Gabriela Flores and Josh Lampl:
Investing in Community

In 1999, Gabriela Flores and Josh Lampl established the Growing Green Advised Fund at ICF and have been expanding their involvement in projects from Tijuana to La Paz ever since. "Josh has a family history of advocacy and getting involved in community projects and that philosophy has taken root in me. We try to do things that are binational – an extension of our
own family," says Gabriela.

Josh’s professional experience as a venture capitalist and management expert has also influenced their philanthropy. Josh explains that "we like to be the first investors, focusing on self-motivated people that can accomplish defined objectives and that want to make a difference." With targeted grants, Gabriela and Josh have invested in community-based initiatives, like Ecoparque in Tijuana and Siempre Semillas in La Ribera.

Josh and Gabriela’s interests range from education and children to culture and the arts, but their real passion is for the environment. "Without places that are kept intact, we will lose the spirit of the land. We want many more generations to enjoy and learn from those special natural places." Gabriela and Josh’s Growing Green Advised Fund at ICF provided critical matching funding for conservation management of Isla Espíritu Santo in the Sea of Cortez.

They also share a common vision with ICF to promote sustainable communities. Gabriela volunteered as part of ICF’s International Children’s Day Committee several years ago, and learned that she could invest her time and financial support efficiently by collaborating with others who had similar interests, without the administrative burden of an independent family foundation. "In this way, ICF is our medium, but it is also our goal, because we see the foundation growing and making more of an impact in the community." Gabriela also serves on ICF’s board and as part of the Steering Committee for ICF’s annual gala. Together, Gabriela and Josh are founding donor/investors in Baja Social Venture Partners.

Gabriela holds a B.A. in International Relations from the Universidad de las Américas in México. She serves as executive director for a binational environmental education arts program called Aldea Ecológica. Josh Lampl is a member of the advisory board for a San Diego high tech start-up, managing partner of a diversified investment partnership, and director of an independent foundation. He serves on the investments selection committee for Investors Circle, a national organization that funds sustainable businesses. He received his MBA from the University of Michigan.