GrantAuthority
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About

The Operating System for Economic Mobility

Grant Authority is not a government agency. We are a mission-driven technology platform built to solve a specific problem: billions of dollars in authorized aid goes unused every year because the application process is too difficult.

We build the digital rails that connect individuals and nonprofits to the resources they are eligible for, securely, instantly, and without the paperwork.

Mission-Critical Experience

Grant Authority is a wholly-owned initiative of Brightstead Technologies, a Public Benefit Corporation focused on building digital public infrastructure.

Our team is not made of marketers. We are comprised of veterans from US Special Operations, DeepMind, and Goldman Sachs. We have spent our careers building mission-critical systems where failure was not an option. Now, we are applying that same rigor to poverty alleviation.

AI with Guardrails

Grant Authority combines AI generation with structured verification. Our system cross-references grant requirements and provides source-linked drafts that humans review before submission.

  • Requirement-Grounded GenerationOur AI references specific grant requirements, eligibility criteria, and application guidelines to generate drafts, reducing errors and improving relevance.
  • Security by DesignTLS encryption in transit, encrypted storage at rest, role-based access controls, and per-organization data isolation protect your information.
  • Human-in-the-LoopEvery AI-generated draft is presented for your review and editing. You control what gets submitted; the AI accelerates, you decide.

Leadership Team

Veterans from special operations, high-frequency trading, and AI research united by a single mission.

Samuel F. Sells

Samuel F. Sells

Chief Executive Officer

Former U.S. Air Force & Special Operations Officer

Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal, 2015

Led military liaison for the Ebola Response Management Team and authored the $1 billion OHDACA funding request to Congress for West Africa Ebola response. Founded Brightstead with a singular mission: to use technology to stabilize families and drive economic mobility.

Education

Uniformed Services UniversityBrigham Young University
Maximus Blackbourne

Maximus Blackbourne

Chief Developer

AI Engineer & Security Architect

With over 20 years in GovTech and AI, Max leads the development of our platform and AI infrastructure. He ensures that the system meets rigorous security standards required for government and financial data integration.

Tom Wilson

Tom Wilson

Chief Revenue Officer

Ex-Goldman Sachs Executive

Tom brings institutional financial discipline to the mission. With a background scaling technology platforms in government and healthcare sectors, he ensures Grant Authority operates with the reliability of a major financial institution.

Dan Worden

Dan Worden

Chief Operating Officer

Global Operations Expert

Dan has scaled multiple technology and logistics companies across Asia, the U.S., and the EU. He manages the operational complexity of connecting our users to thousands of distinct resource pipelines.

Jesse Sells

Jesse Sells

Chief Marketing Officer

Former Special Operations & Intelligence Systems

Jesse specializes in deploying critical intelligence systems globally. He leads our outreach efforts, ensuring that our technology reaches the populations that need it most, from rural America to urban centers.

Our Presence

Corporate Registry

Grant Authority, LLC

(A Delaware Social Benefit Company)

Registered Agent: Atlanta, GA (Official Correspondence)

Operations & Engineering Hub

Coming 2026

Salt Lake City, Utah

We are establishing our primary engineering and multilingual support center in Salt Lake City to leverage the region's diverse linguistic talent, supporting our mission to provide access across language barriers.

Disclaimer

Grant Authority is a private technology provider. We identify eligibility and assist with the application process for government and nonprofit assistance programs. We do not issue grants, checks, or direct funding. All final funding decisions are made by the respective government agencies or nonprofit organizations. We are not a federal, state, or local government agency.