Founded in August, 2001 , CALI is the culmination of years of education and professional experience in health care, life care, and other human services; occupational safety; building design and construction; information sciences; robotics; mechanics; and materials sciences.

CALI had its origin in the Center for Leadership and Innovation (CLI, pictured above), the business development and community outreach arm of the College of Business at Florida Gulf Coast University. Subsequently located within the College of Health Professions, CALI facilitated expositions and conferences related to long term care and assistive technologies.
Currently, CALI is collaborating on research for IL Technologies.

CALI was initially conceived by Gary Kluckhuhn, its co-director, while a graduate student at FGCU. Gary's idea, which grew out of his over twenty years involvement in assisted living, found enthusiastic support among fellow students, faculty, friends and associates. The convergence of common goals within this group of early contributors helped transform an ambitious vision into the University's newest institute.

This group included Al Slickers, hospitality manager at a premiere life care community; Dr. Linda Buettner, a leading gerontologist and authority on Alzheimer's; Dr. Zed Hezlar, an expert in occupational health with extensive knowledge of product safety and certification issues; undergraduate Wayne Pingel, an accounting and computer information systems (CIS) major who has been personally challenged with assisted living issues since a spinal cord injury in 1977; and Walt Weisel, CEO of a robotics company who for many years has helped develop and implement assistive technology for the disabled.

Others who played crucial roles in launching CALI include College of Business Dean Dr. Richard Pegnetter; Center for Leadership and Innovation Director Doug Steele; College of Health Professions Dean Dr. Cecilia Rokusek; CIS graduate students Joe Willingham and Robert Figueroa; and CIS undergraduate Warren Anderson.

From its humble beginning in brainstorming sessions among a small group of alumni, students, and faculty, CALI has quickly grown to become an integral part of the FGCU family. CALI's next goal is to become a vehicle for positive change in the assisted living community and industry, in Southwest Florida and beyond.