(Y)our Vision
is a world where rebuilding is a healthy and collective responsibility.
Rebuilding
We believe rebuilding is more than swinging hammers. Rebuilding after a disaster is about bringing communities back together and removing stress on survivors. It is about providing nutritious foods, critical sanitation, and fortifying products in times of crisis.
Healthy
We believe individual and community health are keys to rebuilding. Through its kitchen and distribution model, GAP delivers wholesome food for the masses, sources organic options when possible, and provides a space where humans can heal through the community.
Collective Responsibility
We believe it is the collective responsibility of all of us to help our communities in times of crisis. Our goal at GAP is to create a unique partnership of shared responsibility between conscious companies, philanthropic donors, disaster relief organizations, and dedicated volunteers.
MEET THE GAP TEAM
Dave Anderson | Executive Director
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Board of Directors
Clovis Siemons
Founder, Board President & Marketing Chief
Clovis is a storyteller by trade, community leader by passion and a proud father. At the age of 16, he founded Youth Initiative High School and began his dedication to helping at the community level. Since 1994, Clovis has volunteered in and managed field kitchens for community events, festivals and disaster response efforts. During Hurricane Katrina in 2005, he ran the largest Katrina response kitchen on the gulf coast - pumping out hundreds of thousands of meals. “When disaster strikes, I truly believe that if you are able to respond, you are response-able ”. Clovis is a natural bridge builder that has focused on bringing donor companies, disaster response organizations and philanthropic individuals together to make a more effective impact in times of crisis. “helping during a crisis is so much more than the material goods or labor, it’s an act of love that helps heal those in need”. Currently Clovis works at Organic Valley as their Video Marketing Manager and leads their Disaster Giving Committee.
Matt Atwood
Founder, Board Vice President & Capital Development Chief
Matt is an entrepreneur focused on technologies turning climate threats into sustainable development opportunities - producing clean water, energy and products made from atmospheric CO2. Matt has worked in emergency hunger and disaster relief for over 15 years, collaborating with and serving in leadership roles with organizations like The Conscious Alliance, Burners Without Borders, has been invited to work with the White House and FEMA on grassroots disaster relief efforts and currently serves on the board of directors of Grassroots Alliance. He brings extensive experience in non-profit management to GAP, having served as Chairman of Students for Sensible Drug Policy for 5 years helping grow the organization from from 20 to over 350 chapters worldwide, served as Executive Director of a 501(c)(3) organization working on legislative reform and grassroots organizing efforts in Illinois and has supported organizations like MAPS in fundraising and organizational development. Currently Matt is Founder and CEO of AirCapture where he works to commercialize technologies that capture CO2 from the atmosphere and put it to work. Matt draws inspiration for his activism from a quote by Kahlil Gibran, “Work is love made visible.”
Tenali Hrenak
Founder, Board Secretary & Operations Chief
Ever since he was a teenager, Tenali has volunteered at Homeless Shelters, Food Banks, and Nursing Homes. In 2005, he got involved with disaster relief after Hurricane Katrina made landfall, supporting the relief kitchen established in Waveland, MS. He brings to GAP his passion for logistics, community outreach, and serving communities in crisis. ”I firmly believe we can do more together than any of us can do on our own.”
Champions
George Siemon
Consultant & Supporter
George founded Organic Valley, the world's largest organic farmer-owned cooperative, and drafted many of the original organic standards that laid the foundation for the entire organic food industry. Under his 30 years of leading Organic Valley to a billion dollar in annual revenue, one of his favorite things was always giving goods and funds to enable grassroots initiatives that responded in crisis. “there’s nothing like working with others to respond to a disaster to restore your faith in humanity”. Today George helps GAP as a leadership & capital development consultant.
David Bronner
Consultant & Supporter
David Bronner is Cosmic Engagement Officer (CEO) of Dr. Bronner’s, the top-selling natural brand of soap in North America and producer of a range of organic body care and food products. He is a grandson of company founder, Emanuel Bronner, and a fifth-generation soapmaker. Under David and his brother Michael’s leadership, the brand has grown from $4 million in 1998 to $129 million in annual revenue in 2019.
Justin Baker
Founder & Consultant
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Aaron Funk
Founder & Founder & Interagency Liaison
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Amanda Krause
Outreach & Positive Vibes Coordinator
Being of service has been ingrained in Amanda from a young age. She has been working with the GAP folx since Immokalee Florida in 2017. This past year being able to serve her community here in Asheville and back at home in D.C. to most recently Atlanta has been a true honor.She is grateful to serve fellow beings as a human rights advocate and continue to promote healing through music, art, and good food!
Ernesto Borges
Marketing & Field Operations Consultant
Originally from Venezuela, Ernesto studied visual art and communications in Venezuela and Madrid and has been a life-long athlete, musician, and artist. With a background in skating, acrobatics, urban street art, and surfing, he has used his combined skill-set in a variety of ways. Ernesto has designed and operated special rigs for James Cameron and Robert Rodriguez, Cirque du Soleil, built dozens of Skate Parks across Venezuela, joined forces with UNICEF to help rural kids have access to surfing and skating opportunities and equipment, and created interactive experiences at dozens of festivals, including Burning Man. In the USA, he has been part of multiple Disaster Relief operations that combine environmentalism and social justice with products for companies like Dr. Bronners and Sambazon. He believes in using his multifaceted talents to awaken the consciousness of people through visual communications and shared experiences that honor the planet..