🏢 Company Profile
Veterans Rebuilding Life (VRL) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in New York City, founded by American combat veterans. The organization delivers direct aid and essential services to individuals affected by war and humanitarian crises. VRL’s programs span emergency medical care, vocational training, PTSD treatment, and reintegration support for veterans and displaced civilians.
🧩 Problem Statement
Veterans Rebuilding Life lacked a secure, modern website to support its mission, engage volunteers, and protect against cyber threats. With no in-house tech capacity, the organization needed external leadership to deliver a scalable, resilient digital platform.
📊 Project Challenges
No secure or modern website to represent VRL’s mission and services.
Limited technical capacity within the organization to manage digital infrastructure.
Vulnerability to cyber threats due to outdated systems and lack of monitoring.
Need for a scalable platform that could support volunteer intake, program visibility, and donor engagement.
💡 Proposed Solutions
Website Development: Designed and launched a secure, responsive website with integrated volunteer intake forms, program showcases, and donation pathways.
Team Leadership: Managed a student development team, guiding them through wireframing, UI/UX design, backend architecture, and deployment.
Cybersecurity Response: Detected and neutralized a real-time cyber attack during development, transforming the incident into a live learning module for the team.
Educational Mentorship: Simplified complex technical concepts for student developers, fostering hands-on learning and professional growth.
🎯 Applied Strategy
Phase 1️⃣
Planning & Architecture
Conducted stakeholder interviews to define user needs and organizational goals.
Created wireframes and technical documentation for student developers.
Phase 2️⃣
Development & Deployment
Oversaw full-stack development using secure coding practices and version control.
Implemented SSL, access controls, and real-time monitoring tools.
Phase 3️⃣
Cybersecurity & Training
Responded to a live cyber attack, diagnosing vulnerabilities and deploying countermeasures.
Used the incident to teach students about threat modeling, incident response, and ethical hacking.
✅ Final Results
🌐 Launched a secure, responsive website that improved VRL’s digital credibility and outreach.
- 🔐 Hardened the organization’s digital infrastructure against future threats.
🎓 Provided hands-on mentorship to student developers, enhancing their cybersecurity and project management skills.
📈 Boosted online engagement through clearer messaging, improved navigation, and mobile accessibility.
🤝 Strengthened VRL’s ability to attract donors, partners, and volunteers through a professional digital presence.