Giving
Success is measured by the doors it opens for others
Building profitable companies gave me leverage. Scholarships and community builds are what that leverage is for.
Why I give
Building a profitable company is only step one. Measuring a career by revenue alone misses the point. The lasting return is in the people who get a chance they would not otherwise have had.
So giving is not a footnote to the businesses. It is part of how they are designed.
Community
Building playgrounds with Where Angels Play
Where Angels Play builds playgrounds that give communities a place to gather, heal and play. Partnering on a community playground build showed me what business success is actually for.
In September 2019, my daughter Arabelle and I partnered with the Where Angels Play Foundation and the City of Gaithersburg to build the Gemmell Family Playground at Griffith Park in Gaithersburg, Maryland, honoring the lives of my wife Marie and our sons Cole and Devin, whom we tragically lost in 2014. Designed to celebrate their lives, the playground transforms personal tragedy into a lasting place of joy, laughter, and community for generations of children and families.
Education
Three university scholarships
Education changed the direction of my life, so I fund scholarships that help the next generation of engineers and business leaders get started.
The Gemmell Family Memorial Scholarships
In honor of my wife, Marie, and our sons, Cole and Devin, my daughter Arabelle and I have established scholarships at Rowan University, the University of Maryland, and the University of Pittsburgh. These scholarships reflect our family’s commitment to education and creating opportunities for students to pursue their ambitions while keeping the memory of our loved ones alive.
At Rowan University, four annual scholarships support students pursuing engineering and communications degrees, along with students from Brick Township and Hillsborough, New Jersey. Each award averages approximately $600. At the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, the Gemmell Family Memorial Endowed Scholarship, established in December 2017, provides merit-based financial support to master’s students, with a preference for MBA candidates. At the University of Pittsburgh, our scholarship supports anthropology students in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences who demonstrate financial need, with preference given to incoming freshmen and the opportunity for renewal.
Through these scholarships, we hope to make a meaningful difference in students’ lives while building a lasting legacy of generosity, opportunity, and remembrance.
CaringMatters
Turning loss into purpose
The 2020 CaringMatters Legacy Award
In 2020, I was honored to receive the CaringMatters Legacy Award, in memory of my wife, Marie, and our sons, Cole and Devin. After experiencing unimaginable loss, my family found meaningful support through CaringMatters and its Camp Erin program, which helped my daughter Arabelle navigate grief and discover resilience. That experience inspired my continued involvement as a volunteer and supporter, helping other children and families facing loss find hope, connection, and a path forward.
For the builders and problem-solvers who believe true success is measured by the doors we open for others.