Blame it on an early childhood love — an orange Schwinn one-speed bicycle with a banana seat – or pin the interest on dad, who rebuilt old bikes, spray-painting hand-me-downs to look newer for a young Andrew, instilling his love of tinkering, repairing, and racing.

Or put it on mom, a social worker who shared an enthusiasm for community involvement.

“Who knew that those skills would be of value to an organization and would end up doing the community some good?” said Andrew Yee, the executive director of Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange, of his obsession with bike catalogs and bike reviews in his youth.

*2022* *SVBC Professional of the Year* Andrew Yee

Yee has just been named Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition’s Professional of the Year for his work with the Palo Alto-based Bicycle Exchange, which refurbishes hundreds of donated bicycles each year for donation to those in need, and teaches the art of repair to volunteers and the community. Looking back on early influences, he says with a laugh, “If you told me 20 years ago or as a kid that all these things would be useful and valuable, I would never have believed you.”

He’s proud of the award — but deflects personal attention — saying that the Bicycle Exchange’s accomplishments reflect those of many people.

“This is not an individual award, it’s really a recognition of our small staff, all our volunteers, our donors, our board and our charity partners,” Yee said. He notes that the Exchange has just two full-time employees but has had more than 1,000 volunteers who have logged more than 20,000 hours of work, and has seen more than 3,000 bike and financial donors, during his nearly three years there.

Yee grew up in rural Pennsylvania, before moving as a child to Hawaii, then earning a degree from Boston’s Tufts University in mechanical engineering and environmental studies, and an MBA focused on social enterprise from UC Berkeley.

His career took him through tech and publishing, and then to senior roles with the Bicycle Exchange, where he is excited about bicycling’s beneficial impact for communities in need. Through it all he’s remained an avid cyclist and racer — as was his dad — and he’s pleased and proud that his own son now shares third-generation interest.

The SVBE takes in donated bicycles, refurbishes them, sells some to fund its own operations, and donates the majority in batches to community organizations that then distribute to people in need. It also pursues an educational goal, training volunteers and area residents in bicycle repair.

The Bicycle Exchange depends heavily on community support. Volunteers are a key, whether through corporate team-building events, kids with their parents, retirees, or serious enthusiasts. Most bike donors are individuals, typically families clearing the garage of outgrown bikes, or local clubs.

“Every bike donated to us makes a difference,” Yee said. He’s pleased that the Bicycle Exchange is on pace to shatter its record for bike donations, hoping to distribute 1,000 bikes this year. And of volunteers, “every one of them and every single hour is critical to our mission.”

Yee encourages anyone interested to consider volunteering, working in or otherwise supporting social enterprises.

“When you can see and feel the impact of what you are doing,” Yee said, “right in your backyard. I think that really provides the extra drive.”

This guest blog is written by SVBC Volunteer Scott Brown. Scott is a writer, editor, content strategist and former journalist based in the Bay Area.