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Built by people who’ve lived it

Evive didn’t start in a boardroom. It started with lived experience: of gambling harm, of watching it unfold in real time, and of seeing how often the system simply isn’t there when people need it most. That reality still drives the work. It shows up in what gets built, what gets left out, and the refusal to design support that only works once things have already fallen apart.

Responsive image

Built by people who’ve lived it

Evive didn’t start in a boardroom. It started with lived experience: of gambling harm, of watching it unfold in real time, and of seeing how often the system simply isn’t there when people need it most. That reality still drives the work. It shows up in what gets built, what gets left out, and the refusal to design support that only works once things have already fallen apart.

Responsive image

Built by people who’ve lived it

Evive didn’t start in a boardroom. It started with lived experience: of gambling harm, of watching it unfold in real time, and of seeing how often the system simply isn’t there when people need it most. That reality still drives the work. It shows up in what gets built, what gets left out, and the refusal to design support that only works once things have already fallen apart.

Responsive image
Researchers collaborating with tablets and a stylus

Backed by science and some serious expertise

Knowing the problem firsthand matters. So does knowing how to build something that can help.

The Evive team brings together lived experience with expertise in gambling treatment, behavioral health, peer support, public health, research, technology and state program delivery.

Evive’s clinical advisory group includes nationally recognized leaders in gambling treatment and research. Our academic partnerships include UCLA and UNLV. Our work is supported by state health agencies, community organizations, and the federal SAMHSA-funded GRASP program.

The point isn’t credentials for their own sake. It’s pressure-testing: does this actually work in the real world, not just on paper?

Researchers collaborating with tablets and a stylus

Backed by science and some serious expertise

Knowing the problem firsthand matters. So does knowing how to build something that can help.

The Evive team brings together lived experience with expertise in gambling treatment, behavioral health, peer support, public health, research, technology and state program delivery.

Evive’s clinical advisory group includes nationally recognized leaders in gambling treatment and research. Our academic partnerships include UCLA and UNLV. Our work is supported by state health agencies, community organizations, and the federal SAMHSA-funded GRASP program.

The point isn’t credentials for their own sake. It’s pressure-testing: does this actually work in the real world, not just on paper?

Researchers collaborating with tablets and a stylus

Backed by science and some serious expertise

Knowing the problem firsthand matters. So does knowing how to build something that can help.

The Evive team brings together lived experience with expertise in gambling treatment, behavioral health, peer support, public health, research, technology and state program delivery.

Evive’s clinical advisory group includes nationally recognized leaders in gambling treatment and research. Our academic partnerships include UCLA and UNLV. Our work is supported by state health agencies, community organizations, and the federal SAMHSA-funded GRASP program.

The point isn’t credentials for their own sake. It’s pressure-testing: does this actually work in the real world, not just on paper?

Leadership and Governance

Built with lived experience and field expertise.

Leadership Team

Sam DeMello

Founder & CEO

Drawing from his personal recovery journey and 15+ years in strategic leadership, Sam founded Evive to revolutionize addiction support. His unique combination of lived experience and business acumen drives our mission to make recovery support accessible to all. Sam's vision has secured partnerships with state and federal agencies, positioning Evive as the digital extension of the national problem gambling support network.

Philippe Green

Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer

Philippe's expertise in privacy-first architecture and scalable platforms ensures Evive can serve millions while protecting individual privacy. With two decades of experience building enterprise systems, he developed Evive's secure infrastructure that gives state partners confidence in our data handling and system reliability.

David Robbins

VP of Product & Operations

David is an experienced product and operations leader whose career has spanned both startups and global enterprises. He has built and led teams across product management, go-to-market strategy, and executive operations, helping organizations align cross-functional stakeholders and turn strategy into execution. He has lived experience, having seen firsthand a family member struggle with gambling-related harm and the toll it can take on individuals as well as those closest to them. David brings both this personal insight and a deep passion for addressing gambling harm in the U.S. and beyond.

Dr. Jeff Marotta

Founding Advisor

A pioneer in problem gambling treatment with 25+ years of experience, Dr. Marotta ensures Evive meets the highest clinical standards. ICGC-II certified and recipient of the Don Hulen Award for Advocacy, he has developed state-level programs nationwide. Jeff's integration of evidence-based practices with digital innovation provides the clinical foundation that makes Evive a trusted partner for state agencies.

Jay Robinson, M.Ed

Global Head of Safer Gambling and Strategy

Jay is an internationally sought-after expert in preventing and responding to gambling harms. With a background in clinical care, counselling psychology, gambling research, and prevention, Jay brings evidence to life for real-world application in regulatory, operator, and public health settings. Known as a thought leader, innovator, and expert trainer, Jay has delivered original responsible gambling and treatment programs across Australia, Canada, the US, and the UK for over 20 years, creating impactful programs for today’s evolving global gambling landscape.

Michael A. Buzzelli, MA, MPH, OCPS

Head of Programs

Michael A. Buzzelli has served the gambling support service system since 2013. Most recently, Buzzelli served as the Director of Problem Gambling Services for the Ohio Casino Control Commission and the Associate Director of the Problem Gambling Network of Ohio. His groundbreaking work with college students demonstrates how innovative educational initiatives utilizing peer models and leadership can create lasting impact by connecting to campus values and building real-world skills. He has presented at eleven National Conferences on Problem Gambling and has received many awards including most recently the 2024 Service Award from the National Council on Problem Gambling for exemplary volunteer service.

Clinical Advisors

Dr. Deborah G. Haskins

Ph.D., LCPC, ACS, MAC, ICGC-II, BACC, ICGSO, CGT

Board Chairperson at Evive and President Emerita of the Maryland Council on Problem Gambling. Created nationally-recognized cultural competency frameworks for gambling treatment. Led development of trauma-informed protocols adopted across multiple states. Recipient of NCPG's Lifetime Achievement Award for transforming addiction care accessibility. Pioneer in integrating faith-based support systems with clinical treatment.

Dr. Timothy W. Fong

M.D.

Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at UCLA and Co-Director of the UCLA Gambling Studies Program. Board-certified addiction psychiatrist leading research on digital therapeutic effectiveness. Directs UCLA's Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship, shaping next-generation treatment protocols. Created evidence-based standards for measuring program success adopted by multiple state agencies.

Dr. Paulette J. O'Gilvie

Ph.D.

A casino and gambling researcher and author whose scholarship explores the socio-economic impacts of gambling, particularly in urban communities. With a multidisciplinary background spanning business, higher education, public service leadership, and human services, she brings a wealth of knowledge to her practice, emphasizing positive, person-centered outcomes. Her work offers innovative perspectives, employing harm-reduction and prevention frameworks to help to address problem gambling.

The Evive Foundation and Evive organization logos shown side by side

Two organizations. Different roles. One purpose.

Evive Inc. and the Evive Foundation are separate by design.

Evive Inc. builds and runs the digital support platform. It delivers state and partner contracts, digital tools, provider resources, and reporting infrastructure.

The Evive Foundation funds what the system doesn’t yet pay for. That includes access in underfunded states, peer support, workforce development, resources for family & friends, early intervention work, and independent research.

One builds and operates. The other fills the gaps and pushes the field forward.

The Evive Foundation and Evive organization logos shown side by side

Two organizations. Different roles. One purpose.

Evive Inc. and the Evive Foundation are separate by design.

Evive Inc. builds and runs the digital support platform. It delivers state and partner contracts, digital tools, provider resources, and reporting infrastructure.

The Evive Foundation funds what the system doesn’t yet pay for. That includes access in underfunded states, peer support, workforce development, resources for family & friends, early intervention work, and independent research.

One builds and operates. The other fills the gaps and pushes the field forward.

The Evive Foundation and Evive organization logos shown side by side

Two organizations. Different roles. One purpose.

Evive Inc. and the Evive Foundation are separate by design.

Evive Inc. builds and runs the digital support platform. It delivers state and partner contracts, digital tools, provider resources, and reporting infrastructure.

The Evive Foundation funds what the system doesn’t yet pay for. That includes access in underfunded states, peer support, workforce development, resources for family & friends, early intervention work, and independent research.

One builds and operates. The other fills the gaps and pushes the field forward.

The gaps are the whole job.

Every dollar the Evive Foundation receives goes to something the current support system doesn't pay for: access in states with no funding at all, trained peers, resources for the families in it too, and research the field can actually use. That isn't a side project. It's the entire reason the Foundation exists.

See what your gift builds →

The gaps are the whole job.

Every dollar the Evive Foundation receives goes to something the current support system doesn't pay for: access in states with no funding at all, trained peers, resources for the families in it too, and research the field can actually use. That isn't a side project. It's the entire reason the Foundation exists.

See what your gift builds →

The gaps are the whole job.

Every dollar the Evive Foundation receives goes to something the current support system doesn't pay for: access in states with no funding at all, trained peers, resources for the families in it too, and research the field can actually use. That isn't a side project. It's the entire reason the Foundation exists.

See what your gift builds →