Alex Gilbert
Founder of I'm Adopted
Alex Gilbert was born in 1992 in Arkhangelsk, Russia, and was placed in a Russian orphanage by his birth mother. He was adopted along with his brother Andrei in 1994 by his NZ parents Mark and Janice Gilbert. He grew up in Whangarei, New Zealand.
In 2013, Alex travelled to Russia to meet his biological parents for the first time. His adoption story was aired on TV One's Sunday current affairs program that followed his search for birth parents throughout 2013. He also wrote and released his autobiographical book My Russian Side in 2014.
In 2015, Alex established the nonprofit organisation I'm Adopted, for other adopted people to share their own personal stories. The project is a platform that helps adoptees from all over the world share their own personal experiences of adoption through Social Media. Alex released the Russian translated version of I'm Adopted in May 2016, a week after he was acknowledged by the Queen of England for the project. The project also works with bringing other adoptees together to meet each other. The project is currently available in the English, Russian, Spanish and Italian language.
Alex also appeared on Russia's Channel One 'Let Them Talk' in December 2015 in Moscow, Russia. He also made an appearance on Russia's Anatomy of the Day. During the show he was personally thanked by an American adoptee who shared their story through the I'm Adopted project. Gilbert has appeared in various radio and news shows to discuss his adoption advocacy.
Outside of adoption advocacy, Alex works as a TV field producer and occasional camera operator. He went to South Seas Film and Television School in 2011 to study film and television.