About Us
Our Mission
Our Story
It was Sunday morning, October 20th 2019 when I found my son David Michael in the living room of our home lying on the sofa. He looked so peaceful that I thought he had fallen asleep at night while watching TV. I soon realized he was not with us anymore. He died of an accidental opiod drug overdose that was legitimately prescribed and dispensed to him.
At 20 years of age, our son was a brilliant individual and much wiser beyond his years. Despite his young age he had the rare gift to connect with people and touch them in a way to make a difference. It is in that spirit that we created this foundation to make a difference and prevent others from accidental death through prescription drugs.
Our goal is to turn personal tragedy into a noble cause that helps stop the opiod epidemic. We hope that the foundation in his name creates a positive purpose to his legacy for the greater good, which gives us comfort as we are dealing with forever pain.
Our Team
Peter Bals
Peter Bals is the founder of David Michael Foundation. He founded the foundation in an effort to turn personal tragedy into greater good and to apply his decades long experience in technology innovation to the cause. Peter is also the founder and CEO of Gluetech Inc. (gluetech.com), an AI- based fintech startup. Throughout his career, he received various industry awards for his innovative approach to solving complex business problems using technology.
Dr. Lynda Gerberg, MD
Dr. Lynda Gerberg is a mother, physician and humanitarian. She is a founding member of the David Michael Foundation, and has vowed to help combat the global opioid epidemic. Dr. Gerberg is also highly committed to providing medical and humanitarian care for those impacted by natural disasters and humanitarian crises. As a vital member of the volunteer medical organization, Love 4, Dr. Gerberg has been active in national and international medical missions.
Muni Tahzib, MD
Dr. Muni Tahzib has joined the David Michael Foundation in her passion to help fight this epidemic.She is a pediatrician and urgent care physician, active in the medical community. Dr. Tahzib is the mother of three amazing teenagers. As a humanitarian, Dr. Tahzib has been active in local and global issues for the past decade. Dr. Tahzib is the founder of Love4, the medical organization engaged in responding to medical and humanitarian needs globally. Dr. Tahzib brings her expertise and knowledge to DMF and will be working towards helping spread awareness through educational programs, development and support of treatment and recovery programs.
Carlos Mata
Carlos is a Venezuelan-born executive professional with business experience across multiple industries; from commercial real estate in the US to public solicitations & government contracts in Latin America. Currently Vice President of Business Development at Kipu Health – a leading Electronic Medical Record company designed for the substance abuse disorder and behavioral health industry, Carlos proudly serves addiction treatment facilities across the world through the use of cutting-edge technology.
Growing up in Caracas, Buenos Aires, Madrid, and New York and then having lived in places like Denver, Miami and Panama have provided him with a unique perspective on cultural, business and political world-views. Having struggled with addiction himself, Carlos has pursued a life of sobriety and service to those that continue to battle this terrible disease.
A passionate follower of Jesus Christ, Carlos loves to share his faith with others and spends most of his spare time engaging in deep inner healing activities and volunteer work.