AS220 IMPACT: David Gonzalez
David Gonzalez
Executive Director, Port Ministries (Chicago, IL)
Former Program Director, AS220 Broad Street Studio
I stepped into AS220 around 2000, drawn by the magnetic pull of grit, raw voices, and untamed creativity. AS220 was this living, breathing ecosystem where the imagination and beautiful collided. It was unlike anything I'd seen, a space that refuses to let go.
I met a couple of visionaries-Umberto Crenca (AS220 Founder) and Vinnie Marzullo (AmeriCorps VISTA). They introduced me to an AmeriCorps VISTA opportunity, which turned into a full-time position as the Program Director for an experiment called AS22O Broad Street Studio. It wasn't just a job-it was like being handed the keys to creativity with a mandate: "Be different." Bert didn't give us a rulebook; he gave us permission to dream out loud. AS220 has shaped me, professionally and personally.
Today, I'm the Executive Director at the Port Ministries in Chicago, and everything I am as a leader comes back to what I learned in those days at AS220. AS220 taught me how to nurture a community, how to empower others, and how to lead with heart. I wouldn't be where I am without those foundational years of wild ideas and relentless passion.