About Me

My name is Gabe O’Neill and I live in Ijamsville, MD, which is a suburb of Frederick.  I live here with my wife, daughter, two three dogs and a cat that leaves “gifts” around the house to my daughter’s delight.  I absolutely LOVE living in Frederick.  It is such a wonderful city and a good place to raise children. 

I was born in Ontario, Canada.  After a quick detour to Montreal, Quebec I then moved to Miami, Florida for my high school years.  It was back up to Canada for my degree which was obtained from the University of Guelph.  I settled right in the middle of the two places – in Maryland in 1977.

I have been in software development for quite a few years now.  I build web sites, program in C++ and dabble in PHP. I had the privilege of being introduced by Bill Gates on national television in 1993 as I demonstrated the product I built with my team.  I have an unique blend of technical and social media skills that I utilize frequently to think out of the box when it comes to furthering our philanthropic causes.

In 2006 my dog Charlie founded Wags for Hope, which is a local volunteer pet group that visits nursing homes. This is now a thriving non-profit that boasts well over 100 animal teams out visiting people in nursing homes and hospitals in several surrounding counties.  In 2008 my then nine-year-old daughter MaryMargaret and I founded “Kids are Heroes“. This is a non-profit that gets kids involved in philanthropy at an early age which besides helping the planet, boosts self confidence and sharpens leadership skills.  We do this by showcasing kids on our web site who are doing amazing things for others with no consideration of their own benefit. In April of 2009 we were lucky enough to win a contest organized by Sir Richard Branson, owner of the Virgin companies, which promoted our video pitch on all Virgin Atlantic planes for the month of June 2009.  In early 2010 we forged a relationship with ex-NFL star Levar Fisher, who tours the county motivating and inspiring our youth.  Just recently we started the KAH Ambassador program which, through social media, enlists the help of people all over the world to boost our profile and grow our organization.

I had an itch to write a book about my experiences with Wags for Hope, but you all know how that goes. I discovered I could quench that thirst by blogging. I started in July of 2008, and in December of that same year I discovered Twitter. (Follow KidsAreHeroes.)  I feel that Twitter and Facebook are perfect platforms to spread the word about Kids Are Heroes, since all are global applications.  My fascination with social media is second only to my passion for Kids Are Heroes, and I am always seeking out ways to use what I have learned about social media to further the KAH cause. I love to hear feedback and share what I have learned so don’t be shy in connecting with me. 

If you would like to contact me directly, feel free to do so by email  here. My direct line is 240.782.4233.