Who we are

We’re top tech leaders who are passionate about advancing social change by listening to and supporting the social sector.

broken bridge, with someone drawing in the gap

Solving a Social Problem is always our Goal

Tech Matters has incredible reach into the tech, business, nonprofit, foundation, policy and academic communities, where we speak the languages of these critical communities and are able to translate among these groups and engage them in our tech for good efforts. So many tech people want to do good for the world: we build the bridges they need to have that impact.

Our Values

IMPACT

We’re here to improve the lives of millions of people and increase the effectiveness of thousands of organizations. We equip communities with powerful software to help solve critical social problems. We connect people across the planet to the best technology available.

EMPATHY

We listen. We gather input broadly to identify needs and understand context. We expect to be surprised by what we learn, discarding ideas we might have thought were true.

COLLABORATION

We will only work in partnerships. We build trust through transparency, sharing ownership and credit. The rewards of partnership justify the challenges of doing it well.

Tech Matters Team

José Buitron

José Buitrón

Senior Software Engineer, Terraso

José Buitron

José Buitrón

Senior Software Engineer, Terraso

José has worked as a software engineer in different industries for more than 12 years. He is passionate about developing innovative human-centered solutions. José identifies solutions using technology that can improve the experiences of people. He has a Computer Science degree from the Universidad Catolica del Ecuador and a Master of Information Technology from The University of Melbourne. In his free time you can find José trying to learn and understand what being human means.

Derek Caelin

Derek Caelin

Product Manager, Terraso

Derek Caelin

Derek Caelin

Project Manager, Terraso

Derek Caelin is a technologist who has spent years training activists and civil society organizations in developing countries and conflict zones on how to use digital tools to communicate, mobilize, and organize. Derek is particularly focused on creating, researching, and sharing open source technology so that all people can benefit from free, collectively produced software. His writings on community-maintained software, games for social impact, privacy, and the effect of tech platforms on society, have been published in Foreign Policy and OneZero.

Bo Davis

Bo Davis

Software Engineer, Aselo

Bo Davis

Bo Davis

Software Engineer, Aselo

Bo is an engineer with 18 years of professional experience building web-based applications and the infrastructures that run them. He has spent most of his career helping companies scale SAAS and social media products. He was drawn to join the Aselo team at Tech Matters in September of 2022 by a desire to use his skills to support a mission centered around social good instead of profit. When he isn’t wrangling software or cloud services, you’ll probably find him wrangling livestock on his small homestead or trout from a nearby creek in the mountains of Western North Carolina.
Steve Francis

Steve Francis

Project Director, Terraso

Steve Francis

Steve Francis

Project Director, Terraso

Steve is a senior executive and gifted product strategist with a 30-year career ranging from hands-on software engineer to public company CEO. He has substantial experience in organizing teams and attacking new opportunities and markets while ensuring a balance between specific tasks and the “bigger picture” of a successful outcome. After consulting for three years on various high-impact social good projects, he joined Tech Matters in late 2019.

Jim Fruchterman

Jim Fruchterman

Founder and CEO

Jim Fruchterman

Jim Fruchterman

Founder and CEO

Jim is a serial tech and social entrepreneur, who has already proven how technology can change entire fields in the social sector. He was the founder and CEO of Benetech for nearly 30 years, delivering large-scale change in partnership with hundreds of organizations as part of social enterprises addressing education, disability, human rights, and the environment. In addition, he has advised hundreds of diverse social enterprises on the use of technology and data. He previously founded two successful for-profit Silicon Valley tech companies in the machine learning/artificial intelligence field, and is an active angel investor in and board member for several companies. Jim has been widely recognized for his social change work, including being selected as a recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship, the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, the Schwab Social Entrepreneur Award, and the Caltech Distinguished Alumni award.

Michele Gomich

Michele Gomich

Telecom Program Manager, Aselo

Michele Gomich

Michele Gomich

Telecom Program Manager, Aselo

Michele is a leading Senior Project Manager in Telecommunications, with over two decades of experience. Over the course of her career, Michele has managed a vast variety of Telecom Projects, specializing in implementing systems for Public Safety Entities, Large-Scale Municipalities, School Districts, National Accounts and Private Sector Corporations. Contact Centers, PBX Integrations, Cloud Base Telephony and Carrier Solutions are just a few of the platforms Michele has experience with. During the course of her career, Michele has always prided herself on solving problems, and having the trust and respect of her peers and clients. With years of dedication in providing clients with cutting-edge Telecom Solutions, Michele is thrilled to put forth her efforts with Aselo and the Child Help Lines. It’s such an amazing and important cause. In her spare time, Michele can be found spending quality time with her husband and two children. Both her daughter and son keep the family super busy with their competitive gymnastics and musical talents. Michele was born and raised in New Jersey, and is now raising her family in the Upstate of South Carolina.
Steve Hand

Steve Hand

Software Engineer, Aselo

Steve Hand

Steve Hand

Software Engineer, Aselo

Steve is a Software Engineer with 20-years’ experience leading projects in industries including e-commerce, healthcare, video games, road haulage, finance, and consumer electronics, in organizations ranging from a three-person start-up to large multinationals and the Welsh National Health Service. He came to software the long way around, after studying History & Economics at Manchester University. He joined Tech Matters to work on the Aselo project in December 2021 and is based in Galway, Ireland. In his free time, he helps out at local Autism charities but also consumes large amounts of bad TV.

David Howard

David Howard

Software Engineer, Terraso

David Howard

David Howard

Software Engineer, Terraso

David has five years' experience in software development, working on a variety of web projects as well as satellite ground segment software. He enjoys working on software projects that encourage human thought and make our lives together better. In his free time, David is passionate about learning about different languages, human as well as programming.
Nick Hurlburt

Nick Hurlburt

Director of Engineering, Aselo

Nick Hurlburt

Nick Hurlburt

Director of Engineering, Aselo

Nick has 17 years of experience joining two parallel paths: software engineering and international development. Nick began his career developing early, large-scale artificial intelligence software at Amazon.com. He later managed software teams at Sift, a Silicon Valley machine learning company that protects companies like Airbnb and Twitter from online fraud. Nick spent six years in conflict relief in Burma and South Sudan, capturing human rights, migration, and multi-sector program data using methods from hand-delivered paper to smartphones to satellite modems. He leads the technology development for the Aselo helpline project, joining Tech Matters in mid-2019.

Annalise Irby

Annalise Irby

Product Manager, Aselo

Annalise Irby

Annalise Irby

Product Manager, Aselo

Annalise is a Product Manager interested in co-creating mission-driven technology alongside communities and governments. Previously at Schmidt Futures, a tech philanthropy, she rotated as a product manager between tech nonprofits and startups including Recidiviz, a criminal justice reform nonprofit, and JustFix, a housing justice nonprofit. Before this, Annalise worked in software engineering at Lyft and Uber, and in conversational UX (user experience) design at IBM Research. She graduated from Georgia Institute of Technology with a B.S. in Computer Science, and is currently based in Brooklyn, NY. In her free time, you can find her making pottery, adventuring outdoors, or learning something new.
Jana Kleitsch

Jana Kleitsch

User Experience Designer, Aselo

Jana Kleitsch

Jana Kleitsch

User Experience Designer, Aselo

Jana is a seasoned user experience designer and an occasional serial entrepreneur. After co-founding the first online wedding planning site, Wedding Channel, Jana spent almost a decade working on Amazon’s Recommendations and Bestsellers teams. Jana joined the Tech Matters team in March of 2020 as the UX Designer for the Aselo helpline platform. Jana also serves as a Startup Advisor at the University of Washington mentoring aspiring entrepreneurs.

Hana Lee

Hana Lee

Principal UX Designer, Terraso

Hana Lee

Hana Lee

Principal UX Designer, Terraso

Hana is a strategic designer with a passion for human-centered design. For the past two decades, she has designed digital products for various organizations in multiple fields — brilliant start-ups, large e-commerce platforms, and the University of Washington. She’s a huge supporter of design for social good and strives to tackle important social problems. Hana joined Tech Matters in October 2021 as a principal user experience designer for Terraso. In her free time, she enjoys cooking and practicing yoga.

Dee Luo

Dee Luo

Senior Product Manager, Aselo

Dee Luo

Dee Luo

Senior Product Manager, Aselo

Dee is a Product Manager interested in leveraging innovative technology to build empathy-driven solutions that empower individuals and their communities. She has experience building SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) business software after working at Yext, a New York-based technology company, and has worked on pro bono projects for international social enterprises as a past fellow of the MovingWorlds Institute. She joined Tech Matters in December 2020 to lead the product management for Aselo and is based in New York City.

Murilo Machado

Murilo Machado

Software Engineer, Aselo

Murilo Machado

Murilo Machado

Software Engineer, Aselo

Murilo has been working as a Software Engineer for more than 10 years but has been passionate about coding long before that. Since the age of 12, he has been playing with building websites and small games. Murilo is from Brazil, but currently lives in Ireland. After working for many different companies, Murilo joined ThoughtWorks which opened his eyes that he could use his work for supporting people in need. He joined Tech Matters in 2020 and has been working on the Aselo project since then. In his free time, he loves drinking some Argentinian Malbec with his wife while watching series.
Humairaa Mahomed

Humairaa Mahomed

Partnerships Manager, Aselo

Humairaa Mahomed

Humairaa Mahomed

Partnerships Manager, Aselo

Humairaa is a proud Africanist, intrapreneur, critical thinker, and problem solver with a high aptitude for logical reasoning, strategic thinking, and mathematical analysis. Fueled by a strong passion for humanity, nature, technology, and learning, she continuously seeks multidimensional challenge, growth, and improvement opportunities. Humairaa is inspired by the possibility of a world that delights in diversity and embraces complexity, and has chosen to dedicate her life and skills to committed teams and progressive technologies to deliver intelligent and sustainable impact.
Joan Mellea

Joan Mellea

Chief of Staff

Joan Mellea

Joan Mellea

Chief of Staff

Joan has 20+ years’ experience in product management/marketing. She has successfully brought numerous products to market working closely with end users to ensure their needs are represented during the software development process. Joan also has experience with software localization and cultural adaptation having operated a multilingual communications firm. She has been with Tech Matters since it was founded.

Tricia O'Neill

Tricia O’Neill

Operations Manager

Tricia O'Neill

Tricia O’Neill

Operations Manager

Tricia has over 15 years of experience in nonprofit operations and has always been fascinated by the intersection of social good and technology. She is passionate about providing her team members with the resources they need to succeed and enjoys the challenge of wearing multiple hats to get the job done. A Midwesterner based in the Pacific Northwest, when she’s not managing projects or implementing new policies, you can find her exploring hard to find hiking trails or lounging in her pollinator garden admiring the bees and hummingbirds.
Stephen Okpalaononuju

Stephen Okpalaononuju

Software Engineer, Aselo

Stephen Okpalaononuju

Stephen Okpalaononuju

Software Engineer, Aselo

Stephen has more than three years of work experience in software development where he hopes to positively enhance people’s experience online and make the web accessible to everyone. Before joining Tech Matters, he worked as a software developer in a few consulting firms, as a research assistant, and in training/research and development where he brought innovative ideas and researched contemporary technologies. Stephen currently lives in Nigeria and in his free time, he is a Madridista and a foodie.
Alejandro Rivera

Alejandro Rivera

Solutions Engineer, Aselo

Alejandro Rivera

Alejandro Rivera

Solutions Engineer, Aselo

Alejandro is a software engineer with 7+ years of experience working in different positions related to software development. It wasn’t until he lived in rural Kenya that he realized the positive impact that technology can have on society. Alejandro has spent more than four years working for an NGO whose mission was to eradicate the hunger season across East Africa. He joined Tech Matters as a Solutions Engineer on the Aselo project to prove to himself once more that technology matters. In his spare time, he spends hours playing with his daughter, taking walks with his family, and growing a food forest.
Paul Schreiber

Paul Schreiber

Director of Engineering, Terraso

Paul Schreiber

Paul Schreiber

Director of Engineering, Terraso

Paul Schreiber has been building software and teams for the past two decades. Most recently, he led development for FiveThirtyEight at ABC News and The Undefeated at ESPN. Previously, he spent eight years as a Mac OS X engineer at Apple, served as the founding CTO at TurboVote and codeveloped the 2008 Obama campaign’s voter registration tool. Paul has a Bachelor of Mathematics in Computer Science (and a minor in French) from the University of Waterloo. Paul runs a house concert series, advocates for bicycling and safe streets and is always up for a hockey game.

Lillian Tseng

Lillian Tseng

Senior Product Manager, Terraso

Lillian Tseng

Lillian Tseng

Senior Product Manager, Terraso

Lillian is a Product Manager on LandPKS with a decade of experience in the tech world. Prior to Tech Matters, she worked at mmhmm, PlayPosit, and Microsoft, and graduated from Olin College with a degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering. In her free time, she aspires to bake the perfect loaf of sourdough bread and work up to running a 5k.
Amaya Webster

Amaya Webster

Program Manager, Terraso

Amaya Webster

Amaya Webster

Program Manager, Terraso

Amaya is a tech-for-good geek with nearly a decade of experience. Prior to joining Tech Matters, Amaya worked at Benetech creating software-for-good as the project manager for their R&D initiative, and the community and marketing manager for their work on digital accessibility of STEM educational materials. Amaya believes that there is little more rewarding than doing work which creates positive, sustainable impact. With degrees in anthropology, biology, and art, a career in tech may not have been the obvious choice, but she has found that her eclectic background lends itself particularly well to the tech-for-good field—especially when it comes to user-centric product design, research, and creative approaches to problem solving and strategy design.

What We Have in Common

We’re experts in technology with a passion for social justice, and a commitment to further positive social change. We listen to understand the market failures and social issues that need to be addressed, and then serve as a steward and partner to help social sector innovators apply systems-changing tech to realize and scale solutions.

Dive Deeper into our Team's Approach

Learn how we’re elevating this work by advocating for a new field of systems change technologists.

Tech Matters Funders

Child Helpline International logo
End Violence Against Children logo
Twilio logo
Patrick J McGovern Foundation logo
Working Capital
Schmidt Futures
Hitz Foundation
Ray and Dagmar Dolby Family Fund
Jenesis logo
Twilio
Peery Foundation
Okta
FJC Logo
CISCO Foundation