Stop letting a spreadsheet run your operations
Replace the spreadsheet that three people maintain and nobody trusts with a system your whole team can rely on.
Software and data systems for Pittsburgh's civic organizations.
Clients
I build technical systems custom-fit to local Pittsburgh nonprofits, at $100/hr.
Technical systems nobody understands. An ocean of disconnected spreadsheets. Data you need but don't have in the way you need it.
The outside vendors you've hired to solve these problems haven't. They build systems only they know how to operate, and you can't switch from them without heavy cost. Your technical budget gets bigger and expectations get lower.
You deserve better.
Your technical partner should be based in the community you serve, facing the same problems you face, and with a stake in the outcomes. So your systems actually serve your mission — and your team can focus on the work that matters.
What I can do for you
Get a custom tool that fits how your team works
Built around your actual workflow. No engineering hires needed to keep it running.
Get off the software you've outgrown
Aging tools cost more every year and deliver less. I'll help you migrate to something cheaper to keep running.
Selected work
Two projects you can try out yourself, plus a snapshot of the rest of my work.
Pittsburgh, PA · Interactive tool
Pittsburgh Budget Explorer
The city publishes its $700M budget as a 600-page PDF. I turned it into something you can search and chart year over year.
Explore the tool →
SW Pennsylvania · Data extraction
SWPA Investment Map
I scraped 5,000+ municipal financial reports to build this map. It shows where grant funding lands across SW Pennsylvania.
View the map ↗- Performance monitoring
- Custom dashboards
- Pipeline automation
- API integrations
For other clients
Ongoing client work
Most of my work for clients lives behind login walls. Happy to walk through it.
Discuss your project →Who I've worked with
SWPA Municipal Project Hub
Automated collection and analysis of 5,000+ municipal financial reports for regional grant applications.
"Max has been the missing ingredient our small non-profit team needed."Read case study →
Police Data Accessibility Project
Built a complete web platform and API replacing a patchwork of manual data processes.
"Max's spectacular energy and focus were exactly what PDAP needed."Read case study →
Allegheny County Department of Human Services
Performance monitoring and automated reporting for the county's data science team.
"He was thoughtful, helping to build custom solutions to complicated problems."Read case study →
Who I am
I've spent years on the inside of the organizations I now serve — leading engineering at the Police Data Accessibility Project, working alongside Allegheny County's data science team, and volunteering with Code for Pittsburgh before serving as its executive director.
I understand the constraints of mission-driven work because I've worked within them. Fixed budgets, small teams, high stakes, and the constant pressure to do more with less.
I'm a lifelong Western Pennsylvanian, and I build things for the community I live in.
Let's talk
Let's get to know each other. Reach out at [email protected] or use the form below.