Born and raised in Berlin, Germany, Benno was a skate and snowboard pioneer who dreamed of living in California. After graduating from design school he moved to San Diego where, in 1993, he co-founded the Electra Bicycle Company. Benno left the company in 2010 after its sale three years prior, but his restless desire to design better bikes and inspire people to ride remained, which led him to create Benno Bikes in 2015.