Photo by Noah Washington/The Atlanta Voice
Former educator turned tech entrepreneur Kayla Life, 33, is leveraging artificial intelligence to transform how nonprofits secure funding and scale their operations, while simultaneously creating platforms for underrepresented founders to pitch their visions.
Life, CEO of RebrandLand AI, launched her company in 2020 after spending more than 15 years in education, including six years teaching technology at Excel Charter School in Brooklyn’s Canarsie neighborhood. Her transition from the classroom to the boardroom was catalyzed by the pandemic and her recognition of persistent technology gaps in underserved communities.
“We build and brand for social good,” Life said during a recent interview with The Atlanta Voice, “We want people to be able to use technology in a way that’s easy and intuitive for them, starting with our change makers.”
RebrandLand AI has worked with more than 450 nonprofits and changemakers, helping organizations scale up funding through its proprietary process. The company operates two AI models: HeyKrystal.ai, a grant strategist that helps organizations find and secure funding, and KNMI.AI (pronounced “Nomi”), an event networking assistant.
The company’s success stories include Purelegacee in New York and New G Salon in Maryland, for which RebrandLand AI secured $600,000 in grant and RFP funding.
Life’s frustration with existing software solutions for nonprofits drove her company’s pivot from using third-party platforms to developing proprietary AI tools. “Nonprofits always get the bottom barrel of technology,” Life said. “We don’t get things that are designed for us or made for us or by us.”
A 2015 graduate of Spelman College with a degree in education studies, Life returned to Atlanta, which she considers home, to expand her company’s reach. Life is championing representation in innovation spaces through events like Pitch & Support Day: Rebrand Unfiltered, held on Wednesday, June 1, during Atlanta Tech Week at The Commerce Club. The event provides a platform for founders who need support beyond traditional funding opportunities.
“We want to bring this essence of community back into technology,” Life said, explaining her motivation for hosting the event.
Her educational background shaped her entrepreneurial approach. At Excel Charter School, she discovered students lacked basic digital literacy, including email knowledge. She transitioned from school counselor to technology teacher, creating a curriculum that helped students earn coding certifications and start businesses.
Life’s philosophy remains consistent from classroom to boardroom: “If you can read and you can click a button, you should be able to use the software.”
