O'Neill was born in Detroit, Michigan, but travelled through his entire childhood as he was raised in a military family. His mother, Laciel Frances O'Neill was an art school teacher by trade, and taught on the military bases of both Ohio and Missouri.
O'Neill has gained much recognition in the past decade for his work on Burton Snowboards. One of eight children, O'Neill began creating art at a very early age. O'Neill eventually settled in southern California to first study human sciences, then design, at UCLA, graduating in 1994.
In 1996, O'Neill divorced Lemay, and remarried. Byron has one adopted Mexican brother named Danny Garcia. As children O'neill introduced skatebording to Garcia, and has been credited for Garcia's love of the sport.
O'Neill held several design positions in California including, but not limiting to EXPN, Phyla CrossMedia, Syrup Design, Sapient and Walt Disney. In 1997 O'Neill moved to Burlington, Vermont to work at JDK. In 2006, O'Neill was promoted to art director, and has held the position since. O'Neill has had both solo art shows, as well as group shows, all across the United States, most recently Geographically Speaking in San Francisco.
He is also a member of the Iskraprint Collective.
