What happens when a tech innovator with 40+ years in the industry applies AI to help mission-driven organizations work smarter, faster, and at scale?
In this episode of Pitch, Build, Scale, we sit down with Chris Hanson, Co-Founder of The Databank, to explore how a pioneering nonprofit SaaS company evolved from dial-up databases in the ’90s to AI-powered CRM bots today.
Chris shares how AI is unlocking efficiency for nonprofits: freeing up precious time and resources, improving data insights, and enabling faster, more impactful decisions. From early struggles in the dot-com era to bootstrapping a social mission-driven SaaS, this is a story of resilience, innovation, and staying ahead of technology curves.
Whether you’re a SaaS founder, software agency leader, or simply curious about AI’s role in creating real-world change, you’ll find valuable takeaways here.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
02:00 Chris Hanson’s journey into tech and nonprofits
04:41 From marketing consultancy to The Databank
08:41 Building a social mission into a for-profit SaaS
10:42 Pivoting from fundraising software to hybrid SaaS solutions
11:48 How the Sierra Club shaped The Databank’s early innovation
14:20 Why AI is a perfect fit for nonprofit efficiency
16:45 Overcoming adoption hurdles with AI
19:21 The mindset that drives ongoing innovation
20:21 Comparing AI to past tech revolutions
22:37 How The Databank uses AI internally
23:22 Legacy and impact stories
25:54 The future of nonprofit tech in an AI-driven world
28:04 The pace of AI change and ongoing learning
29:01 Where to connect with The Databank
Resources:
🌐 The Databank – https://www.thedatabank.com
🌐 Big North Marketing – https://www.bignorthmarketing.com
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