About the creators of wncHelp and the tech team
Flori Pate : Co-Founder
Entrepreneur, nonprofit leader, artist, creator, dog-lover.
Founder of Gah-lee and Dig Local
Founder of the 501(c) Food Connection
ABC WLOS News 13 "Person of the Year".
Headquartered in Asheville, NC
Headquartered in Asheville, NC
Ted and Flori Pate are Asheville-based innovators using DigLocal.com to support local and celebrate their community. Gah-Lee.com creates technology for social good, launcing projects such as ActiveAlamance.com to equitably connect wellness resources to North Carolinians.
Ben Greign-Lautier
Headquartered in Asheville, NC
Senior Software Engineer
Firebase, gRCP, Flutter, Kotlin, Blockchain
Asheville, NC
Rejan Munir
Software Engineer
Django, Rails, React, Node, Full Stack Development
Dallas, TX
Patrick Tillman
Chief Technology Officer
Senior Software Engineer
Asheville, NC
Technology for GOOD
The Mission: Technology for Good
Innovators in Community-Centric Technology Solutions
Gah-lee's software has evolved to meet the demands of the ever-changing digital landscape, ensuring exceptional user experiences and robust functionality. "At Gah-lee, we believe in harnessing technology for good to enhance community connections. Together, we can make the world a better place!" -Flori Pate, creator
Bringing Nonprofit Experience
Nonprofit Experience
Flori Pate founded the Asheville-based nonprofit Food Connection 11 years ago. She and her team have since rescued and connected over 1 million chef-prepared meals with our Western North Carolina neighbors in need. Birthed from technology and heart, read more below about the creation of the 501(c)3, Food Connection.
A Locally Owned North Carolina Business Committed to Community
Gah-lee Enterprises is a North Carolina–based company dedicated to strengthening communities through technology. Their platforms help people find local resources, engage in community initiatives, and create positive impact.
Mission
Gah-lee Enterprises partners with nonprofits, public agencies, and local businesses to build secure, easy-to-easy digital tools that improve resource navigation, reduce barriers to care, and drive measurable community impact.
Vision
A future where every community member can easily find and access the local resources, services, and opportunities they need to thrive, supported by trusted, integrated technology.
NONPROFIT EXPERIENCE
GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY: Dig Local births a 501(c)3 nonprofit!
Flori Pate, co-founder of "Asheville's App" Dig Local had years of marketing and technology experience when she learned a disturbing truth during a marketing meeting with Pack's Tavern. Restaurants, universities, venues, and retirement centers were throwing away LOTS of surplus, unserved gourmet food. Not long after, she and some partners began rescuing this food and getting it directly to local shelters who provided meals for neighbors in need. Soon this disruptive idea caught on. Now the culture in and around Asheville has shifted to NOT wasting food. Instead, chefs are donating to Food Connection.
Food Connection is born!
In 2016 Food Connection became its own 501(c)3 nonprofit and has since rescued and delivered over 1,000,000 fresh meals to seniors, working families, veterans and more. This has kept a whopping 450 TONS of prepared food out of the Buncombe County landfill. For the People! For the Planet!
The Free Food Truck Experience
Currently "Fran" the free food truck offers open meal distributions five days a week where folks can order heat and serve meals to go. The only questioned asked is "would you like beef brisket, crab cakes, veggie lasagna, or one of each." Flori believes that "access to fresh delicious food is a human right." And, that "no fresh food should ever end up in the trash while our neighbors go hungry." See Schedule HERE
Futhering the Connections
Flori and the team at Gah-lee Enterprises are committed to applying everything they’ve learned over the past decade to streamline essential services and make support easier to access. Through the WNCHelp.org app, they’re bringing Western North Carolina a modern, reliable way to stay connected with local resources, community programs, and the help that matters most.