Who is aDrive?

Daniel "aDrive" Clap is a Twitch streamer, YouTuber, and social media personality known for his love of the Pokémon series. The self-described "Shiny King" of the Pokémon community, he has a huge loyal fanbase known as the aDrive Army. aDrive is a consistent source of Pokémon content, cranking out an average of two videos daily and streaming on a daily basis. In addition to his Pokémon videos and streams, he occasionally streams himself playing other titles such as Minecraft.

aDrive has been a full-time content creator since March 2015. Prior to becoming a Twitch streamer and YouTuber, he worked as a research analyst and touring musician. Since kicking off his streaming career, he has also acted as the coach for the St. Louis Rampardos, the Minnesota Vikavolts, and the New York Metapods in various competitive Pokémon leagues, and he was formerly a member of Team Kaliber. With over 780,000 subscribers on YouTube and over 500,000 followers on Twitch, along with thousands more followers on Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms, aDrive is one of the most popular Pokémon content creators on the web.

Here's everything you need to know about aDrive:

Table of Contents:
Personal Life
Career
Gaming and Streaming Setup
Sponsors and Partners
Merchandise
Philanthropy
Awards and Achievements
Trivia and Fun Facts
FAQs
Social Media Profiles

Personal Life

Daniel Clap, also known as aDrive, was born on February 16, 1991, in North Carolina. After his parents divorced when he was a teenager, he moved in with his father, who became his primary guardian while he was in high school.

aDrive attended college at Western Connecticut State University from 2009 to 2013, graduating with a degree in marketing and business administration. By his own admission, his college experience was far from standard: he commuted to class rather than living on campus and attended a total of one college party throughout his time at the university, choosing to focus on his work and time touring with bands instead. However, he credits his college education for giving him the business skills necessary to succeed in the streaming world.

After graduating from college, aDrive worked for two years as a research analyst at Ipsos ASI, a digital advertising and marketing research firm. While working as an analyst, he moonlighted as a content partner with Machinima.com, developing viral content and collaborating with established YouTubers.  He also started a YouTube channel to upload Call of Duty content on occasion. In early 2014, he started his own Twitch channel in order to stream his journey to becoming a top-level Pokémon battler. By August of that year, his channel had grown large enough for him to become a Twitch Partner, and he transitioned to full-time streaming and content creation in March 2015.

A few months later, on July 4, 2015, aDrive proposed to his then-girlfriend, Dani, in the form of a personalized song performed in front of their friends and family at an Independence Day party.

 

The couple married in July 2016, and their daughter Dallas Rose was born just over two years later.

 

Today, aDrive lives in Connecticut with his wife Dani, his daughter Dallas Rose, and their dog, Lilli.

Career

aDrive has been an avid Pokémon fan since his childhood and has played Pokémon since Pokémon Red and Blue released in 1998, though he didn't start streaming the game until the Summer of 2014. However, his experience as an entertainer far predates his time as a Twitch streamer. As a professional musician in high school and college, he toured with several of his own bands, participated in the Vans Warped Tour, and opened for bands such as Bon Jovi, Paramore, and Gavin DeGraw. To this day, he still performs his music onstream and occasionally publishes music on Bandcamp under the name From Me to Your Stereo.

A lifelong Pokémon fan, he picked up a copy of every entry in the series and was an avid spectator of the competitive scene as early as 2008—aDrive's first stint as a gaming content creator came through Call of Duty. In 2010, he kicked off his YouTube channel, primarily uploading Call of Duty commentary and content.

Things changed following aDrive's graduation from college in 2013. Inspired by his love for competition—and competitive Pokémon in particular—aDrive streamed on Twitch for the first time to share his journey to becoming a high-level Pokémon player. For his gamertag, he chose aDrive, which originally stood for "AutumnalDrive." The name originates from a slam poem that aDrive wrote in high school. Without a streaming setup for his Nintendo 3DS, he improvised by pointing a webcam at his game screen. Soon enough, he began to stream for up to 20 hours a week, on top of the responsibilities of his day job at an analytics and insights company named Ispos ASI.

While not yet a full-time streamer, he began to make a name for himself within the Pokémon community by joining or participating in larger collectives or leagues such as Lumiose Station, the Global Battle Association, and Team Kaliber. He soon developed a reputation as a shiny hunter, spending hours upon hours grinding out Pokémon battles in order to find rare alternative-color versions of his favorite creatures. Soon enough, his fanbase had grown large enough that he was able to consider leaving his job to stream full-time. In March 2015, he made the leap of faith—and it paid off. He's been a full-time streamer ever since.

Although shiny hunting remains an important part of aDrive's identity, he has since diversified his content to cover all aspects of the Pokémon world, including competitive Video Game Championship play, the Pokémon trading card game, and Pokémon GO. No matter what kind of content he has pursued, aDrive's followers have only grown in number, enticed by his family-friendly content, welcoming community, and genuine passion for Pokémon.

Gaming and Streaming Setup

As a full-time streamer and content creator, aDrive has a top-notch streaming and gaming setup. aDrive is sponsored by Elgato, and much of his equipment was supplied by the company, including his Elgato Wave microphone. His camera setup is a Panasonic Lumix G7 DSLR camera mounted on an Elgato Multi Mount system. He also uses an Elgato Green Screen setup.

Watch this video for a detailed tour of aDrive's "Pokémon Office" in 2018. aDrive hasn’t done a new office setup tour for his new house yet, but when he does, we’ll share it here.

Sponsors and Partners

As a prominent social media talent, aDrive has partnered with several well-known companies and brands, including:

G FUEL

aDrive has been partnered with G FUEL, The Official Energy Drink of Esports®, since November 2017. The streamer is vocal about his love for G FUEL, and it wouldn't be a stretch to say that the gamer energy drink has truly become a family affair in the aDrive household. While he often drinks G FUEL to keep up his energy for marathon broadcasts, it's also become a consistent and important part of his wife Dani's morning routine.

 

In November 2020, aDrive's passion for G FUEL inspired the company to release a custom flavor based on his love for shiny Pokémon: Shiny Splash. At only 15 calories per serving, Shiny Splash represents the ultimate fusion dance of blueberry and lemonade flavors. Order your G FUEL Shiny Splash tub today!

 

 

Elgato

aDrive has been sponsored by this computing and gaming company since 2019. In 2020, Elgato provided aDrive with the equipment necessary to do a marathon 80-hour stream with his fellow Pokémon content creator Pokeaim.

Blue Microphones

aDrive has been sponsored by Blue Microphones since 2018—but his relationship with the company goes back far longer than that. He's been a loyal user of Blue Microphones products since creating his first YouTube video in 2010.

Reeses

aDrive has been partnered with his favorite candy, Reeses, since 2020. They also released a limited time Reeses emote on Twitch.

Cartoon Network

In 2019, aDrive announced he partnered with Cartoon Network to stream some games on Cartoon Network Arcade with two of his friends, MYSTIC7 and JTGily.

GameStop

For Black Friday in 2020, aDrive teamed up with GameStop to unbox packages, give away gift cards, and share GameStop’s Black Friday deals with his fans.

Merchandise

aDrive has two official merchandise stores. The first can be found on Ownaj, featuring a wide range of merch, including sweatshirts, t-shirts, keychains, and mugs emblazoned with the logos of aDrive's various competitive Pokémon teams such as the Minnesota Vikavolts and the St. Louis Rampardos.

aDrive's second store, which can be found on MerchLand, was launched in January 2021, selling t-shirts featuring logos and graphics related to #TeamShiny, one of the streamer's favorite catchphrases and hashtags. aDrive also owns part of MerchLand and launched the PokeLoot crate, which includes a plushie, custom pin, t-shirt, a random Pokémon card signed by aDrive, and more.

Philanthropy

Philanthropy has always been an important aspect of aDrive's work. In 2020, the streamer kicked his charity efforts up a notch, teaming up with G FUEL and Games for Love to host several successful charity events.

In June 2020, aDrive raised $93,800 for Games for Love during an 80-hour streaming marathon. He smashed this record in October 2020, raising $294,581 for the same organization.

Throughout both events, G FUEL provided support by donating prizes for giveaways and those who donated. The funds raised empowered Games for Love to pursue its mission to bring games to disadvantaged children and improve the lives of young hospital patients through video games and gaming equipment. For more information about the charitable initiative, check out the official aDrive for Love website here. These prominent examples are only two of the many charity streams that aDrive has participated in during his years as a full-time streamer and YouTuber.

Awards and Achievements

Aside from being a successful Twitch streamer and YouTuber, aDrive is an accomplished competitive Pokémon player. He has taken first place or placed highly at events such as the One Nation of Gamers Pokémon Invitational and the seasons 4 and 5 of the Global Battle Association (GBA).

Trivia and Fun Facts

• Real Name: Daniel Clap
• Alias: aDrive
• Birthday: February 16, 1991
• Age: 30
• Astrological Sign: Aquarius
• Birthplace: North Carolina
• Hometown: Danbury, Connecticut
• Residence: Connecticut
• Hobbies: Music, Pokémon, and spending time with family
• Favorite Video Games: Pokémon, Skyrim, and Legend of Zelda
• Favorite Food: Buffalo chicken
• Significant Other: His wife, Dani
• Kids: His daughter, Dallas Rose
• Pets: His dog, Lilli
• aDrive's daughter, Dallas Rose, is named after his wife Dani's grandmother, Alice, who gave all of her children names that started with the letter "D." Dallas' middle name is a family name that has been passed down for four generations.
• aDrive is known for his love for Bug-type Pokémon.
• aDrive's favorite restaurant is JK's Family Restaurant in Danbury, CT.
• aDrive's favorite Generation 7 Pokémon is Vikavolt.
• aDrive is known for his family-friendly content, motivated in part by his goal to be a role model to his young niece and nephew, who often watch his streams.

FAQs

Who is aDrive?

aDrive is a prominent Twitch streamer and YouTuber known for his love for the Pokémon series. He's also partnered with G FUEL, The Official Energy Drink of Esports®.

How old is aDrive?

aDrive is 30 years old.

What is aDrive's real name?

aDrive's real name is Daniel Clap.

What time does aDrive stream?

aDrive's streaming schedule is available on his Twitch schedule page. He usually streams every day beginning at 12:30 PM Eastern Time.

Is aDrive married?

aDrive married his wife Dani in July 2016.

Who is aDrive's wife?

aDrive's wife Dani was his girlfriend before he ever started streaming Pokémon. They have a child together named Dallas Rose.

What is aDrive's band's name?

aDrive's musical act is currently known as From Me to Your Stereo.

Where does aDrive live?

aDrive lives in Connecticut.

Where is aDrive from?

aDrive is from Danbury, Connecticut.

When did aDrive create his channel?

aDrive started his first YouTube channel in 2010 and his Twitch channel in summer 2014. aDrive left the Global Battle Association in order to focus on other content, work in other leagues, and grow his Twitch stream. He and the organization parted ways on good terms.

How many shiny Pokémon does aDrive have?

aDrive has over 1,000 shiny Pokémon in his collection.

Who does aDrive coach?

aDrive has served as the coach for the St. Louis Rampardos, the Minnesota Vikavolts, and the New York Metapods.

Social Media Profiles

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aDrivetk/
• Merch: https://www.ownaj.com/pages/aDrive and https://merchland.net/collections/adrive 
• Music: https://frommetoyourstereo.bandcamp.com/
• Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/aDrive
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/aDrive_tK
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aDrivelive
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/aDrive

Read more:

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This article was written by Alexander Lee, an editor, freelance writer, and esports enthusiast based in New York City. Follow him on Twitter @alexleewastaken.