Our Story
Our story begins with our founder, Katherine. Originally from Del Rio, TX, Katherine grew up on the US/Mexican Border and spent most summers in Southern Louisiana and New Orleans with her extended family. Her mother was an avid explorer ahead of her time, and her father a community champion and history buff. Both pushed Katherine and her brother from a young age to explore the world, to always consider the impact of her actions on the broader community, and to pay opportunities and kindness forward. As was one of 5 recipients of the Congress-Bundestag Scholarship for graduating seniors, and Katherine deferred college to be an exchange student for a year in Germany, learn German, and intern with a member of the German Parliament. She has lived (and studied) in several major cities across the US and Europe and has traveled the world for work and fun.
Her idea for Exploring Paths began in 2012 while mentoring at New Alternatives for Children in NYC and cycling with a friend. She quickly realized that some students were not experiencing all that the city had to offer, even in a city abounding with opportunities like NYC.
In 2013, with guidance & encouragement from the founder of Kids’ Ride Club, she partnered with the YMCA & Citi Bike to create a cycling program & non-profit organization to help NYC youth expand their horizons called Exploring Paths®. The goal was to encourage students to be more active & explore the world and destinations beyond their four-block neighborhood radius’.
EP started as a non-profit cycling program dedicated to bringing exploration to youth living in urban environments who wouldn’t otherwise get these opportunities to explore destinations and experiences and learn to ride. Our partnership with the YMCA and Citi Bike has led to 500 students learning to cycle and 30 students, a group of mentors, and Y staff experiencing our outdoor Spring/ Summer program over the past eight years. Based in lower Manhattan, they have cycled almost 1,000 miles and explored destinations and experiences throughout New York City.
In 2019, Katherine decided to expand EP’s efforts to help the program grow within the YMCA and make it available to everyone. She sought to integrate the EP program with technology & worked on creating what is now the Exploring Paths App.
Today, Katherine’s vision of combining her passions of working with teens, travel, cycling, and paying it forward has come alive. Offering both free & paid memberships, users can explore the world, online or in real life. Head over to the Louvre & take an online tour to see Egyptian Antiquities. Learn about Croatia with a live online or in-person tour of Dubrovnik or take an online class from a Michelin Star chef in NYC. Best of all, there are countless outdoor destinations to explore in person, and a portion of all proceeds goes toward organizations like the YMCA that empower youth! Anyone can download the EP app from the Apple App Store or access it online.
Join us and explore! With Exploring Paths®, you’ll have the opportunity to create your own online experiences or cycle to local destinations with our list of featured destinations and activities and seek out parts of your city and the world you might otherwise miss.