David Ames is the founder of From Gainesville w/ Love. His passion in life is working with truly exceptional individuals across all boundaries, that want to come together and work together to make the world a better place. He is a trainer, consultant, and practitioner of the Myers-Briggs Type Inventory, which he has used to help individuals identify their own strengths and ability to contribute. Inspired early on by his father who developed programs that put the mentally ill to work, it has always been David's belief that highest and most personally rewarding form of living is when we use our greatest gifts in pursuit of the greatest good. It is his joy to be able to help others get involved in and vested in something that excites and speaks to their most heartfelt values. David's holds his Bachelors in Psychology from University of Florida, He has a background is in mental health and job placement counseling, marketing, teaching sales and networking, and college admissions.
Co-Founder and ad hoc Managing Director Christopher Cline comes to us as both a UF alumni as well as a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law. He holds degrees in Finance, Law and a post-doctorate in Intellectual Property Law.
At Nortel Networks, as Senior Business Liasion, Chris honed his business acumen and his management and consulting skills, cobbling together creative ideas and disparate players into major breakthrough initiatives.
Chris was also formerly the Director of Intellectual Property for QMG, the pre-eminent branding organization in the United States. There, he helped major entertainment and tourism-driven franchises realize their niche and understand how to capitalize on and protect their unique position in the marketplace.
Chris hopes that his broad-based educational and professional experience will help to architect an innovative but sound foundation for From America with Love.
It is Chris's pledge to help propel From America With Love and its relationship-based style of aid into "one of the preeminent organizations that help those who are suffering worldwide".
Vishal Agarwala is the visionary force behind the technology and marketing for From Gainesville with Love.
As senior UI engineer, Vishal helped to build Grooveshark.com; the answer to music lovers longfelt desire to hear the music they want, when they want it.
After creation, Vishal segued into his role as Director of Marketing, positioning Grooveshark as a catalyst for art, culture, nightlife and recording, all the while taking Grooveshark on a grand tour of the major music festivals that helped garner Grooveshark it's 25 million plus users.
Vishals ability to listen, absorb and assimilate intangible human needs into concrete technical solutions makes him a much needed leader for our team of technology interns.
Brad Bulifant is a cofounder of From Gainesville with Love, and currently works on Special Events. Brads background in promoting, business, and charity merge practical altruism with innovative productions.
While a student at the University of Florida, his startup organization "The Cooperative" won Organization of the Year, partnering local busines needs with student talents to fill them.
He brought the Chiapas womens collective to Gainesville and provided a market to find buyers for their art.
Brads band the Aeffect was featured on MTV and performed on the warped tour. He maintains extensive ties in the music industry and community.
His promotion company WPIs raised over 250,000 for Ungala Ringling Museam of Arts yearly fundraiser. They also developed the 2500 strong campaign for World Hope, raising the funds needed to develop and maintain the Hope Academy, a glimmer of light in the darkness of the Kalinguari slum in Kenya.
Brads exciting ides, his ability to bring on and work with exceptional talent and his ceaseless commitment to the greater good makes Brad a necessary spark to effect real and sustainble change.
Kelly currently works on the policy team of the ONE Campaign, where she analyzes international agriculture and food security policy and advocates US policies that contribute to sustainably ending hunger around the globe.
Prior to working at ONE, Kelly worked for Oxfam America, where she monitored food, land, and gender issues in Haiti and wrote global reports on international agricultural development, climate change, natural disasters, and humanitarian response.
She has lived in Bahia, Brazil and contributed as a consultant to several Bahia-based organizations, including Rhythm of Hope - Brazil, Youth Art Haven, and Rhythmic Uprising. She has also taught English at the Escola Aberta do Calabar and the renowned Projeto Dida.
Prior to working in international development, Kelly worked in the labor movement. Her degree is in Business Administration so she is always looking for the smartest, most efficient and effective solutions to development problems.
She speaks Portuguese and Spanish, a little bit of French, and plans to learn some Kreyol this winter. Oh and she likes hiking, climbing, and playing on the beach.
In Gainesville, whenever you find the public, the private, and the creative sectors working together for the greater good, most likely youll find Chris Fillie at the center of it all. Building coalitions, making introductions, brainstorming, compiling and sharing resources for the benefit of all; Building vibrant local communities is what enthuses Chris the most. And Chris is in no short supply of enthusiasm.
Chris Fillie has his Masters in Building Construciton,. In addition to his work at Carbon Solutions as the Senior Green Building Consultant and his time as Director of the Community Weatherization Coalition, Chris was this year the man awarded the WIA grant for teaching Sustainable Construction to Gainesvilles green builders.
First and foremost, though, Chris is an entrepreneur fascinated by opportunities unearthing value where others see little or none.
He is enthusiastic about free and fair world trade, responsible globalization, and peace through prosperity
Chris has been and will be needed catalyst for the success of From America With Love. A community and relationship based-organization needs a man with friends and contact at the local level.
Chris has already put together an art auction, found donated space and equipment for two major benefits, and traveled to Haiti to teach Jacmel builders green building skills.
As an advisor, trip-leader, and play-maker, Chris continues to prove himself indispensible to From America With Loves success. Sister-City Relationships are all about creating win-win scenarios for all and it is Chris's nature to seek out and foster synergy.
Steve Kalishman is a Gainesville immigration attorney and founder of the Sister City Program of Gainesville.
Kalishman established a sister-city program with the Soviet Union in 1982, which blossomed into 200 relationships between American and Soviet cities.
Kalishman more recently started a three way sister city relationship between Gainesville and cities in Israel and Palestine (Kfar Saba and Qualqilya.) He is hoping this program is just as successful and every Palestinian and Israeli city can be paired with an American or European city.
One of the things Steve likes best about Sister City relationships is that they provide an opportunity for ordinary people to get involved in the diplomatic process.
He provides needed guidance to our efforts in building the sister-city part of our program.
