Can you make the world a better place by building software for companies that do great things? Casey Helbling and his team at Software for Good are willing to give it a shot.
Helbling started his own software consulting firm in 2003, and found success over the next handful of years, but as he brought on more clients, he felt like something was missing.
"I realized that I wanted to create alignment between my need to do good in the world and my day job," he says. "Then, everything would be perfect."
He came up with a model that became
Software for Good, a startup firm he runs in addition to his regular consulting work. The new company builds software for progressive companies, nonprofits, and companies that focus on world-changing work.
Recent projects have included revamping the website of the
Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance, creating software for a diabetes prevention program, and doing bug fixes on the registration site for the
National Down Syndrome Congress annual conference.
"We're still too young as a company to pick and choose our projects, so we do some clients that aren't part of the model," Helbling says. "But we hope to get to that point soon."
The company employs five full-time software engineers, but expects to bring on more in the near future. Helbling notes, "I think people are getting the message about what we do, and they like the idea of doing something more with their time than the usual 9 to 5 tasks."
As Software for Good increases its pace over the next couple years, Helbling is hopeful that he'll find the alignment he seeks, and do good while doing well.
Source: Casey Helbling, Software for Good
Writer: Elizabeth Millard