Founders
Kat Leibbrandt Renick
Kat’s personal medical journey is the inspiration behind the mission of IamMore. After completing her collegiate soccer career and graduating from the University of South Florida with degrees in Health Sciences and Health Communications, she went on to become a certified Child Life Specialist. She is a dedicated advocate for development, empowerment and psychosocial well-being in our youth. Passionate about helping young people recognize their inherent worth beyond achievements, labels, or challenges, Kat supports the foundation’s mission to create spaces where children and families can build resilience, confidence, and connection. Through community engagement, outreach, and program support, she is committed to ensuring that every young person knows they are more than what community perceptions place upon disabilities.
Kat is a wife and proud mother of an equally energetic toddler and Belgian malinois and feels strongly that the legacy she leaves for her kids is done through the modeling of her own determination and resiliency.
Living the mission: Kat was the former Team Captain for the 2022 World Cup winning TEAM USA Paralympic women’s soccer team and is currently working toward her classification to compete in Paralympic Track & Field on and International level. In 2024 she was able to compete at the Paralympic trials for Paris and achieved a qualifying performance for Team USA.
John Ryan Murphy
John Ryan is a proud husband and dad whose hidden talents include expert-level snack negotiations, building sandcastles, and backyard baseball. In his free time, he enjoy trail walks with his lab, Banyan, and chasing seagulls at the beach with his son, Bo.
As a kid, the only thing he ever wanted to be was a Major League Baseball player. That dream became a reality in September of 2013 with the New York Yankees. He went on to play in the MLB for nearly a decade and has now transitioned to coaching.
Today, his passion is helping the next generation of kids develop the values that last a lifetime—effort, integrity, and a positive attitude.
“IamMore is especially meaningful to me because of the incredible impact we’ve been able to create together. None of it would be possible without the kindness and generosity of our friends, families, and volunteers who give their time and energy to make it all happen.”
The ones who bring this mission to life:
Allie
Allie graduated from Florida State University with a bachelor’s degree in human development and Family Sciences. She is currently pursuing her goal of supporting children with disabilities in a mental health capacity through her graduate education and training in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, with the long‑term aspiration of becoming a play therapist.
Allie first joined I Am More as a volunteer and quickly discovered a deep passion for the organization’s mission. She feels most fulfilled by the sense of community, belonging, and love that the foundation fosters for children and families of all abilities. Her commitment to inclusive, adaptive experiences continues to shape both her professional path and her personal values.
Hidden Talent: I have a skill for finding treasures at thrift stores.
Alona
Alona was born and raised in Connecticut, and now lives in Tampa Bay with her husband, son, and rescue pup. She's a former teacher, former recruiter, child development expert, and current stay-at-home mom! She's passionate about raising her son to be a kind, resilient light in a world that desperately needs more goodness. What makes I Am More so meaningful to Alona is the conviction that no diagnosis, struggle, or expectation gets the final say over who someone can become.
Favorite Hobby: reading, baking, and exploring everything Tampa Bay has to offer.
Andrea
Andrea is our fearless leader of outreach in the Pacific Northwest. She is one of the medical experts of the IamMore team, working full time as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, specializing in neurology. When she is not in the hospital, she is passionate about travel, exploring other cultures, and adventuring with her dog Brewer (certified therapy dog) and cat, Lumos. When asked what makes IamMore special to you? she said “I work with children with chronic illnesses daily at my job, which I love, but it’s amazing to see them outside the hospital where they get to pursue their passions, socialize with friends, and just be kids.”
Fun Fact: She was an extra in a Kirsten Dunst movie as a teenager.
Carolina
In 2015, Carolina was diagnosed with Parkinsons Disease and retired in 2016 after working at the IMG Academy for 37 years. Accepting and learning to live a productive and happy life with a neurodegenerative disease that has no cure is challenging. But every day she wakes up, thanks God for the gift of another day and then says “PD I will not let you beat me”. She embodies all the values we try to represent in their organization through her every day life. Carolina further shared, “I had the privilege of witnessing the birth of Kat’s dream and was elated when she asked my son John Ryan to be her partner! I am so proud of how many children and families IamMore has touched by creating opportunities for our Overcomers to "identify with their passion rather than their affliction”. It’s a thing of beauty!”
Super Skill: Bilingual in English & Spanish since the age of 5
Erin
Erin is a graduate of the University of South Florida and is now pursing her licensure in Marriage and Family Counseling. With a background in law and youth ministry, Erin is very much the engine behind this operation. When a family corresponds with IamMore, Erin is the friendly voice that answers! She has been supporting our mission since 2022, introduced to us by one of our very own Overcomer families. She is passionate and committed to all that she does, whether it be as a wife, a mother, a friend, a student, serving on the PTA, or getting her 3 daughters to all of their sports and activities.
Hidden Talent: Can say the ABCs backwards in under 5 seconds!
Gabby
Gabby is an occupational therapist, professor, and Academic Fieldwork Coordinator at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, CA. She values spending time with family—especially on epic trips that include nature and big adventures—and loves being outdoors. A former ocean lifeguard and swimmer, she now enjoys staying active by competing in triathlons to raise money for pediatric cancer research with TEAM BRIGHTSIDE. Gabby is the proud mom of a 19-month-old girl and Kat’s older, less wise sister. Gabby has been around since the inception of I am More and wholeheartedly believes in its mission, work, and the impact in children’s lives.
Added bonus: We often consult Gabby to assist with IamMore families on an individual level to help improve the adaptability and accessibility of their daily lives.
Jessica
Jessica grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan and played collegiate tennis at the University of Wisconsin. She teaches padel, pickleball, and kids tennis at Stovall House and works for ABC's Tory Johnson Productions. She lives in Tampa with her husband, son, and Labrador. If you’re looking for the Murphys, you’ll likely find them outdoors-at the beach, by the pool, at baseball games, or back on the courts.
Why IamMore? Her passion for the I Am More Foundation comes from a deep belief in the power of sports to change lives. She loves helping kids discover new activities, build confidence, and experience what it means to be part of a team.
Kara
Kara is a long time supporter of IamMore and has been the brains and the heart behind curating some of our grandest events. While she is passionate about networking and using her connecting to give back to the community, she is too humble to submit a bio- we choose to celebrate her anyway! She is the proud mom of a tenacious toddler and the sweetest fur baby you could ever boop. When she isn’t supporting the mission of IamMore, she is crafting celebrations around Tampa Bay with creativity and innovation through her very own event planning business, Social Bird Events.
Something extra: While she has spent much of her adult life moving around the country, she is a FL native.
Kelsey
Kelsey is a graduate of the University of Mississippi, where she met her now husband. A proud mother of three, she loves spending time with family. As a NCAA D1 Dual-Sport Athlete (yes you read that right! soccer and track…), Kelsey is passionate about sports and the role they play in building confidence, character and memories for kids and families. It was actually through the connection of sport that allowed Kelsey to discover IamMore and become a valued part of our mission and outreach. When asked she shared that her favorite part of IamMore is “community it builds amongst the families involved.”
Hidden Talent: Used to be able to do the worm but haven't tried since having three kids so not sure that's true anymore
Leslie
After nearly a 40 year career in the lifeguard industry, Leslie has dedicated her career to building strong relationships and being someone that is relied upon by those the community relies on most. Bringing her strengths of authenticity and relationship building to IamMore has been the model for many of the values that we uphold. While much of Leslie’s contributions to IamMore are administrative, problem solving and behind the scenes, as the mother of Kat, she can empathize with families navigating difficult medical circumstances and time and time again shows up with compassion and her famous nurturing demeanor. Leslie is dedicated to making the world a kinder place with each interaction that she has which is very clearly shared with our overcomers and families.
Fun Fact: In her free time, Leslie volunteers with the Kauai Marine Animal Response Team, specifically protecting the endangered monk seal population.