Erick Cedeño
Opening Keynote
Erick Cedeño is an explorer, a historian, and an engaging storyteller. He has been featured in multiple national and local publications, from Outside Magazine to The New York Times. Recently inducted into the 2022 class of The Explorers Club 50, Cedeño is globally recognized as one of the year’s 50 explorers changing the world. This incredible honor speaks to his adventurous spirit and desire to explore beyond the obvious, but it is his passion for retracing history and sharing the untold narratives that often spark the most interest in those who hear his stories.
In 2014 and again in 2020, Cedeño, also known on social media as the Bicycle Nomad, followed the historic path of the Underground Railroad–riding his bicycle from New Orleans to Niagara Falls. His journey wasn’t just about the bike ride, but about connecting to his heroes of the Bicycle Corp and tapping into their courage and wisdom. In 2022, Cedeño honored the 125th anniversary of an epic bicycle ride few have heard of in their history lessons. He researched and accurately retraced the route of the Buffalo Soldiers–the all-Black regiment of U.S. soldiers–who rode 1,900 miles from Montana to Missouri on bicycles in 1897. Cedeno rode the same 1900 miles. He is still on that emotional journey as he continues to reach out to the descendants of the Buffalo Soldiers and give honor to the men whose story was lost to archives.
Noah Lenstra
Featured Speaker
Dr. Noah Lenstra is an Associate Professor of Library and Information Science in the School of Education at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) where he brings a community organizing approach to the study and teaching of public librarianship. Notably, Noah founded the Let’s Move in Libraries Initiative, which focuses on supporting healthy living in public libraries through community partnerships. The project was inspired by Former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative, which focused on increasing Healthy Eating and Active Living (HEAL) among Americans. Let’s Move in Libraries continues Obama’s legacy by working to increase physical activity and nutrition through library partnerships in the U.S., Canada, and other places in the world. He is a member of Bicycling in Greensboro (BIG) and has presented at the League of American Bicyclists National Bike Summit and Project for Public Spaces Walk/Bike/Places event.
