Our
Story
As the founders of Village Builders we share a profound commitment to addressing one of the most pressing challenges of our time: loneliness. Our journey began with deeply personal experiences.
As a mother of a 2-to-3-year-old during the pandemic, Simone felt the weight of isolation that many parents experienced. Meanwhile, as a father of two teenagers Adam observed the growing effects of loneliness on future generations, sparking his concern.
Both of us have been fortunate to find support within tight-knit communities throughout our lives, which fueled our passion for connecting people. Individually, we contemplated how we could support people who felt lonely and unsupported.
Our inspiration hit a turning point when the Surgeon General's report declared Loneliness and Social Isolation an epidemic. This report served as a catalyst for our shared determination to be part of the solution.
We believe in the power of entrepreneurship as a force for positive change but also deeply care about social benefits. Together, we embarked on the journey to create Village Builders as a social enterprise. In a nutshell, a social enterprise combines the innovation and agility of entrepreneurship with a strong commitment to making a positive impact on society.
We bring a unique blend of skills to the table. Adam's expertise as a technologist complements Simone's role as a community builder and human interaction designer. This combination forms the foundation of Village Builders.
Simone Torrey (she/they)
I've been a professional facilitator for most of my career. I'm a systems thinker and entrepreneurial leader. Since 2008 I have lead projects that involve many different people and perspectives coming together, working through conflicts to envision and create solutions to shared problems. I design and facilitate processes for that to be possible.
Born in Germany, I have lived and worked more than half of my life all over Europe and Africa. In 2013 I moved from Egypt to the San Francisco Bay Area - land of the Ohlone people.
I am on a lifelong journey to build inclusive spaces and heal the effects of oppressive systems. As an early childhood abuse survivor I am deeply committed to breaking the cycles of trauma and violence resulting from them.
Adam Rose (he/him)
Born in Canada, I've spent most of my career as a technologist, working on projects ranging from the International Space Station to next-generation telecommunications equipment to advertising platforms that handle millions of transactions per second. I've been an entrepreneur, executive, but most importantly a leader who shines by supporting his people and getting out of the way.
While I've always been drawn to intensely challenging engineering problems, I'm even more compelled by intensely challenging human problems. I was raised in a home that deeply valued a life of service and am excited to start the next chapter, hopefully leaving the world a better place then I found it.
