Anna Anisin runs a conversation with Meg Daly, a visionary, entrepreneur and urban innovator. Meg raised $150 million, opened 2.5 miles of The Underline linear park, and re-invented gala culture with the Sneakers Ball. In the podcast, they talk about clothes, mindsets and shifts that can transform the shared, urban space.
A sales and marketing veteran, Meg Daly is a founder of โFriends of Underlineโ, an organization that transforms the areas beneath Miamiโs elevated Metrorail into aesthetic parks and pleasant public spaces.
The idea
When recovering from an accident, Meg Daly had to walk through areas under the Metrorail, when the idea popped up in her mind.
โWe should turn this into a parkโฆ Boomโ she says in the podcast. โA 10-mile linear park under MetroRail connecting every neighborhood it touchesโ she adds. But it was not that simple.
Contrary to, for example NYC Highline, that is running through a single city and one county, Miami line connects 30 municipalities. Building a park this long required a good deal of inclusivity in planning. โBuild a sandbox big enough for everyone to play inโmayors, skaters, moms, engineersโ she says.
The project is developing further, with next seven miles being under construction, stretching the park to 10 continuous miles. The park is enriched with pickleball and basketball courts, as well as street kiosks with food and artworks on the columns.
The style
Meg has also shared the evolution of her style. She started with โ70s disco glam, to be later dressed in โ90s power suits, and proceed to modern tech-fabric dresses and converse sneakers.
โIf the shoes work on-site and on-stage, Iโm inโ, she says. She also advocates for no-heel policy on fundraising parties, as the comfortable footwear drives better connections and longer integration.
Keeping the lights on
Being this active requires a good time and effort management. Meg has some tips to share how to stay productive and motivated for a longer time.
- 9 pm lights-out
- 5 am 4-mile walk + Cuban cafecito – for strategy thinking.
- Analog notebook beside Asana boards – the former for day markers, the latter for 25-person remote team ops.
- Aggressive batching –ย site walk-throughs, donor pitches, and media hits all on the same day, sneakers laced.
Summary
Megโs history shows that when a dynamic and motivated individual finds a right idea, the effect can be transformative for whole communities, to the point of making the city a better place to live, party, and rest.
The full episode can be found on YouTube and Apple Podcasts.
