Laravel & PHP Webmaster

We are developing a new social network geared toward a specific niche. We have purchased a working PHP script built on Laravel and need it heavily modified. In addition to the modification, we will need it to work with nginx instead of Apache (which means a knowledge of converting rewrites.) This is a longterm project, likely to lead to permanent placement with us. I cannot stress enough that when I say heavy modification; I mean it. With that said, we don't expect everything done at one either! This will be a project that will be on-going for the foreseeable future and likely permanent. Some of the modifications we have in mind are: -Integrate PetFinder API -Core modifications to profile fields and photos -Creation of advertising module -Modification of core features to be more user friendly The above list is a small sampling of some of the work we will need done. In addition to the above, updates and such will always be needed. Honestly, we are looking for someone to make suggestions and have a passion for the project. Your country of origin is not important to us; in fact, we would prefer someone from a deserving country that will work hard and grow with us. We are a personally-funded startup, so our budget is lower than we would like, but we have one! Please have a solid working knowledge of Laravel, PHP, HTML, Linux, and nginx.