Team & Structure¶

Development team¶

Name	Focus	GitHub
Kevin Crump	Architecture, Infrastructure, Software Engineering, Full-Stack, Databases, APIs, IoT, AR, AI / Claude	@kevinwcrump
Corey Zinn	Marketing, Creative, Multimedia, UX	TBD

Kevin Crump — Lead architect and engineer. Drives system design, infrastructure, and core platform development across all BNI projects (architecture & infrastructure, full-stack engineering, IoT & AR, AI / Claude integration).

Corey Zinn — Creative director and UX lead. Shapes the user experience, brand, and communication across BNI projects (UX & product design, creative & multimedia, marketing).

Contributors are welcome on all projects. See the individual project pages for how to get started, or the Developer Onboarding guide.

The dual-entity model¶

BNI operates two entities. The Foundation owns and publishes the open ecosystem (software, hardware frameworks, APIs, docs). The LLC executes commercial products and services built on that ecosystem, and sponsors the Foundation's continued development.

flowchart TD
    BNIF["Big Nerd Idea Foundation\nbignerdidea.org\n──────────────────────────────\nNon-profit 501(c)(3) forming\nOpen-source software · Hardware frameworks\nArchitecture guidelines · Developer APIs · Docs"]
    BNILLC["Big Nerd Idea, LLC\nbignerdidea.com\n──────────────────────────────\nFor-profit LLC\nServices · Apps · Smart Devices\nHardware partnerships"]

    BNILLC -- "Sponsorship donation\n(voluntary, ~15–20% of revenue)" --> BNIF
    BNIF -- "Open ecosystem\n(software · hardware specs · APIs)" --> BNILLC

This is the Mozilla Foundation / Mozilla Corporation model applied at startup scale — extended to cover hardware and IoT alongside software.

Why two entities?¶

Question	Answer
Why not just one nonprofit?	The nonprofit cannot distribute profits to founders. Commercial revenue from services and devices must flow through the LLC.
Why not just one for-profit?	A for-profit cannot receive tax-deductible grants or donations, and cannot credibly hold open-source IP as a public good.
Why not make the LLC a subsidiary of the Foundation?	That's the full Mozilla model. It's stronger integration but more complex to govern. Two independent entities with a sponsorship agreement is simpler to form and operate at early stage.

Full legal structure, board requirements, and the phase-by-phase formation plan live in Entities & Formation.

Organizational charts¶

Big Nerd Idea Foundation — bignerdidea.org¶

501(c)(3) non-profit. The IRS requires a minimum of three board members; board members are unpaid directors, while staff roles may be paid or volunteer.

flowchart TD
    subgraph BOARD["Board of Directors (minimum 3 required)"]
        direction LR
        KC["Kevin Crump\nPresident / Executive Director"]
        CZ["Corey Zinn\nSecretary / Technical Director"]
        B3["[ Open ]\nTreasurer / At-Large"]
    end

    subgraph STAFF["Staff & Operations"]
        ED["Kevin Crump\nExecutive Director"]
        GD["[ Open ]\nGrants & Development Lead"]
        PC["[ Open ]\nProgram Coordinator"]
        TL["Corey Zinn\nTechnical Director"]
        ENG1["[ Open ]\nSoftware / Hardware Engineer"]
    end

    KC -->|"oversees"| ED
    ED --> GD
    ED --> PC
    ED --> TL
    TL --> ENG1

Big Nerd Idea, LLC — bignerdidea.com¶

For-profit LLC. No statutory minimum employee requirement. The structure below reflects minimum viable operations across three practice areas: Engineering, Business Development, and Operations.

flowchart TD
    CEO["Kevin Crump\nOwner / CEO"]

    subgraph ENG["Engineering"]
        CTO["[ Open ]\nCTO / Lead Engineer"]
        SWE["[ Open ]\nSoftware Engineer"]
        HWE["[ Open ]\nHardware / IoT Engineer"]
    end

    subgraph BIZ["Business Development"]
        BD["[ Open ]\nBusiness Development Lead"]
        PM["[ Open ]\nPartnership Manager\n(Hardware & Device Mfr.)"]
    end

    subgraph OPS["Operations"]
        OPM["[ Open ]\nOperations Manager"]
        SUP["[ Open ]\nClient Support Lead"]
    end

    CEO --> CTO
    CEO --> BD
    CEO --> OPM
    CTO --> SWE
    CTO --> HWE
    BD --> PM
    OPM --> SUP

Board (forming)¶

BNI Foundation's 501(c)(3) formation requires a minimum of three board members, who serve as unpaid directors with fiduciary responsibility.

Name	Role	Status
Kevin Crump	President / Executive Director	Confirmed
Corey Zinn	Secretary / Technical Director	Confirmed
[Third member]	Treasurer or At-Large	Seeking

Seeking a third board member

The ideal third member brings domain expertise outside software — nonprofit governance, social services, healthcare, or legal. This person serves as the independent voice the IRS requires and strengthens grant applications. Get in touch if interested.

Detailed board-composition rules (independence requirements, family members on the board or as paid employees, board roles) are documented in Entities & Formation. Decision-making thresholds are in Governance.