Helplines Reimagined, with Dee Luo and Nick Hurlburt of Tech Matter's Aselo

Tech Matters – "Helplines Reimagined" with Dee Luo & Nick Hurlburt (Aselo)
Date: March 20, 2025
Host: Jim Fruchterman
Guests: Dee Luo (Product Lead, Aselo), Nick Hurlburt (Executive Director, Aselo)

Episode Overview

This special "Podcasthon" edition of Tech Matters spotlights Aselo, a Tech Matters social enterprise transforming helplines through purpose-built technology. Host Jim Fruchterman is joined by Dee Luo, Product Lead, and Nick Hurlburt, Executive Director, for a deep dive into Aselo’s origin, product, global impact, the journey from big tech to nonprofit, the unique tech-for-good challenges, and lessons learned on trust, data, and ethical innovation.

Aselo: Purpose, Users, and Unique Approach

What is Aselo?

Aselo is an open source, cloud-based contact center platform tailored to helplines—child helplines, crisis lines, hotlines—filling a gap left by traditional call center software designed for sales/support scenarios.
Unlike airlines or corporations, helplines require a system optimized for counseling, referrals, and sensitive case management.
Developed in close partnership with Child Helpline International, it aims to serve helpline organizations globally whose core needs are "80 to 90% the same" (Nick, 04:46).

User Experience & Impact
— [05:09 – 07:48]

Users: Counselors (social workers, psychologists), helpline managers/supervisors.
Accessed via web browser; no download required.
Unified interface for all communications (calls, SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram, more).
Designed for non-technical users: "Every feature that we build into Aselo [is] a direct request or ... in response to feedback that we've heard from our users." (Dee, 05:44)
Supports real-time casework and admin without multiple apps/tabs.
Meets young people where they are—on modern channels rather than just telephone.

Founders' Tech-for-Good Journeys

Nick Hurlburt’s Path [08:24 – 11:22]

Computer science background. First job: Amazon (worked on original recommendation engine).
Felt the need "to actually leave the tech industry to be able to do things like this."
Shifted to frontline international relief/NGO work, handling tech and data for human rights causes.
Returned to tech via machine learning, then landed at Tech Matters via mutual connection with Jim.

Dee Luo’s Path [11:22 – 13:54]

Engineering graduate, started at Yext (SaaS, product management/operations).
Dreamed of nonprofit/impact work, but perceived a skillset mismatch: "I had this idea that to work in nonprofit, I had to have experience with grant writing and maybe policy, and that was not really where a lot of my training had come." (Dee, 12:27)
Volunteered with Crisis Text Line: "I remember being really floored by this kind of intersection between tech and nonprofit. That was my first, I think, click to be like, ah, this exists out there somewhere in the world." (Dee, 12:54)
Sought out Tech for Good job boards (Idealist, Fast Forward), joined Aselo as first product manager.

Building Aselo: Co-Creation and Scaling

Origin Story & User-Led Design [14:32 – 20:26]

2018: Tech Matters pitched the idea at an international child helpline conference.
Brought together 25 child helplines across socioeconomic backgrounds to "co-design and co-develop" Aselo.
Early testers: 10 helplines; continuous feedback cycles.
First live partners: Childline Zambia & Childline South Africa (early 2021).
Global spread: Rapid adoption in Africa, South America, then worldwide.
Scalable SaaS-style support and onboarding processes built in.

Impactful Partnerships

Kids Help Phone (Canada): Drove advanced, innovative feature development via tight co-creation.

Product Philosophy: Open Source, Shared Benefit & Data Empowerment

Open Source Commitment [21:08 – 24:32]

"Aselo is open source. ... Part of that is just the transparency and being open about what we're doing. ... Any new developments, everyone gets the benefit of those." (Nick, 21:19)
Features funded by one helpline benefit all. Aselo is a community project with a global code base.

Data: Structure, Ownership, & Advocacy

— [21:58 – 26:03]

Aselo enables secure, structured data capture, making regulatory compliance and multi-purpose reporting feasible.
"We, of course, include that the helplines own their data, so they get to choose what they want to do with it." (Nick, 23:50)
Data goes beyond program improvement: advocacy, government, academic partnerships.
Example—SafeSpot (Jamaica): Used Aselo's data for government/academic reporting, press conferences, and as credible sources for youth issues. (Dee, 24:59)

Responsible Innovation: AI Adoption

Practical AI, Not Hype [26:03 – 31:53]

Aselo experiments with AI to:
- Automate data categorization (e.g., classifying type of crisis).
- Draft call summaries to save counselors’ time.
Rigorous, consent-based data use: "Before we did any of this ... we said, 'Here's what we're going to do. ... We want to make sure that you're okay with that.'" (Nick, 27:38)
Data is anonymized before training; privacy and bias mitigation are prioritized.
User research driven: "We tried much more to understand what are these counselors, workflows, where are they maybe getting stuck ... not starting the other way around." (Dee, 29:09)
Early signs: Counselors trust (and even welcome) AI features when they're clear and relevant.

Sector Lessons: Cloud Tech, Trust & Sustainability

Modern SaaS for Nonprofits

— [31:53 – 33:47]

Nonprofits often mistakenly commission custom software; instead should follow the restaurant model—"They're finding one of the several companies out there that provide that as a service for thousands of [users], and they're paying them a certain amount per month ... way more economical." (Nick, 32:26)
The scalability and efficiency of SaaS (software as a service) platforms are underutilized in social impact.

Building Trust & Global Operations

— [33:47 – 35:35]

"People don't trust the software they're using, and when they don't ... there's almost like a hostility." (Dee, 34:05)
Trust built through transparent, user-first relationships and continuous empathy for helplines’ missions.
Challenge: Supporting a global, remote team across many time zones with a lean staff.

Unique Nonprofit Challenges

— [35:35 – 39:38]

Nick: Many organizational structures mirror the for-profit tech world (sprints, product/engineering teams), but funding and collaboration differ.
"Peers in the field are more collaborators than competitors ... it's much more collaborative ... to solve a common problem. And I would much rather work in that sort of environment than in a really tight competitive situation." (Nick, 36:12)
Funding often restricted, especially for technical infrastructure—donors prefer "shiny new features."
Revenue sustainability: Aselo is now over 50% customer-funded, yet nonprofit capital-raising models lag behind the for-profit sector.

Notable Quotes & Moments

On building with/for users:
"Every feature that we build into Aselo [is] a direct request or ... in response to feedback that we've heard from our users." (Dee, 05:44)
On moving tech for good forward:
"I remember being really floored by this kind of intersection between tech and nonprofit. That was my first, I think, click to be like, ah, this exists out there somewhere in the world." (Dee, 12:54)
On open source impact:
"Any new developments, everyone gets the benefit of those ... it ends up being sort of a community project." (Nick, 21:35)
On data & advocacy:
"They have been using Aselo ... for advocacy purposes and have gotten a real spotlight ... being able to be a reputable source for the issues that the kids and their communities are facing." (Dee, 25:35)
On AI trust:
"We tried much more to understand what are these counselors, workflows, where are they maybe getting stuck ... not starting the other way around." (Dee, 29:09)
On software trust:
"When they don't trust the software, there's almost like a hostility, there's a resistance to being able to ... build something together." (Dee, 34:07)
On nonprofit sector collaboration:
"Peers in the field are more collaborators than competitors." (Nick, 36:15)
On nonprofit funding barriers:
"If a for profit had reached that point where it was generating cash flow and product market fit, they would go out and raise a boatload more capital ... in this moment ... we have donors going, well, we funded you already. We're funding somebody else." (Jim, 38:14)

Timestamps for Key Segments

00:02 – 03:13: Aselo’s origin story, unmet needs in helpline tech
03:30 – 07:48: What Aselo is, who uses it, user experience overview
08:24 – 13:54: Nick and Dee’s career journeys into Tech-for-Good
14:32 – 20:26: Building Aselo collaboratively, scaling globally
21:08 – 24:32: Open source strategy, community benefit
21:58 – 26:03: Data empowerment, advocacy example (Jamaica)
26:03 – 31:53: How Aselo approaches AI & ethical considerations
31:53 – 33:47: SaaS in nonprofits, sector’s need for scalable products
33:47 – 35:35: Building trust, global support challenges
35:35 – 39:38: Collaboration, funding challenges, nonprofit innovation

Conclusion

This episode provides an in-depth, candid look at applying modern technology to major global challenges, centering user-driven development, trust, and ethical innovation in the nonprofit tech sector. Dee and Nick’s journeys highlight the potential and obstacles of moving from big tech to impact-driven work, and their story with Aselo exemplifies how open source, collaborative, and SaaS-based approaches can modernize services for the world’s most vulnerable populations.

For more info on Aselo: aselo.org
For Tech Matters: techmatters.org

Episode Overview

Aselo: Purpose, Users, and Unique Approach

What is Aselo?

Aselo is an open source, cloud-based contact center platform tailored to helplines—child helplines, crisis lines, hotlines—filling a gap left by traditional call center software designed for sales/support scenarios.
Unlike airlines or corporations, helplines require a system optimized for counseling, referrals, and sensitive case management.
Developed in close partnership with Child Helpline International, it aims to serve helpline organizations globally whose core needs are "80 to 90% the same" (Nick, 04:46).

User Experience & Impact
— [05:09 – 07:48]

Users: Counselors (social workers, psychologists), helpline managers/supervisors.
Accessed via web browser; no download required.
Unified interface for all communications (calls, SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram, more).
Designed for non-technical users: "Every feature that we build into Aselo [is] a direct request or ... in response to feedback that we've heard from our users." (Dee, 05:44)
Supports real-time casework and admin without multiple apps/tabs.
Meets young people where they are—on modern channels rather than just telephone.

Founders' Tech-for-Good Journeys

Nick Hurlburt’s Path [08:24 – 11:22]

Computer science background. First job: Amazon (worked on original recommendation engine).
Felt the need "to actually leave the tech industry to be able to do things like this."
Shifted to frontline international relief/NGO work, handling tech and data for human rights causes.
Returned to tech via machine learning, then landed at Tech Matters via mutual connection with Jim.

Dee Luo’s Path [11:22 – 13:54]

Engineering graduate, started at Yext (SaaS, product management/operations).
Dreamed of nonprofit/impact work, but perceived a skillset mismatch: "I had this idea that to work in nonprofit, I had to have experience with grant writing and maybe policy, and that was not really where a lot of my training had come." (Dee, 12:27)
Volunteered with Crisis Text Line: "I remember being really floored by this kind of intersection between tech and nonprofit. That was my first, I think, click to be like, ah, this exists out there somewhere in the world." (Dee, 12:54)
Sought out Tech for Good job boards (Idealist, Fast Forward), joined Aselo as first product manager.

Building Aselo: Co-Creation and Scaling

Origin Story & User-Led Design [14:32 – 20:26]

2018: Tech Matters pitched the idea at an international child helpline conference.
Brought together 25 child helplines across socioeconomic backgrounds to "co-design and co-develop" Aselo.
Early testers: 10 helplines; continuous feedback cycles.
First live partners: Childline Zambia & Childline South Africa (early 2021).
Global spread: Rapid adoption in Africa, South America, then worldwide.
Scalable SaaS-style support and onboarding processes built in.

Impactful Partnerships

Kids Help Phone (Canada): Drove advanced, innovative feature development via tight co-creation.

Product Philosophy: Open Source, Shared Benefit & Data Empowerment

Open Source Commitment [21:08 – 24:32]

"Aselo is open source. ... Part of that is just the transparency and being open about what we're doing. ... Any new developments, everyone gets the benefit of those." (Nick, 21:19)
Features funded by one helpline benefit all. Aselo is a community project with a global code base.

Data: Structure, Ownership, & Advocacy

— [21:58 – 26:03]

Aselo enables secure, structured data capture, making regulatory compliance and multi-purpose reporting feasible.
"We, of course, include that the helplines own their data, so they get to choose what they want to do with it." (Nick, 23:50)
Data goes beyond program improvement: advocacy, government, academic partnerships.
Example—SafeSpot (Jamaica): Used Aselo's data for government/academic reporting, press conferences, and as credible sources for youth issues. (Dee, 24:59)

Responsible Innovation: AI Adoption

Practical AI, Not Hype [26:03 – 31:53]

Aselo experiments with AI to:
- Automate data categorization (e.g., classifying type of crisis).
- Draft call summaries to save counselors’ time.
Rigorous, consent-based data use: "Before we did any of this ... we said, 'Here's what we're going to do. ... We want to make sure that you're okay with that.'" (Nick, 27:38)
Data is anonymized before training; privacy and bias mitigation are prioritized.
User research driven: "We tried much more to understand what are these counselors, workflows, where are they maybe getting stuck ... not starting the other way around." (Dee, 29:09)
Early signs: Counselors trust (and even welcome) AI features when they're clear and relevant.

Sector Lessons: Cloud Tech, Trust & Sustainability

Modern SaaS for Nonprofits

— [31:53 – 33:47]

Nonprofits often mistakenly commission custom software; instead should follow the restaurant model—"They're finding one of the several companies out there that provide that as a service for thousands of [users], and they're paying them a certain amount per month ... way more economical." (Nick, 32:26)
The scalability and efficiency of SaaS (software as a service) platforms are underutilized in social impact.

Building Trust & Global Operations

— [33:47 – 35:35]

"People don't trust the software they're using, and when they don't ... there's almost like a hostility." (Dee, 34:05)
Trust built through transparent, user-first relationships and continuous empathy for helplines’ missions.
Challenge: Supporting a global, remote team across many time zones with a lean staff.

Unique Nonprofit Challenges

— [35:35 – 39:38]

Nick: Many organizational structures mirror the for-profit tech world (sprints, product/engineering teams), but funding and collaboration differ.
"Peers in the field are more collaborators than competitors ... it's much more collaborative ... to solve a common problem. And I would much rather work in that sort of environment than in a really tight competitive situation." (Nick, 36:12)
Funding often restricted, especially for technical infrastructure—donors prefer "shiny new features."
Revenue sustainability: Aselo is now over 50% customer-funded, yet nonprofit capital-raising models lag behind the for-profit sector.

Notable Quotes & Moments

On building with/for users:
"Every feature that we build into Aselo [is] a direct request or ... in response to feedback that we've heard from our users." (Dee, 05:44)
On moving tech for good forward:
"I remember being really floored by this kind of intersection between tech and nonprofit. That was my first, I think, click to be like, ah, this exists out there somewhere in the world." (Dee, 12:54)
On open source impact:
"Any new developments, everyone gets the benefit of those ... it ends up being sort of a community project." (Nick, 21:35)
On data & advocacy:
"They have been using Aselo ... for advocacy purposes and have gotten a real spotlight ... being able to be a reputable source for the issues that the kids and their communities are facing." (Dee, 25:35)
On AI trust:
"We tried much more to understand what are these counselors, workflows, where are they maybe getting stuck ... not starting the other way around." (Dee, 29:09)
On software trust:
"When they don't trust the software, there's almost like a hostility, there's a resistance to being able to ... build something together." (Dee, 34:07)
On nonprofit sector collaboration:
"Peers in the field are more collaborators than competitors." (Nick, 36:15)
On nonprofit funding barriers:
"If a for profit had reached that point where it was generating cash flow and product market fit, they would go out and raise a boatload more capital ... in this moment ... we have donors going, well, we funded you already. We're funding somebody else." (Jim, 38:14)

Timestamps for Key Segments

00:02 – 03:13: Aselo’s origin story, unmet needs in helpline tech
03:30 – 07:48: What Aselo is, who uses it, user experience overview
08:24 – 13:54: Nick and Dee’s career journeys into Tech-for-Good
14:32 – 20:26: Building Aselo collaboratively, scaling globally
21:08 – 24:32: Open source strategy, community benefit
21:58 – 26:03: Data empowerment, advocacy example (Jamaica)
26:03 – 31:53: How Aselo approaches AI & ethical considerations
31:53 – 33:47: SaaS in nonprofits, sector’s need for scalable products
33:47 – 35:35: Building trust, global support challenges
35:35 – 39:38: Collaboration, funding challenges, nonprofit innovation

Conclusion

For more info on Aselo: aselo.org
For Tech Matters: techmatters.org

Get Free Podcast Summaries in Your Inbox

Pick Your Shows

Subscribe Free

Get Instant Summaries

Summary

Episode Overview

Aselo: Purpose, Users, and Unique Approach

Founders' Tech-for-Good Journeys

Building Aselo: Co-Creation and Scaling

Origin Story & User-Led Design [14:32 – 20:26]

Product Philosophy: Open Source, Shared Benefit & Data Empowerment

Open Source Commitment [21:08 – 24:32]

Data: Structure, Ownership, & Advocacy

Responsible Innovation: AI Adoption

Practical AI, Not Hype [26:03 – 31:53]

Sector Lessons: Cloud Tech, Trust & Sustainability

Modern SaaS for Nonprofits

Building Trust & Global Operations

Unique Nonprofit Challenges

Notable Quotes & Moments

Timestamps for Key Segments

Conclusion

Summary

Episode Overview

Aselo: Purpose, Users, and Unique Approach

Founders' Tech-for-Good Journeys

Building Aselo: Co-Creation and Scaling

Origin Story & User-Led Design [14:32 – 20:26]

Product Philosophy: Open Source, Shared Benefit & Data Empowerment

Open Source Commitment [21:08 – 24:32]

Data: Structure, Ownership, & Advocacy

Responsible Innovation: AI Adoption

Practical AI, Not Hype [26:03 – 31:53]

Sector Lessons: Cloud Tech, Trust & Sustainability

Modern SaaS for Nonprofits

Building Trust & Global Operations

Unique Nonprofit Challenges

Notable Quotes & Moments

Timestamps for Key Segments

Conclusion