Who We Are
Authors Inside is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering justice-impacted youth and adults to make sustainable change through writing. Founded on the belief that storytelling is a powerful tool for healing, accountability, and transformation, Authors Inside provides structured writing programs and resources that support crime prevention, community safety, and the well-being of youth and families.Through creative expression, guided reflection, and trauma-informed facilitation, Authors Inside creates opportunities for participants to reclaim their voices, examine their experiences, and envision new paths forward. Our work centers hope, healing, and reform as essential components of reducing recidivism and strengthening communities.
Our Team
Executive Team
Laura Gaisie
Executive Director and Co-Founder of Authors Inside
With a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a master’s degree in Public Administration with an emphasis in nonprofit leadership, Laura combines professional expertise with lived experience and a deep commitment to restorative impact. She has worked extensively in program development, nonprofit leadership, and community partnerships, always centering dignity, opportunity, and transformation. Laura is also the founder of Purple Pearls Publishing, where she has edited and helped publish more than 30 books. Through coaching, editing, and production support, she guides aspiring and justice-impacted writers from manuscript to print-ready publication. Her passion for storytelling is rooted in her belief that writing is a pathway to healing, self-validation, and social change. Under her leadership, Authors Inside has expanded writing workshops, anthology projects, volunteer editing programs, and collaborative partnerships that amplify voices too often unheard. Laura believes every person has a powerful story — and that when stories are shared, communities are strengthened.
Emmanuel Gaisie
Chief Business Development Officer and Co-Founder
After serving 27 years of a life sentence, Emmanuel Gaisie emerged with a transformed mindset and an unwavering commitment to purpose. While incarcerated, he earned two associate’s degrees from Cuesta College in Social and Behavioral Sciences and Sociology—an experience he credits with reshaping his thinking and redefining his future. Emmanuel is the author of The Concert of Denial and Manipulation, a self-help memoir supporting individuals seeking accountability and preparing for parole hearings. Today, as Co-Founder and Chief Business Development Officer of Authors Inside, he empowers justice-impacted individuals to rewrite their narratives through education, authorship, and hope.
Board of Directors
George K.L. Smith
Programming Director for Author's Inside
George K.L. Smith is a leader and visionary program architect in substance abuse counseling, reentry services, and community-based violence prevention. He is the Co-founder and CEO of G.R.O.W. (Growth Reinforces Our Worth) and serves as Director of Reentry and Violence Prevention at an agency in the Bay Area, where he leads trauma-informed, evidence-based initiatives that reduce recidivism and strengthen communities. As Treasurer for APAC and Director at Authors Inside, he amplifies the voices of the formerly incarcerated and mentors the next generation toward healing, opportunity, and lasting success. A published author and podcast guest—including on Ear Hustle—Mr. Smith leads with heart, unflinchingly clear purpose, and a lifelong commitment to service.
Otis Greene III
Programming Director for Author's Inside
Otis Greene III, has obtained the credentials of Substance Use Disorder Certified Counselor II (SUDCC-II); Certified Denial Management Specialist (CDMS); and Basic Certified Relapse Prevention Specialist (BCRPS). Otis’ “Lived Experience” qualifies him as a Subject-Matter Expert (SME) in the areas of “Institutionalized Behavior”; “Cognitive Decriminalization”; “Reentry/Transition”; “Item Writing”; and “Standard Setting.” Otis is the co-author of an interactive CBI workbook “I O.W.N. I AM”; “WE O.W.N. WE ARE”; and “The Reset Button (Substance Abuse Curriculum)”. Otis has continuously worked in the field of cognitive restructuring (addiction treatment), in various roles, since 2016 within the following program types: Residential; DUI; In-Prison (SAP/ISUDT); Transitional; MAT; Detox/Residential; Sober Living; and Recovery Community Organizations (RCO); Sub-Contractor; and Contractor. Otis is a member of the Eta Beta Gamma Omega chapter of the Counseling Academic & Professional Honor Society International (Chi Sigma Iota). Otis is scheduled to graduate from Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School with honors in August 2026.