Emily (she/they, Richmond, VA) After a childhood full of studying paper maps, learning about indigenous cultures in Virginia, and enjoying multi-day paddle trips with her mother, Emily found a deep love of route building and sharing creative ways to experience a connection with the natural world by bicycle. Long distance cycling scratched the itch to see terrain change firsthand in an immersive way, but bikepacking deepened the experience, allowing her to really soak up the ecology thriving in the quiet of natural spaces and more remote places. She loves to yap about native plants, reptiles, amphibians, and the bugs you see while riding. Emily came to the cycling industry in 2013, sewing cycling hats, accessories and bags, but didn’t land in a bike shop as an employee until 2019. She started route building and banking beta in a more intentional way, sharing the joy of multi-day offroad rides with the community around her. Professionally, her goals have focused on improved pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure, trail and public land advocacy and stewardship, creating space and opportunity for marginalized riders, and developing creative fundraising pathways to ensure that these goals are met.