Meet the Team
We're a group of students, designers, and civic advocates who believe local democracy deserves better tools.
Our Story
NextStep was born out of a simple frustration: civic life in Boca Raton was happening everywhere — town halls, volunteer days, school board meetings, park cleanups — but there was no single place to find it, follow it, or feel like you were part of it.
We're a team of students and local advocates who saw that gap and decided to build the platform we wished existed. What started as a side project turned into a full civic engagement suite — event maps, a badge system, an AI guide, and a community blog — all focused on making participation feel rewarding, not intimidating.
Our goal isn't to replace traditional civic institutions. It's to make them more accessible, especially for young residents and newcomers who don't yet know where to start. Every feature we build asks one question: does this make it easier for a person to show up?
What We Stand For
These are the principles that guide every decision we make — from design choices to which events we highlight.
Civic Accessibility
Participation shouldn't require insider knowledge. We lower the barrier for everyone.
Community First
Every feature exists to serve residents, not metrics. We build for people, not platforms.
Long-Term Thinking
Real change takes time. We celebrate small wins and build habits that last.
Transparency
We're honest about what we know, what we don't, and how Compass works.
Student Energy
We're young, we move fast, and we're not afraid to try things that haven't been done before.
Local Focus
Boca Raton first. Deep local knowledge beats shallow global reach every time.
The People
Say hello to the humans behind the platform.
Join the Team
We're always looking for passionate people — designers, developers, writers, community organizers. If you care about Boca Raton and want to help build something meaningful, we'd love to hear from you.
Get In Touch