Meet the Founders of Peace4Kids

Marni Otway

Peace4Kids Co-Founder / Board Member Emeritus

As the co-founder of Peace4Kids, Marni brought years of experience as a social worker. She was fueled by the idea that youth in foster care deserved an equitable opportunity to create community and connect with people who authentically cared for them. For the first 10 years of Peace4Kids existence, Marni served every role imaginable. As a volunteer Program Director she established the foundation for the youth curriculum, recruited volunteers and conducted outreach for resources. As the Board Chair, she helped to take Peace4Kids from an all volunteer organization to a thriving nonprofit with staff and an annual operational budget over a half million dollars. Most importantly, Marni's spirit was highly infectious and left a lasting impression on the youth. Though life has moved her with her family to New Zealand, she is still affectionately called the "mom" of Peace4Kids by all of the youth.

Zaid Gayle

Peace4Kids Co-Founder / Executive Director

As Executive Director, Zaid oversees an ambitious organizational growth plan, with the intended impact of helping foster and at-risk youth transition successfully into adulthood. Having been involved in community leadership and program development for over 20 years, Zaid co-founded Peace4Kids to promote peaceful conflict resolution among youth in South Los Angeles. During his seventeen years with Peace4Kids, he has served as a volunteer, mentor, board member, and teacher. Click here for Zaid's full biography.