About

Andrea Zeppilli Aponte is a native of Lima, Peru (residing in Southern California for the past 20 years). She has been navigating the streets of Los Angeles by bicycle since 2004. Her educational journey to becoming a confident city cyclist provided a path for her to foster her passion for the environment. Cycling, she discovered, wasn’t just a fun activity, but also a tool for transportation as well as a solution to environmental, social equity and health issues that mattered to her. Andrea is currently the General Manager of the Santa Monica Bike Center, the largest full service commuter facility in the nation (offering users showers, lockers, secure bicycle parking, repair services, educational programs, rental bikes, eco-tours and more). She has been a part of the downtown Santa Monica commuter hub since it opened its doors in November of 2011. Through her efforts the Bike Center received Green Business Certification in 2014 as well as a Sustainable Quality Award for Excellence in Economic Development.

Andrea is also a Cycling Instructor (LCI #4511) certified by the League of American Bicyclists, the oldest bicycle advocacy group in the US. She teaches beginner classes for adults learning how to ride for the first time and traffic skills classes for intermediate riders through the nonprofit organization Sustainable Streets. Andrea is an advocate for active transportation and a feminist, hoping to inspire more women to ride bicycles for the benefit of their health, spirit and planet.