Simon Alvarez Belon Email & Phone Number

I have been an avid cyclist for as long as I can remember, going on bicycle tours around Spain and the Netherlands from a young age. Upon moving to Utrecht and discovering the transformational effect of bicycles on human lives, my lifelong passion for bicycles evolved into a commitment to using them to make communities more equitable, sustainable, and happier. At BYCS I manage the Bicycle Mayor Network, an international network made up of 140+ cycling leaders and advocates. My work focuses on professionalizing the Network so that the incredible work that Bicycle Mayors carry out at a local grassroots level can be scaled and its impact brought to other communities worldwide. The success I have found in this position is owed to my skills in relationship building, account management, and a unique combination of long-term strategic vision with an eye for granularity in processes and operations. Having studied Anthropology and Geography with a minor in Sustainability, I am skilled at looking at environmental issues from a critical, interdisciplinary, and intersectional point of view. I am a fervent advocate of a post-growth economy and Democratic Ecosocialism. The intersection of the climate crisis and social justice has led me to explore theories of Degrowth and Post-Growth, Animism, Political Ecology, and Ecological Economics.