Lawrence Silva
Title: Director
e-mail: lsilva@makersparadise.org
Lawrence Silva has over 30 years of experience in managing employment, social services and training programs. Known throughout California as “The Job Father” for his expertise in the job placement field, Lawrence has successfully partnered with large corporations, non-profit organizations and the public sector to develop resources for underserved populations. Lawrence holds MA Degrees in Public Administration and Human Resources Management from CSU East Bay and BA Degrees in Political Science with a Paralegal Certificate, Sociology and Health and Community Services from CSU Chico. Throughout his career, Lawrence has assisted over 5000 individuals in gaining competitive employment opportunities.
Christopher Flynn
Title: Chief Operations Officer
e-mail: cflynn@makersparadise.org
Christopher Flynn has held Industrial and Systems Engineering Bachelor of Science Degrees since 1970 from Pennsylvania State as well as getting his Masters in the 1970 from the same institution. He is a retired public agency employee who worked for both the Federal Civil Service and San Francisco Bay Area Transit System. After retiring from public employment, he began to oversee a non-profit organization as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Pacific Coast Community Services (in addition to Makers Paradise) which is a 501(c)3 corporation which provides contracted administrative services to federal agencies. Pacific Coast Community Services, Inc. is affiliated with SourceAmerica to achieve the Federal AbilityOne program goals of employing persons with disabilities.
Tom Franco
Title: Community Engagement Director
e-mail: tfranco@makersparadise.org
Tom Franco is an American fine art sculptor and mixed media artist. He is from Palo Alto, California and is the brother of James and Dave Franco. Growing up, he was encouraged to embrace his passion of the arts. He obtained a degree from UC Santa Cruz as a sculpture major and graduated in ceramics at Oakland’s California College of the Arts. In 2004, he co-created the Firehouse Art Collective which eventually spread across six locations in Berkeley and Oakland. As the sole director, he oversees live artist studios and gallery spaces where artists collaborate and develop public art programs, housing, feature films, murals, and live art happenings. Tom also speaks and teaches art at high schools, colleges, and community workshops. His art is sold through the Firehouse in addition to museum, shows, and art fairs in the United States and overseas alike.
Sara Frucht
Title: Gallery Development Manager
Sara Frucht is an artist and maker who works across multiple media, including drawing, painting, algorithmic computer animation, immersive art, and most recently, laser cut art. Sara is from Huntington, New York. She graduated from Yale University with a double major in Mathematics and Philosophy. She has over 20 years of experience as a computer programmer with mostly educational mathematics software. In addition to being a contributing artist, Sara manages the gallery’s day to day functions while supporting the artists and makers whose work is displayed there. She also prepares the content that is displayed on our online marketplace.
Hamed Mirabdal, M.B.A.
Title: Marketing Director
e-mail: hmirabdal@makersparadise.org
Having a diverse background, Hamed has been surrounded by diverse cultures as he grew up in his diverse backyard, the Bay Area. Hamed’s educational background is Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with triple concentration in Human Resources Management, Corporate Management, and Economics from California State University East Bay. Hamed has a MBA with double concentration in Marketing Management and International Management from Saint Mary’s College of California. Hamed’s professional experience includes developing marketing plans, business plans, marketing flyers and materials, market segmentation, website maintenance, content creation, consulting, collaborating with community partners, businesses, and vendors. In Hamed’s free time he enjoys watching his local sports teams, traveling locally or internationally, enjoying the many fine museums in the area, enjoying art, reading and going into nature, and indoor rock climbing.
David Silva
Title: Technical Service Consultant
e-mail: dsilva@makersparadise.org
David has a background in technology, server administration, networking, sales, and business development consulting. He joined Makers Paradise as a technical services consultant where he provides technical assistance and services to the non-profit. His background in technology has allowed him to serve various organizations and companies both in public and private sector to help with their technical needs such as building websites and assistance in hardware setup. In his free time, David enjoys watching his favorite basketball team, the Dallas Mavericks. David is pursuing a Bachelors Degree in Political Science at UC Davis.