Byron first came to the United States alone, speaking no English, as a teenager when he was 17 years old. He was born and raised in Quito, Ecuador and came to the US following political instability in the country, and a tragic car accident that left his mother in a coma. When she awoke, she insisted Byron, her eldest child, had to leave the country. He arrived in the US through the American Field Service program, and due to a family emergency with his intended host family, he found he had no home to live in. Community members brought Byron to a house of worship and told his story. A mother of 4 boys, a Professor of Black American Studies, decided there that she would open her home and family to Byron. He finished high school in their community in Tennessee and attended college on a soccer scholarship, earning a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics and Business Administration from Cumberland University. His host family had roots in the Chicago area, and after he graduated, Byron moved to Willowbrook and worked in the private sector, before deciding to become a teacher and moving to the Pilsen community.

Byron became an adult education teacher at the University of Illinois at Chicago and founded the UIC Center for Literacy’s Spanish literacy program, making the GED program at UIC much more widely accessible to Spanish speaking immigrants, parents, and residents. Seeing the need for wrap-around services, Byron also brought a case worker into the program to ensure his students’ families received resources and needed services. In addition to Byron’s work as a teacher, he also volunteered as a youth soccer coach at Pilsen Academy. Byron earned a Master’s Degree in Economics from UIC while also working as a lead researcher. He began collaborating alongside the Chicago Teachers Union in investigating the financial relationships between charter school networks like UNO, school funding, and Chicago’s political elite, and organized with parents and teachers like Karen Lewis to fight for fully funded public schools. 

After Rahm Emanuel announced that he would be closing a hundred thirty Chicago Public Schools, Byron became involved in the Pilsen Alliance where he organized with the community to push to keep the schools open. Byron eventually served as the Director of Pilsen Alliance where he became a leader and an activist in the fight against gentrification, the high cost of rent and housing, displacement, and corruption. He co-founded the state-wide coalition to lift the ban on rent control in Illinois. He built coalitions all across our state during this time including with the Democratic Socialists of America, which he became a member of in 2017. 

In 2019, Byron ran a grassroots campaign for Alderman of the 25th Ward after coming in second against the later disgraced Alderman Danny Solis in the 2015 municipal elections.  He committed to refuse political contributions from developers and big corporations - a commitment he has upheld to this day and beyond. He was re-elected in 2023. Since taking office, any resident now can personally meet with Byron at his weekly Ward Night, and all residents can receive compassion, support, and city services from the devoted public servants who staff the 25th Ward office. 

They live in Pilsen with their dog, Buster, and their two cats, Dos and 三歲 (sān suì).