About Us
Who We Are
Our Mission
Our Mission
Connected Community Innovations (CCI) is a 501(c)(3) approved nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening access to housing, health, safety, and essential services through human‑centered technology. We work directly with individuals experiencing crisis or instability, along with the community organizations and public agencies that s
Connected Community Innovations (CCI) is a 501(c)(3) approved nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening access to housing, health, safety, and essential services through human‑centered technology. We work directly with individuals experiencing crisis or instability, along with the community organizations and public agencies that support them.
Our purpose is simple:
Technology should make life easier, safer and more connected especially for people who are navigating difficult moments. CCI builds tools that remove confusion, reduce barriers and open pathways to the services people need. We design everything with empathy, cultural respect and genuine partnership with community members who understand these challenges firsthand.
Our Mission
Our Mission
Our Mission
To create clear, accessible, and culturally grounded technology that supports dignity, safety, and stability for people navigating crisis or instability. We work hand‑in‑hand with communities to design trauma‑informed, multilingual tools that simplify access to housing, health, safety, and essential resources ensuring every person, regardless of circumstance or
Our Vision
Our Mission
Our Vision
A future where every person in crisis can find clear information, compassionate support and fair access to housing, health and safety through systems designed with them, not around them.
Our Story
Our Mission
Our Vision
CCI was founded to address a simple but urgent need: People in crisis should not have to navigate confusing systems just to access basic services.
Our founders saw gaps in how communities share information, coordinate support, and respond to emergencies. They envisioned a platform that brings together compassionate design, advanced technol
CCI was founded to address a simple but urgent need: People in crisis should not have to navigate confusing systems just to access basic services.
Our founders saw gaps in how communities share information, coordinate support, and respond to emergencies. They envisioned a platform that brings together compassionate design, advanced technology and lived experience.
Today, CCI’s work is evolving across shelters, public spaces, and community programs, always guided by the belief that human connection and dignity must be at the center of every solution.
What We Believe
What We Believe
What We Believe
Dignity First
At CCI, we believe every person deserves respect, privacy and compassion. This principle guides every decision we make. Whether someone is navigating crisis, seeking support or simply looking for clear information, we design our tools to protect dignity at every step and ensure that each interaction feels safe, human and affi
Dignity First
At CCI, we believe every person deserves respect, privacy and compassion. This principle guides every decision we make. Whether someone is navigating crisis, seeking support or simply looking for clear information, we design our tools to protect dignity at every step and ensure that each interaction feels safe, human and affirming.
Community Insight Leads the Way
Our work is shaped by the people who understand these challenges best, individuals with lived and living experience. Their insight informs how our systems function, the language our tools use and the priorities we set. By listening closely and continuously, we build solutions that reflect real needs rather than assumptions.
Culturally Grounded Design
Communities are diverse and our designs must honor that diversity. We create tools that respect different languages, identities and cultural traditions, ensuring that people see themselves reflected in the support they receive. Accessibility, inclusion and cultural relevance are built into the design from the beginning.
Trauma‑Informed Approach
Many of the people we serve are navigating stressful, overwhelming or destabilizing circumstances. Our responsibility is to simplify, clarify and create calm. We design workflows that reduce emotional strain, avoid unnecessary barriers and help individuals move forward without feeling judged or pressured.
Collaboration Builds Stronger Systems
No single organization can solve complex community challenges alone. We partner with shelters, service providers, public agencies and volunteers to strengthen how support systems work together. Collaboration helps create consistent, reliable pathways to safety and stability and makes it easier for people to find the help they need when they need it.
Our Commitment
What We Believe
What We Believe
CCI is committed to restoring dignity wherever it has been compromised and strengthening the systems people rely on during their most vulnerable moments. Our responsibility is to help individuals move from crisis toward safety, stability, and opportunity with clarity and confidence.
We believe that when communities have the right tools, everyone is safer, better connected, and better supported.
How We Work
What We Believe
How We Work
Human‑Centered Design
Every interface is developed to be intuitive for people of all literacy levels, digital comfort levels, and language backgrounds.
Multilingual, Low‑Barrier Access
We consider individuals who may not have smartphones, stable internet, or government documentation. Our tools work for them, too.
Real‑Time Information and Con
Human‑Centered Design
Every interface is developed to be intuitive for people of all literacy levels, digital comfort levels, and language backgrounds.
Multilingual, Low‑Barrier Access
We consider individuals who may not have smartphones, stable internet, or government documentation. Our tools work for them, too.
Real‑Time Information and Connected Systems
CCI integrates IoT, RFID, cloud platforms, and simple resource navigation tools to make information timely and accurate — whether it relates to shelter availability, food access, safety, or community resources.
Community Collaboration
Social workers, healthcare providers, shelter teams, law enforcement, volunteers, and local agencies all benefit from coordinated access to the right information at the right time.
Continuous Learning
We refine tools through inclusive design workshops, community conversations, and ongoing feedback.
leadership
John Ozkurt
Founder, Board Chair & Executive Director
John leads CCI’s mission with a focus on dignity, innovation and community partnership. He brings decades of experience in technology, strategy and systems integration, along with a deep commitment to service and social impact.
Rizwan Shariff
Board Treasurer & Director of Technology and Innovations
Riz oversees technology strategy, ensuring CCI’s platforms are secure, scalable and built to support community needs. He brings global experience in advanced technology development and innovation leadership.
Kennan M. Yilmaz
Board Secretary & Director of Operations
Kennan supports CCI's organizational governance, operations, and strategic planning. His background spans technology, global business, operations and nonprofit leadership.
Tamara Bauman
Board Advisor – Community Engagement & Wellbeing Strategy
Tamara advises CCI on community engagement, trauma‑informed practices, and wellbeing‑focused program design. She brings extensive experience in housing and homelessness systems navigation, applied social research, and cross‑sector collaboration, helping ensure CCI’s initiatives remain grounded in dignity, accessibility, and lived‑experience insights. Through her work at Wellbeing Revolution, she champions decolonized, heart‑centered approaches to community wellbeing and systems transformation.