Jon Youngpenn is a systems thinker, technologist, and creative partner who specializes in building platforms that support people—not just processes. His work sits at the intersection of technology, community, and equity, with a focus on designing tools that help individuals meet their basic needs, pursue long-term goals, and navigate complex service systems with dignity, trust, and care.

Jon is a founder and co-director of the Community Empowerment Fund in Chapel Hill, where he helped grow a community-based organization rooted in relationship-driven support, trauma-informed care, and economic justice. Through this work, he led the development of organizational systems that coordinated services, strengthened learning and accountability, and supported thousands of community members in achieving greater stability and well-being.

He is also the founder of TNDM, a platform of tools designed for movements working to protect and accelerate community well-being. TNDM focuses on helping mission-driven organizations move beyond fragmented and exclusionary systems toward integrated, values-aligned platforms that improve coordination, access, and long-term impact.

Across his work, Jon partners closely with teams to translate values into functional systems—supporting digital transformation, platform design, systems integration, and data-informed decision-making. His approach centers on usability, transparency, and real-world workflows, ensuring that technology strengthens relationships rather than creating additional barriers.

Jon holds a BA in Photojournalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a foundation that continues to inform his commitment to storytelling, human-centered design, and reflective practice.

Jon supports national work around the design and evolution of platforms and technology strategies that advance person-centered care, coaching, and leadership—bringing a collaborative, thoughtful approach grounded in the belief that well-designed systems can be powerful tools for equity and collective progress.