Flavio Andrade was born in Sahuayo, Mexico. At the age of 2, his mother immigrated to Los Angeles, California with him and his younger brother, where his father had immigrated prior. Shortly after, his family relocated to Pasadena, California, due to a high rise in gangs and crime in LA in the early 1980s. This is where he was ultimately raised and still resides.

 After settling in, his family expanded to include two sisters and one more brother. Both of Flavio's parents worked multiple jobs to be able to support the family, which facilitated Flavio's engagement with local gang members. When he was ten years old, his life took a dramatic turn when he decided to join a gang. As a direct result, Flavio landed in the juvenile system multiple times. At the young age of 16, Flavio became a father. He had three children by the age of 19. In his late teens, Like many of the youth we help, Flavio too chose drugs and alcohol. Flavio got news of another child to be born when he was in his early 20s. It was this notice that made Flavio decide to want a different life. He decided to quit smoking cigarettes and methamphetamines, which makes him 21 years sober. He saw his life going down a wrong path as a result of his choices. His children’s mother was attending Community College and convinced him to enroll in 2003. Soon after, he married the mother of his children, and they had another child when he was 28 years old.

 At this point, Flavio decided to start changing his life around the gangs and became a role model for his peers vs. a bad influence. This was when his passion for working with high-risk youth and adults began. After a few years of not being able to completely dedicate himself, through his volunteer work with Pasadena’s non-profit organization Ambassadors for Peace, he was introduced to the Professional Community Intervention Training Institute, where he earned his certificates for community crisis intervention, CPR, and first aid mental health responder.

 Today Flavio enjoys Handball, riding his bike, and reading. His favorite quote is "Knowledge isn't power until it's applied" by Dale Carnegie