Accelerate Social Change

AidKit brings human-centered design and software expertise to the task of empowering, not replacing, the efforts of nonprofits and government agency staff.

Why we built AidKit

creating lasting change

AidKit spun out of the Left Behind Workers Fund, a pandemic relief program that delivered millions in direct aid to workers without documentation in Colorado.

Our cofounders built features and automations to accelerate impact and efficiency in the program and soon began receiving inquiries from other organizations looking to overcome the many challenges programs face when trying to deliver cash assistance. In 2021, AidKit launched to enable emerging direct cash and guaranteed income programs across the country at scale.

Our mission is to provide an innovative infrastructure and playbook in partnership with organizations to efficiently manage cash assistance at scale for those in need.

Meet our Team

People power

Getting cash to people who need it is not rocket science, but we have a couple of aerospace engineers on staff, just in case.

Brittany Christenson

Brittany Christenson

Chief Executive Officer

Brittany is a former nonprofit leader seasoned in driving positive outcomes for marginalized communities. She is motivated by a deep sense of accountability to her team and passion for AidKit's mission to revolutionize aid delivery at scale.

Katrina Van Gasse

Katrina Van Gasse

Co-Founder, Chief Impact Officer

Katrina is a former Fulbright Scholar and previous Vice President at Silicon Valley Bank. She is motivated to accelerate social impact and deliver programs that uphold the dignity of those in need.

Ben Newhouse

Ben Newhouse

Co-Founder, Chief Technology Advisor

Ben is an entrepreneur, Stanford-educated developer, and former Head of Sync at Dropbox. He is motivated to bring the tech superpowers of Silicon Valley to the social sector.

Andrew Marshall

Andrew Marshall

Co-Founder, Chief Operating Officer

Andy Marshall is an aerospace engineer, entrepreneur, and engaged philanthropist. He is motivated by gratitude for the opportunities he’s had and the desire to give back.

Mark Newhouse

Mark Newhouse

Co-founder, Chief Strategy Officer

Mark is a philanthropist, innovator, and a former Corporate Officer of Corning Incorporated. He is motivated to drive real change and bring new models to philanthropy.

Rob Walls

Rob Walls

Software Engineer

Rob is a software engineer with over a decade of experience coding. His formal education is in aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering.

Erin Coltrera

Erin Coltrera

Senior Program Manager

Erin brings a decade of experience contributing to the development of complex, people-oriented policies and programs, including extensive work with guaranteed income pilots across the country. She holds dual master degrees in Social Work and Social Policy.

Hector Zaragoza Tejas

Hector Zaragoza Tejas

Software Engineer

Hector is a software engineer with a background in nonprofits and public policy. He is motivated to support the development of equitable and healthy communities. He holds degrees in International Development and Public Policy.

Julia Ford

Julia Ford

Director of Partnerships and Program Development

Julia’s background is in business development for companies committed to advancing social good. She believes transformations start with the people we're supporting, not the systems we’re changing.

Ruthie Tesfaye

Ruthie Tesfaye

Sr. Lead, Program Management

Ruthie is an experienced program manager with a background in education and community development. She holds bachelors degrees in Political Science and Islamic Civilizations & Societies, and a masters in Education Policy & Social Analysis.

Theresa Gonzales

Theresa Gonzales

Software Engineer

Theresa is a software engineer with a degree in chemical engineering and experience helping startups grow. She is motivated to leverage technology as a force for equity and inclusion.

Riley Bauer

Riley Bauer

Software Engineer

Riley is an experienced software engineer joining us after four years at Google. He is motivated by software's potential to amplify programs that support community health and development. He holds degrees in mathematics and computer science.

Cassie Russell

Cassie Russell

Senior Program Manger

Cassie is an experienced program manager with a background in housing, financial assistance, and training and technical assistance. She holds a Master of Social Work.

Luke Moran

Luke Moran

Software Engineer

Luke has been tinkering with code for a little over a decade, mostly in the fintech space where he worked on different trading systems and fraud detection tools. His goal is to write software which will help underserved communities thrive.

Rui Wu

Rui Wu

Senior Program Manager

Rui is a seasoned technical program manager in geospatial and fintech spaces. She is motivated to make social impacts with technology. She holds degrees of civil engineering and economics.

Parry Burton

Parry Burton

Office Administrator

Parry brings a rich background in project and production management and takes pride in developing and upholding systems vital to Aidkits' mission.

Jamie Shadid

Jamie Shadid

Applicant Support Manager

Jamie leads AidKit's applicant support team, bringing her experience working with diverse populations and a belief in the transformative power of cash transfers to the role. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Humanities with a focus in Spanish.

Ben Kincaid

Ben Kincaid

Application Engineer

Ben Kincaid is an application engineer with 14 years of experience implementing direct assistance initiatives across diverse communities and programs.

Zeitun Tifow

Zeitun Tifow

Senior Program Manager

Zeitun is a program manager with extensive experience leading & implementing humanitarian assistance & development programs. She is motivated by tech’s potential to more efficiently deliver aid to communities in need. She holds a masters degree in Peacebuilding.

Micah Fay

Micah Fay

Software Engineer

Micah is a software engineer with 6 years of experience working for non-profits. He brings a passion for leveraging technology to improve society, and specifically, to reduce economic inequality.

Anne Silbaugh

Anne Silbaugh

Software Engineer

Anne is a software engineer with a degree in Mathematics. She is committed to working on a team that is inclusive and non-traditional, making software created for people rather than for profits.

Charlene Strain

Charlene Strain

Sr. Marketing Manager

Charlene brings a wealth of experience to our team with a background in PR, partner marketing, product marketing, and nonprofit work in the B2B SaaS and B2C sectors.

Jen Wirth

Jen Wirth

Application Engineer

Jen is an application engineer with a background in high-tech low-touch behavioral research. Her guiding star is working to solve interesting problems that inhibit human thriving.

Justin Cajayon

Justin Cajayon

Engineering Manager

Justin is an experienced engineering leader with a passion for building diverse and inclusive engineering culture. He is motivated by making technology accessible to those in need.

Meagan Clawar

Meagan Clawar

Senior Program Manager

Meagan is a former nonprofit leader with extensive experience administering programs addressing social determinants of health. Meagan has a particular passion for supporting community-led solutions through relationship building and root cause analysis.

Breanna Christopher

Breanna Christopher

Senior Program Manager

Breanna is a seasoned program manager with a background in community organizing & education. She is driven by the power of our collective imaginations & the future we can build together.

Elizabeth Arcta

Elizabeth Arcta

Application Engineer

Liz is an Application Engineer with over 10 years of experience in software implementation, as well as a background in higher ed and mental health. She holds a Master's degree in International Studies.

Cody Rushing

Cody Rushing

Full-Stack Software Engineer

Cody has over a decade of experience building software across multiple industries including enterprise SaaS and cleantech. He is excited at the prospect of building tools to directly address systemic inequity.

Our objective

Advanced technology meets personalized, human-centered approaches

Support those left behind

We believe it’s important to empower our partners to serve everyone who needs help; particularly those often left behind due to a lack of digital access.

Work with the community

Community based organizations (CBOs) know their communities best. We help networks of CBOs deliver community-wide programs on one unified platform.

Meet users where they are

Technology is powerful but there is no replacement for human interaction. We design accessible tools to help organizations meet their community where they are.

Keep data private and secure

Protecting the data of end users is of the utmost importance and we take that seriously. We insulate nonprofits from the legal challenges of handling sensitive data.

Let's Work Together

partnership and career opportunities

Whether you are looking for technology solutions for a direct cash program or looking for a great career opportunity, we are excited to hear from you.