Today we’d like to introduce you to Alyssa Mason.
Hi Alyssa, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
On Tuesday, June 2nd our team discussed how we were going to show our support towards the Black lives matter movement. There was no question that we needed to do something immediately and the moment called for concrete action. We were all shocked, emotional and frustrated, but we decided to have a brainstorm and discuss ideas. We knew when an idea didn’t feel right, so we kept digging to get closer to our core values and identity. We’re lean but creative, so we asked ourselves “What’s the biggest impact we can have with what we’ve got?” We saw thousands of people take to the street across the world, creating one voice and sharing in a single experience. We had a DJ truck, a lot of experience, and clarity of purpose. If we could amplify the voices that were trying to be heard, we thought it could turn into a conversation; an uncomfortable conversation between all parties and sides. Within 72 hours we went from idea to the street, and on Friday June 5 we showed up to our first protest.
That first day garnered 500+ protestors sitting on the streets of Laurel and Sunset listening to Black voices from the community sharing stories of pain, hope and calls to action. It’s hard to describe how powerful that day was. We knew we had accomplished what we set out to do. Since then, we’ve been to over 12 protests and cause-driven events. The Conversation Truck is about creating a mobile space for conversation. We started out with a mission to amplify Black voices. We created a safe place for the community to have conversations that everyone could join in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. We believe that conversation sparks systemic change. Our platform is here for all underrepresented voices, creating conversations around health care, the power of voting and climate change. We continue to facilitate education and change in the way we know how- through community experience. It’s only when our voices are united, we become too loud to be ignored.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No road is ever smooth per say, but we really have seen an abundance of gratitude for providing a platform for underrepresented voices. Our continued struggle is really the inability to operate as much as possible when we are currently self-funded and operate solely in LA for the time being. The beauty of the truck is that it is mobile so we are able to support different communities around LA. Our dream is to replicate The Conversation Truck in cities all over the US to assist in enacting change within many industries with the start of a conversation.
We’ve been impressed with RMNG, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Our origin is a little unexpected- we’re a full-service experiential agency built inside a tech company (Roaming Hunger – The experts in food trucks). Since 2009 RMNG has been doing one thing: Creating unexpected moments in unexpected places, creating impact-driven experiences wherever your community is. Our process starts with a discovery phase, consisting of strategy and creative. We then move into production- fabrication, locations and working with our network of partners and municipalities. From there, we move into the execution phase where we manage and execute local, regional and national mobile tours, PR Stunts, Restaurant / merchandise Pop-Up’s, Network seeding and content creation programs all layered with digital components to extend the brands voice.
We’ve worked with some of the raddest people and brands such as Sanrio, Heinkeen, Salesforce, Toyota, Microsoft, Bumble, Macao tourism board, Utah Jazz, Uber, Apple… to innovative food companies such as Impossible Foods, Caulipower, Beyond Meat, Conagra Foods, Plenty and more. The common themes in our work are around mobility and location expertise. We can create a great experience and bring it to wherever our audience is, whether it’s Times Square, a major festival, or a hyper-local community gathering. My most prideful achievement to date has to be the creation of The Conversation Truck. Our unique approach to facilitate education and change through community experience has garnered respect within our LA community but has also caught the attention of brands who are looking for opportunities to not only make an authentic and impactful difference but also connect with their communities through education and conversation.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was a go-getter and very independent, always off chatting with someone or playing games- a very active child. At restaurants, I would walk around talking to the other tables and saying hi. I was always interested in how other people were doing and learning from others from the day I was born. I was always led by curiosity and the understanding of not only my experiences but others, which most definitely aligns with my passion for all things experiential. My passion to create impactful and meaningful experiences goes hand in hand with what is most important to me– community.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@conversationtruck.com
- Website: https://www.rmng.co/the-conversation-truck
- Instagram: @theconversationtruck
Image Credits:
@major_feels & @berryface
