Meet Our Team
Our globally distributed team represents decades of international experience in business, economic development, education, and other ministries and social services. Driven by our own entrepreneurial spirit, we have learned to leverage business thinking, efficient systems, and healthy relationships to create clear, measurable, and lasting results in the lives of individuals, families, and communities around the world. We bring a diversity of experiences, perspectives, and skills, and we share a vision to see flourishing families and communities both in our own backyards and around the planet.
Travis Trull - Founder & Executive Director
In addition to founding Flint Global, Travis has co-founded businesses in the US and in East Africa. His business experience includes executive leadership and management, marketing, and business development across multiple industries. Born in Kenya, Travis has split both his childhood and adult life between East Africa and the United States. He has work experience in 17 countries across 5 continents and has spent meaningful time in more than 40 countries. His extensive intercultural experience, language skills, including Swahili fluency, and proficiency in both urban and rural environments in economically challenged and emerging nations bring valuable perspective and insight to his business and economic development background. He has a history of serving others as a facilitator, trainer, coach, and mentor in all of the places he has lived and worked.
Laura Hickman - Co-Founder & Director of Strategic Growth
Laura has directed work with orphans in transition in Panama, Dominican Republic, and Colombia, overseeing planning, strategy, implementation, and evaluation of programs and program partner organizations. Prior to that, she served as a teacher in Nashville for 7 years. Laura holds a Master’s Degree in Special Education, with a specialization in Behavior Disorders from Vanderbilt University. Prior to that she earned a Bachelor’s of Science with a double major in Elementary Education and Human and Organizational Development from Vanderbilt University. In late 2019, Laura co-founded Flint Global and has been instrumental in strategic development and building the organization from the ground up.
David Reeves - Co-Founder & Director of Programs
David’s passion to see lives fully restored and brokenness healed has driven his work in community development for over 20 years across more than 12 nations. David holds a Masters of Science in Sustainability with an emphasis on Sustainable Food Production from Lipscomb University (2018) as well as a certification in Sustainable Community Development from Colorado State University (2011). Speaking both French and Kabiye, David lived in Togo, West Africa, with his wife and four children for 10 years working to bring solutions to the issues of water and food scarcity. He learned during this time that if the basic needs of life cannot be or are not being met, other important aspects of life cannot be dreamed of, much less pursued. David later worked in Rwanda with Africa Transformation Network, a Rwandan-led nonprofit, as their community development coordinator, working side-by-side with remarkable Rwandans to develop a healthy and effective sustainable agriculture program that continues to grow, expand, and bless the lives of many people to this day.
Caleb Meeks - Director of Innovation
Caleb grew up in Kenya, East Africa, until he was eight years old and then lived in an underserved Appalachian community for the remainder of his childhood. Caleb was an entrepreneur from an early age, starting an organic chicken farm in high school. He studied mechanical engineering at Harding University and received a Masters Degree in Civil Engineering for Developing Communities at the University of Colorado Boulder. Caleb and his wife Kristina moved to Tanzania for five years after college working among the Makonde people where they learned Swahili and gained a deeper appreciation for their Christian faith and the great need and potential in the world. They are the delighted parents of five amazing children and are currently based in Knoxville, Tennessee. Caleb loves hearing and telling stories and is always on the lookout for ways to innovate at Flint.
Justin Sims - Director Of Finance and Administration
Justin holds undergraduate degrees in Spanish and Bible from Harding University, earned a Masters of Divinity from Harding School of Theology in Memphis, TN, and is currently pursuing an MBA from Lipscomb University. Prior to his work at Flint, Justin worked as a minister in Tennessee, a church planter in Argentina, and a paralegal for an immigration law firm. Justin is fluent in Spanish, and in addition to living two years in Argentina, Justin has worked with churches and organizations across Bolivia, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. Justin lives in Nashville where he enjoys hiking and supporting Tennessee sports teams.
Philipo Lulale - Entrepreneurship Development Coordinator for Tanzania
Philipo has decades of experience as a journalist as well as in the economic development sector in Tanzania, having co-founded and managed a highly-respected and internationally celebrated nonprofit in southeastern Tanzania. Philipo’s personal development blog and website has thousands of followers from across East Africa. As a successful entrepreneur himself, Philipo makes training practical for new entrepreneurs. Not simply focused on training, Philipo is extremely passionate about one-on-one coaching and seeing real outcomes in the lives of the people with whom he works.
Carolina Patiño Bermudez - Thriving Skills Program Coordinator
Carolina Patiño works with Flint Global as the Thriving Skills coordinator, a program that equips orphans with skills for a vibrant and independent life as they transition to adulthood. When Carolina was a teenager, she discovered a passion for working with vulnerable populations as she volunteered with a local non-profit caring for orphans affected by HIV/AIDS. That passion led Carolina to pursue a degree as an occupational therapist in Colombia and later to dedicate her professional life to working with vulnerable populations in Colombia, Mexico, Chile, Panama, Honduras, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic through various local and international organizations. Carolina is from Cali, Colombia, where she lives with her husband and two children. Carolina loves her family, loves her vocation, and feels that her calling is to serve others from the heart.
Jessica Markwood - Women's Entrepreneurship Program Coordinator
Jessica is a Nashville native with a degree in Intercultural Studies and a Master's in International Development. She has experience working with agriculture and business development initiatives focusing on rural communities, differently-abled populations, and women. Jessica previously lived in northern Mozambique and has led and coordinated initiatives in women’s entrepreneurship in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan, Mozambique, and India. She is excited to be back in Nashville getting to do this work again with Flint. She has a passion for sharing stories, growing tomatoes, and consuming coffee.
Cristina De La Rosa - Project Coordinator for Spanish America
Cristina came to the United States from the Dominican Republic when she was 17 years old. After graduating form Lipscomb Academy, Cristina continued her education at Lipscomb University. During her college years, she worked for Harvest Hands as both a summer counselor for elementary school children and an event planner for high schoolers. In 2021, Cristina completed her degree in Hospitality and Administration. She now worked for Flint Global as a Project Coordinator for Spanish America. Cristina says that her own background growing up in an orphanage helps her understand the hardships faced by the teens in our Thriving Skills program. Nothing gives her more joy than the knowledge that we are helping these young people achieve success in adulthood.
Haley Smith - Communications Manager
Haley Smith is a Design and Communications Specialist with a passion for entrepreneurship and community building. Before joining the Flint team, she spent three years helping entrepreneurs and creatives thrive in her hometown of Cookeville, Tennessee, through her work with The Biz Foundry. During Flint’s first year of operation, Haley served as a communications and design volunteer for our organization, playing a critical role in growing the organization. Haley holds a B.A. in English from Tennessee Tech University where she focused on Professional and Technical Communication. She is a self-taught graphic designer, photographer, and illustrator who uses her diverse skillset to create Flint’s branded content and stories.
