Focusing on leadership training in Zambia for 10 years and then later in the Ukraine, CGI founder and president Chris Alexander has experienced extreme poverty up close and personal. During that time his wife Donna and he, both originally from Odon, Indiana, learned the importance of sustainability for the impoverished. Later as missions pastor at Indian Creek Christian Church, Chris envisioned a new way to engage the world by connecting people and their resources and giftedness to programs that would empower the poor. As a result, Chris established Center for Global Impact (CGI) as a nonprofit 501(c)3 in  September 2008.

When Chris is not in Cambodia working with the staff there, he resides in his southeast side Indianapolis home or is found at CGI’s Greenwood office. All three of their now young adult children graduated from Franklin Central High School. Their oldest son Ryan is studying medicine in Chicago. Their second son Nicholas is pursing a Master’s Degree in Theology in Scotland, where his wife Ashley and he live. Their youngest, Vanessa, is majoring in social work at the University of Indianapolis. Both Chris and Donna, who works at Christian Missionary Fellowship, are active in their faith and serve at Indian Creek Christian Church.