What happens when a former teacher and nonprofit leader gets tired of tools that were never built for nonprofits? She builds her own, and ends up with more than 15,000 users without spending a dollar on marketing. In this episode, Amanda Spann sits down with Kayla Life, founder of RebrandLand AI and the nonprofit RITE. Kayla shares how growing up in a Navy family shaped her view of technology, why edtech so often fails students and teachers, and how she built Krystal, an AI tool that helps nonprofits learn, find grants and manage funding. She also breaks down her vibe coding workflow, how a simple referral program and the right board seats fueled growth, and why she thinks fear of AI should not keep anyone on the sidelines. If you’re an everyday innovator curious about building with AI, this one is packed with practical lessons on listening to your community, product-market fit and getting started.

About the guest Kayla Life is the founder and CEO of RebrandLand AI, a tech company that builds AI tools for nonprofits and mission-driven organizations, and the founder of RITE, a nonprofit focused on AI literacy and tech equity. A Spelman College graduate and former educator, she runs a hybrid for-profit and nonprofit ecosystem based in Atlanta. She teaches a workshop called Build Your First AI Tool and was named a top creator on Lovable.

About RebrandLand AI RebrandLand AI builds tools designed for nonprofits, including Krystal, an AI platform that teaches nonprofit business basics, discovers grants and funders, and helps manage funding and reporting, plus Resig, an AI email signature generator. On the nonprofit side, RITE runs programs such as Family AI Nights, AI clinics, AI-Ready Educators and KidoTech, a K-4 AI literacy curriculum.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • How a military upbringing and a love of technology shaped Kayla’s path from education to AI
  • Why technology in schools needs training, planning and human support to work
  • How Krystal was built, and why it is named after Kayla’s mom
  • How Kayla reached 15,000+ users with $0 in marketing, using her network, a 20% referral program and board seats
  • Her vibe coding process: write a detailed product requirements document, build in phases, and use AI to check for bugs
  • Why she believes the fear of AI should not stop you from learning it
  • Her take on the “too old” and “too young” myth in tech

Connect with Kayla Life

Free resources from Amanda Spann

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