves, "Have we done everything possible to keep our people safe?"

Transit Dispatches•by Zach Stone•June 8, 2016

4 Things Every Transit Leader Should Know About Their Front Line

Lao Tzu, the famous tactician and the author of "The Art of War," wrote “To lead people, walk beside them.” As leaders, we sometimes forget to step outside of our own job duties to understand the unique needs and perspective of our workforce. With the many vital roles we play each day to keep our companies running, we may think our time is too scarce to walk beside our most entry level workers. It's a belief that has resulted in many organizations’ lowered morale and catastrophic financial losses.

Transit Dispatches•by Zach Stone•November 18, 2015

Cost-Effective Ways to Develop More Resilient Transit Employees

There is an epidemic of safety accidents, absenteeism and high turnover among transit’s front line employees and it’s bleeding the transportation industry billions of dollars. But the inoculation may be closer than you think. Employee engagement is the best immunization for what’s ailing the industry.