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 Generation
Our AI references specific grant requirements, eligibility criteria, and application guidelines to generate drafts — reducing errors and improving relevance.
Security by Design
TLS encryption in transit, encrypted storage at rest, role-based access controls, and per-organization data isolation protect your information.
Human-in-the-Loop
Every 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
Chief Executive Officer
Former U.S. Air Force & Special Operations Officer
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
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
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
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.
Our Presence
Corporate Registry
Grant Authority, LLC
(A Delaware Social Benefit Company)
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.