Evan O’Neil is Rider #1—the first person to sign up for the very first Climate Ride in 2008! He has ridden four Climate Rides and accomplished several independent challenges to support the organization’s growth and beneficiary network. Evan is currently Director of Operations for the New York Solar Energy Industries Association, helping to accelerate the clean energy revolution in his state. Previously he led sustainability communications for Sombra Mezcal, a 1% for the Planet company with ecologically modern production methods in Oaxaca, Mexico. Evan secured media coverage for Sombra and built marketing and branding relationships with environmental organizations around the country through event sponsorships. Evan also has experience in the government sector, researching policies for voting machine security as well as serving as a community board member and poll worker in New York City. Previously Evan was editor of Policy Innovations magazine for Carnegie Council, a publication dedicated to telling the stories of innovative social entrepreneurs, academics, nonprofits, and policymakers around the world. In his spare time, Evan organizes volunteer beach cleanups and kayaking events as an environmental steward with HarborLAB in Long Island City, NY. He also volunteers with Transportation Alternatives to support its mission of reclaiming New York City streets from the automobile. Evan graduated summa cum laude from Duquesne University with a B.A. in philosophy.