For a decade I directed $700M+ in philanthropy at Google.org. I’ve seen how most tech-for-good projects fail: over-engineered, under-adopted, and abandoned after launch. So I started building them differently — production-grade, fixed-fee, four-to-eight weeks. Seven products shipped this year.
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“Structuring unstructured information is AI’s superpower. How are you not using these models to make these matches?”
Kindora gives every nonprofit the funder research, connections, and strategic guidance that used to be reserved for the well-connected. Concept to production in months. $60k total build cost. Beta launched Aug 2025. Anthropic published the partnership story in their official customer library.
Greenfield, AI-native, production. Each shipped with documentation, runbooks, and a continuity plan. Two also ship native iOS + Android apps in the App Store and Play Store.
Public benefit corporation · co-founder
AI-powered funder research, grant writing, and pitch coaching for the 85% of nonprofits priced out of professional fundraising tools.
nonprofits on Kindora
foundations indexed
raised in single pilot month
Funder platform · designed and built
Designed the entire competition and built the platform end-to-end: $800K dual-track innovation challenge in foster care, with a full grant application workflow, AI triage, peer review, staff scoring, and a 21-judge panel.
in awards
applications received
judges + 17 reviewers
finalists advancing
Nonprofit member platform · co-founder
Member platform for the sister nonprofit getting urban families outside. Auth, profiles, channels for community discussion, events with RSVP, trip detail pages. Shipped on web, iOS, and Android.
platforms shipped (web + iOS + Android)
in App Store + Play Store
Custom CRM · designed and built
Purpose-built CRM for an outdoor nonprofit: contact + family-unit management, trip coordination, dual fundraising pipelines (institutional + individual), AI email generator, Twilio SMS campaigns, and program + fundraising analytics dashboards.
analytics dashboards
communication suite
“I wonder what happens when the people who’ve always had the knowledge finally get the tools.”
Two distinct tracks. Strategic Counsel is intensive advisory work for leaders facing a specific decision — AI roadmap, impact-program design, board-level positioning. Production Builds are greenfield, AI-native software shipped in four-to-twelve-week sprints. Both tracks are time-boxed, fixed-fee, and outcome-defined. 50% upfront, 50% at milestones.
See the full studioStrategy track · Brain on the problem
By engagement
1–4 weeks
Leaders with a specific strategic decision in front of them — AI roadmap, impact program design, partnership architecture, or a board-level positioning question. For when you want my brain on the problem, not a permanent seat at your table.
Build track · Production software, shipped
$18–25k
2–3 weeks
Leaders who know they should be using AI but don’t know where to start.
Build track · Production software, shipped
$40–65k
4–6 weeks
Organizations ready to test a specific concept with real users.
“Justin’s impact on Beyond 12 is undeniable. He doesn’t just invest in ideas — he invests in people, creating the conditions for innovation and equity to flourish. Justin embodies the root definition of philanthropy: love of humanity.”
Alexandra Bernadotte
Founder & CEO, Beyond 12
“Justin Steele is one of those rare leaders who seamlessly blends strategic vision, deep empathy, and a bold commitment to equity and justice work. His ability to balance innovative thinking with operational rigor set a new standard for cross-sector collaboration — ensuring not just results but lasting impact for underserved communities.”
Hector Mujica
Candidate, U.S. House of Representatives · former Head of Americas Philanthropy, Google.org
“Justin’s leadership and vision have left an indelible mark. He was instrumental in developing the $100M Google Career Certificates Fund, providing life-changing opportunities for tens of thousands of learners while setting a new standard for sustainable skills training models.”
Tracy Palandjian
CEO and Co-Founder, Social Finance
“Justin Steele changed my life — both personally and professionally. His belief in people and his deep commitment to design equity have been transformative for BRIDGEGOOD. Thanks to Justin’s leadership, we’re now on track to train 40,000 designers by 2030, uplifting designers of color in UX, UI, and visual design.”
Shaun Tai
Co-Founder & Executive Director, BRIDGEGOOD
Apr 2026
AI collapsed the cost of building software. The technical wall fell, but the capital moat didn’t. Foundations move $110B a year — almost none of it reaches early-stage social-purpose tech. Someone has to write the first check.
Feb 2026
A wall has stood for most of history between the people who understand problems and the people empowered to build solutions. That wall just fell. The people closest to the hardest problems still don’t know it came down.
Dec 2025
I spend my days coding AI tools until 2am, then walk into nonprofit spaces and it’s like leaving a rave for a library. We need more bridgers — people willing to get their hands dirty without buying the tech-utopia pitch.
Episode 1328 — The $700 Million Grant-Giver Who Built a Startup with Zero Code
The Wantrepreneur to Entrepreneur Podcast · December 2025
Keynote: Resilient Communities
Google.org Impact Summit · September 2024
Google and Selena Gomez partner to fund teen mental health in the classroom
Associated Press · August 2024
Global Conference 2024: How Corporate Philanthropy Meets the Moment
Milken Institute · May 2024
Recently homeless S.F. families will get $1,000 a month from Google. Will it make a difference?
San Francisco Chronicle · April 2024
Launch: Early Lessons from the $100M Google Career Certificates Fund
Social Finance Institute · April 2024
Google backs creation of cybersecurity clinics with $20M donation
AP · June 2023
Google pledges $20M to expand computer science education in the US
The Verge · September 2022
Chance The Rapper's SocialWorks receives $1M grant from Google
Essence · October 2020
Walk the Wall: Will corporations heed the call for racial justice?
San Francisco Business Times · July 2020
July 2019 Graduation Keynote
Year Up United · August 2019
Puerto Rico Still Needs Help, and Google Is Answering the Call
Inc. · July 2018
KTVU's Dave Clark interviews Justin Steele
KTVU · March 2018
Zendaya and Google.org are helping fund a real-life Wakanda Center at Oakland school
The Grio · March 2018
Using data to change the conversation about race in America
Google.org · June 2017
Google pledges $11.5M to fight racial bias in policing, sentencing
USA Today · February 2017
Google.org Awards $3M to Racial Justice Organizations in SF Bay Area
TechCrunch · February 2016
Google.org gives $2.35M to groups fighting for racial justice
USA Today · November 2015
Google gives $2 million to S.F. nonprofits to aid homeless
SFGate · December 2014
Engagements start with a 30-minute call. We’ll talk about the problem, whether the studio is the right fit, and what the first scoped sprint would look like.