Rising Stars: Meet David Stone

Today we’d like to introduce you to David Stone.

Hi David, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
It is an interesting path that brought me to sit on the board of an organization such as My Friend’s Place. In September 2018, I moved to Los Angeles to take on the role of Director of Operations for the architecture firm Tim Barber Architects. My start date at the company also happened to coincide with the 28th anniversary of the firm. Tim, the founder of the firm, and I both have a deep connection to giving back to the community that we live and work within and wanted to commemorate the anniversary by volunteering with our team at a local charitable organization. A quick Google search later, and we believed we had found the perfect fit with a homeless youth services organization located in Hollywood… My Friend’s Place (MFP). For our anniversary that year, our entire team volunteered to provide and serve lunch to the young people. Each following year, we have continued as a team to volunteer and support MFP through different outreach projects ranging from redesigning the clothing closet to repurposing the parking lot to server as usable community space during COVID.

A few months after that initial event, I joined the Emerging Leadership Council at MFP. From 2019 to 2022, I served as Membership Chair for the Council in the hopes of making even the smallest of impacts. In 2022, Heather Carmichael approached me about joining the Board of Directors. The board was looking for members that had a passion for the organization and were looking to develop a pipeline to the Emerging Leadership Council. I was thrilled and honored at the opportunity. With the organization planning to make some building and architectural moves over the next several years, I am excited to bring my expertise to the mix of other inspiring individuals that sit on the board. I now sit as the Board Development and Nominations Chairperson and could not be happier to give back to this organization.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No road is completely smooth. The 2020 pandemic threw in some hurdles that all of us had to overcome. However, when one is looking to improve and help in the lives of others, there is always a way. My Friend’s Place gave me even more opportunities during that time in the face of every obstacle.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am an architect by profession, specializing in Custom Traditional and Transitional Residential Architecture at Tim Barber Architects. I have the incredible privilege to work with My Friend’s Place as a member of their Board of Directors and a Corporate Team Member.

My Friend’s Place is a Youth Services Organization that offers a comprehensive continuum of services to 1000 youth experiencing homelessness between the ages of 12 and 25 and their children each year, helping the young people who are experiencing homelessness to move toward wellness, stability, and self-sufficiency. I am most proud to be a member of a community that takes such incredible pride and care in the young people they serve. These “kids” become family, and even when they no longer require MFP’s services, which we hope they achieve, they remain in the minds and hearts of everyone within the organization. That is something that sets any organization apart from another. True heart!

What were you like growing up?
I was your stereotypical nerdy kid. I was scrawny and short, and I got picked on a lot. But that never stopped me or held me back. Instead, it empowered me. At the age of nine, I started training in TaeKwonDo, and that provided me the confidence I needed to never be afraid of what might come next. I took my nerdy self and applied to a performing arts high school in Alabama, The Alabama School of Fine Arts, as a Math/ Science Student. In 10th grade, I decided it would be more fun to join the Dance Department. I began then to connect Martial Arts and Ballet, continuing to train in both throughout my life.

Contact Info:

• Website: myfriendsplace.org
• Instagram: myfriendsplace