About Us

Emerald City Beacon is a small, scrappy nonprofit built by people who’ve lived the problem we’re solving. Founded by two disabled, formerly unhoused Seattleites, we create practical tools that make it easier for neighbors to find local help without jumping through hoops.

We work in public, listen hard, and keep a grassroots ethos: direct, transparent, and accountable to the people most affected.

Mission

To empower community members seeking local resources by creating user-friendly platforms that overcome barriers of language, ability, and access, while prioritizing the accuracy of the information and security of the user.

What Guides Us

Lived-Experience Leadership

Our board and leadership are primarily people with lived experience of homelessness and frontline service workers. That perspective shapes every design decision.

Accessibility by Default

Multilingual, mobile-first, screen-reader-friendly, low-friction UX. We remove barriers so people can find help quickly and with dignity.

Data Stewardship

Information belongs to the community. We don’t sell or monetize data. We collect the minimum necessary, protect it rigorously, and use it only to connect people with services.

Open & Interoperable

We favor open-source approaches and align to open, human-services data standards so information can move responsibly between systems and stay accurate over time.

Leadership

Board of Directors

• President – Xen Eldridge
• Treasurer – Seth Fitchen
• Secretary – Alycia Robertson

Staff

• Executive Director – Jude Evangeline
• Technical Director – Jaycee Lydian

(ECB is fiscally sponsored by the Raft Foundation, a 501(c)(3), which provides nonprofit oversight and tax-deductible donation capability.)

How We Work

Grounded in the field, guided by experience. Direct input from unhoused community members and social workers shapes our priorities. Local knowledge and open collaboration lead the way.