James T. Gardner, PhD (Founder, CEO)

Dr. James T. Gardner is the founder and executive director of Good Karma Bikes (GKB), the largest nonprofit bicycle community center in the United States. Since founding GKB in July 2009, Dr. Gardner has transformed what began as an effort to provide reliable transportation to homeless and low-wage workers into a comprehensive program that builds self-esteem and provides valuable job skills in bicycle repair, maintenance, eCommerce, and retail.

Education and Professional Background

Dr. Gardner holds a PhD in Solid State Physics with a specialization in Optoelectronics from the University of Southern California, where he also earned his bachelor’s degree and two master’s degrees in engineering. His academic career included an internship at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where he worked on space radiation effects.

In 1995, Dr. Gardner moved to the Bay Area to work at Applied Materials, launching a career that spans multiple high-tech industries including flat panel displays, 3D monitors, nanoparticle synthesis, water and energy conservation, and environmental protection.

Founding Good Karma Bikes

After experiencing setbacks with four startups, Dr. Gardner had a moment of clarity when he encountered a homeless individual riding an unsafe bicycle. What began as informal bicycle repairs in a local park evolved into Good Karma Bikes, a registered nonprofit organization that has served over 51,000 clients and provided $4.1 million in community aid.

To better serve his mission, Dr. Gardner obtained a certificate in nonprofit executive management from Georgetown University and a business certificate from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business.

Technical Expertise

Dr. Gardner’s passion for cycling began in his youth along the Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach, California. He is a graduate of the United Bicycle Institute and holds certifications as a Bicycle Suspension Technician and DT Swiss Wheel Builder.  He has taught over 200 students in Park Tool School

Personal Life

Dr. Gardner lives in Willow Glen with his wife of thirty years, Laura, whom he met at USC in 1989. Together they have rescued numerous animals and currently share their home with three rescue cats. Beyond cycling, his interests include mathematics, traveling, art, and classical music. Since founding GKB, he has read over 200,000 pages of history, biography, and philosophy.

Jenny Circle, Director of Development

Jenny was born and raised in Menlo Park. She found her passion in sports at Sacred Heart Prep and earned a scholarship to play Division 1 basketball at USC before transferring to the University of Colorado.  A major in communications, Jenny took her first job with eScrip, a for-profit fundraising company linking brick and mortar businesses with nonprofits raising over $350 million for schools across the United States.

In the last 20 years after leaving eScrip, Jenny has raised over $25M in funds for Kehillah Jewish High School in Palo Alto.

Jenny has been with Good Karma Bikes since 2021. She lives in Redwood City with her two kids, Tommy and Lilly and their puppy, Yogi.

Lisa DeGolier, Operations Manager

Lisa grew up in Wisconsin and has lived in Washington, D.C., Chicago, IL, Boise, ID, and Bristol, England. She left the East Bay when the internet bubble burst and came back to San Jose in 2006. She’s been in the South Bay for 16 years and has three daughters  ages 11-19.

After attending a spin class in 2016 she found that she loved being on a bike. She went two mornings a week until the class was canceled with lockdowns. That forced her to get outside on a road bike -and what a beautiful time to get on a bike with so fewer cars on the road. She taught all of her kids to ride on the road that year.

At the time she was riding a bike she had gotten off freecycle.org that was a little too big for her. One day a carbon Calfee Road bike was donated to GKB, where she was volunteering, and it was love at first sight.

Lisa was officially brought on staff in 2020. We must say that we are so proud to have a female mechanic running Silicon Valley’s Best Bike Shop (2016-Present). Lisa holds two Bachelors of Business Administration (BBA), in Production and Operations Management & Management Information Systems from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. She commutes on her bicycle every day to GKB – sometimes with her three daughters and has been known to also chauffeur two dogs and a guinea pig via bike baskets – a memorable sight, biking through Willow Glen with her little zoo. These days she terrorizes pedestrians and dogs on the Three Creeks Trail going a little over the speed limit on her way to work.

She’s the first friendly face you’ll see at GKB and we are fortunate to have her.

JAY COBB

Jay is super passionate about getting everyone that walks through our doors on a bike! Jay himself is a life-long biker who has transitioned recently to eBikes. Need a bike? Jay will size you up and get you one that fits your needs.

Kenneth Lounge

Kenneth grew up exploring the undeveloped around his home by bike. As a youth, he found bikes a tool for freedom and independence. He raced mountain bikes in college and worked at a bike shop. In 2005, Kenneth was a professional mechanic at Race Across America. He has been lucky enough travel a lot as an adult and is happy to be in California. Kenneth is passionate about helping people with their bikes.

RICK LUNDBLAD

Rick first started working on bikes when he modified a childhood bike into an early version mountain bike to deliver newspapers in the winter snow. As a young man, Rick worked at a bike shop during a bike boom when Schwinn bikes were delivered by the train car load. Rick came to California as a young man and spent many years as a mechanical engineer in Silicon Valley. He found his way back to working on bikes several years ago. At Good Karma Bikes, Rick has earned a reputation as the mechanic that can fix anything.