Digital Rain Factory : About Us

Director of Special Projects & Curriculum Development
Gayle Nicholls, M.A. is recognized from coast to coast as an expert digital stories facilitator. In 10 years with the Center for Digital Storytelling, she facilitated more than seventy-five digital storytelling workshops in twenty-five US states and Canada. Gayle has also acted as consultant for several international digital stories initiatives in Asia and Europe. As the Director of the Los Angeles office of the Center for Digital Storytelling in Berkeley, California, Gayle was responsible for the implementation of several sweeping digital story projects that served many municipal and state government agencies. She has helped non-profit organizations identify funding sources for digital stories projects.

Gayle is excited about venturing out on her own with Digital Rain Factory. Together with her partner, Rasheed Ali, she has begun to forge new digital inroads utilizing innovative new ideas and methods. She is eager to champion her work that focuses on social change, health, welfare and environmental issues.

Having recently completed her Thesis in Human Development, with a focus on Social Change through Storytelling, at Pacific Oaks College, Gayle is passionate about utilizing digital stories to give voice to underserved communities and youth.

As an educator, Gayle has worked to bring digital stories to universities and high schools alike. She is currently on the staff of La Canada HS as the photography, graphic and web design instructor.

Gayle is also an award-winning fine arts photographer. The L.A. Host Committee of the 2000 Democratic National Convention selected her photos for an exhibit called Faces of L.A. Her work has also been exhibited at Pasadena City College, the Los Angeles County Fair and several community arts shows.

Gayle started a very successful web design business: Big Busy Productions, which is currently managed by her oldest son Kareem Ali. Her youngest son; Rohan Ali is an Assistant Digital Stories Facilitator for Digital Rain Factory.

Born in Barbados and raised there and in Brooklyn, she attended Mt. Holyoke College and was Poet Laureate at Hunter College, where she produced a series of poetry magazines and coordinated multimedia poetry readings.

Gayle has worked as a multimedia assistant teacher and web designer at Pasadena City College and teaches film and animation at the Armory Center for the Arts. Gayle is currently an adjunct professor at Pacific Oaks College. She is passionate about utilizing digital stories to give voice to under served communities and youth.

Executive Director
Rasheed owns Digital Rain Factory, a Creative Services Provider. Digital Rain Factory specializes in new media consultation and production. Facilitating digital stories workshops to help nonprofits tell their story.

Rasheed Ali is currently an independent Digital Content Producer for various media outlets. Producing and Editing Digital Media for Television, Radio & the Web.

His skill-set extends from professional experience as a music producer, engineer and editor for radio, television and commercial recordings.

His project studio fully integrates a 24-track digital recording hardware system and software-based ProTools system with AVID Media Composer editing. Rasheed also utilizes Final Cut Pro, Adobe CS Suite and Vegas Pro. He has also utilized the Sony DSR-PD150 for electronic news gathering.

Rasheed recently completed undergrad studies in Broadcast Journalism with an emphasis in Advanced Television & Radio Production and Advanced AVID Editing and Special Effects.
Ali is actively involved as a Digital Storytelling Workshop Facilitator. Rasheed was trained as a facilitator by the Center for Digital Storytelling in Berkeley, California.

Rasheed Ali completed The Skilled Facilitator Training with Roger Schwarz & Associates.

With twelve years of classroom teaching experience, Rasheed Ali is an experienced educator who has also conducted professional development instruction for L.A. Unified District teachers. He has taught in public and private schools as well as museums and universities in the United States and abroad.

Rasheed created "Healing Drum", a special therapeutic program serving youth afflicted with Downs Syndrome in partnership with the YMCA.

Rasheed Ali has been the recipient of several grants and fellowships honoring his dedicated work in Arts Education.
Ali has a California Dept. of Education Teaching Credential specializing in: Arts, Media & Entertainment.

Rasheed is a member of The Society of Motion Picture & Television Engineers.

Ali is also recognized as a Certified Radio Operator by The Society of Broadcast Engineers.

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