About Us
We are a group of social entrepreneurs whose goal is break the cycle of dependence of alcoholics and addicts on their families, friends and charity by providing mentors, education and business opportunities within the recovering community. We require that our services and investment are used to provide jobs, improve productivity, prevent or treat individuals affected by alcoholism, addiction and other addictive disorders.
If you would like to help us make a difference please click this link, we would love to hear from you.
Our History
The concept behind the 12 Angels Evergreen Fund began in 2004 in a recovery house in Los Angeles, California. The treatment center provided exceptional care and support of the Addicts while in treatment but did not have enough resources to support Addicts on their reentry into the community. As a result many Addicts relapsed returned to treatment, ended up in jail or died. We believe we can increase the percentage of addicts and alcoholics that make it into recovery through social entrepreneurship.
Many Addicts who are highly educated with previously successful careers are unable to find basic employment due to criminal records, inconsistent work histories and scarred reputations. Our organization provides mentors, education, business services, micro loans for individuals and businesses that are supportive of the recovery community. If you would like more information please contact us at 877-858-1212 or e-mail us at info@12angels.org or click this link.
Board of Directors, Team Members and Advisory Board
Alex Shohet – Founder and Executive Director
Alex Shohet is the entrepreneur who started the 12 Angels’ organization based on his personal experiences as a recovering drug addict. Alex and his wife Bernadine Fried, MFT founded Wonderland Center an internationally recognized drug and alcohol treatment center in Los Angeles. Wonderland Center is a triple bottom line organization that serves three stakeholders our clients, our team and the environment. Wonderland Center employs approximately 50 recovering addicts and provides education, job training and above market salaries. Wonderland Center is pioneering many new services and treatments to improve recovery outcomes and reduce the time clients stay in treatment. Over the last 15 years, Mr. Shohet previously founded and privately sold two technology companies Computer Physicians and Sandbox Technologies. In 2002, Mr. Shohet sold his software application Media Taxi™, a B2B ASP based digital asset management and distribution system used by several major entertainment companies to Sonic Foundry (NASDAQ: sofo).
Luis Villalobos - Advisory Board
Luis Villalobos is one of the leading angel investors in the country. He was the founder of the Tech Coast Angels, now the largest angel group in the country, and was also a co-founder of the Angel Capital Association, which had 107 angel groups as of year-end 2005. He was founder-CEO of two ventures, one sold to a large aerospace company and the other to a public company. He earned an MBA degree from Harvard Business School, and an SB degree in Math from MIT, where he was a National Merit Scholar, and holds several patents as lead inventor.
Greg Belzberg - Advisory Board
Greg Belzberg is a partner in Veritas Real Estate Investments, a real estate development and investment company located in Los Angeles. Mr. Belzberg is currently a director and member of the audit committee of Arsenal Energy and is a director of Patch Energy International. He was a founder and director of Lonsdale Capital, renamed Cannasat. He founded and was a director of A.C. Global Capital, a C.P.C. that later merged to form Arsenal Energy Inc. He also founded, and acted as President and later sold two successful private businesses: Bar None Enterprises in the hospitality industry and BNW Travel Management in the travel and tourism sector. Mr. Belzberg has extensive investment and finance experience from handling personal and family business matters. Greg was drawn to working with the 12 Angels because of his love for entrepreneurship. He is a graduate from Georgetown University with a B.A. in Business Administration and he won The Big East Tennis Championships playing #1 singles and doubles for Georgetown University Tennis.
Sheri Singer - Board Member
Sheri Singer is an Emmy Award-winning television and film producer. She is the founder of Just Singer Entertainment, an independent production company, whose primary focus is developing and producing movies, miniseries, and series for traditional networks and cable television. Ms. Singer has been the Vice President of Original Movies and Drama Series for Lifetime Television, as well as having been Senior Vice President of Movies for Television for Walt Disney Studios. She received two Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award during her seven-year tenure as producer of the Phil Donahue Show.
Chuck Hoover - Board Member
Chuck Hoover has an extensive background in financial management in the healthcare industry. He became a Chief Financial Officer of a hospital at the age of 26 and worked in the healthcare field for 35 years. His experience also included two years as the CEO of IADARP a non-profit teenage and adult alcohol and drug rehab program in Southern California. He served on the board of Felicity House and women’s residential program in Culver City for five years. Mr. Hoover’s education was at Oklahoma State University. Mr. Hoover has 22 years of sobriety.
