MEET THE BOARD
Gabriella Brignardello
Founder, Chief Executive Officer & President
From 2003 to 2007, Gabriella raised money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Los Angeles through a weekly neighborhood recycling program that taught her the challenges and rewards of fundraising for an organization that empowered youth. In 2009, she decided to dedicate herself to a cause that was even closer to her heart: education in Peru. And so, at the age of 15, Gabriella founded Mi Casa de Angeles with the mission of building schools and supporting a higher quality of education in impoverished areas throughout Peru. In 2016, she graduated Stanford University with a Bachelor of Science in Symbolic Systems and a Minor in Spanish. See more about Gabriella's story here.
Melissa Casillas
Chief Operating Officer
All of her life, Melissa has had a passion for children and a dream of becoming an elementary school teacher. She strives for the opportunity to help all kids reach their full potential in one of the most important aspects of their lives: their schooling. In 2010, Melissa joined the Mi Casa de Angeles team to help with the expansion of fundraising efforts and to further spread awareness about the importance of quality education for all children, especially the underprivileged. Melissa graduated from Southern Methodist University with degrees in English and Education, and is EC-6 certified in both Texas and California. She earned her Masters in Education from Pepperdine University, and now works as a 4th grade teacher at an independent school in Los Angeles county.
Carlo Brignardello
Vice President
Carlo was born in Lima, Peru and competed internationally on the Peruvian national table tennis team for 12 years. In 1981, at the age of 18, he immigrated to California, USA but returns to his home country annually. From 2009, when Mi Casa de Angeles was founded, until mid 2012, Carlo served as the President and CEO until Gabriella turned 18 years old. He remains very involved with the nonprofit's board visits to Peru, fundraisers, and projects, especially the construction of the nursery and initial level school, as he is passionate about giving back to his native country.
Dionne Curtiss
Secretary & Treasurer
Dionne was born, raised and educated in England and attained a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Bristol in Hispanic and Latin American Studies. During her third year of college, she spent 6 months in Peru writing a dissertation on the Education of the Peruvian Indian. In 1991, Dionne married Carlo, Gabriella's father, strengthening her ties to Peru. Since the founding of Mi Casa de Angeles, Dionne has helped manage all administrative, financial, and travel activities and has also largely contributed to the planning and execution of all fundraisers.
Isabella Brignardello
Director of Media & Marketing
Isabella, who is Gabriella's sister, has also maintained a strong connection to and love for her father's native country, Peru. She is dedicated to helping children, specifically through educative means, and, therefore, assists on a weekly basis at the 32nd Street USC Magnet School in Los Angeles, CA, USA. Furthermore, she has helped her sorority host its annual fundraiser to raise money to purchase books for children in need in the US. Isabella uses her talent for photography, videography, and design to assist with the creation and management of all Mi Casa de Angeles media and marketing and has also participated in all three of the benefit fashion shows as a model. For each annual large scale "Night of Ping Pong" fundraisers in Los Angeles and Westlake Village, she has been the lead photographer and videographer.