Meet Sandee Kastrul, founder of i.c.stars, the multi-million dollar nonprofit that’s redefining what impact looks like in 2025.
While nonprofits across the country are facing massive funding cuts, Sandee didn’t wait for a lifeline, she built a business. From bootstrapping during the dot-com bust to securing Fortune 500 partnerships, Sandee created a scalable, revenue-generating model rooted in community and driven by strategy.
In this episode, Sandee breaks down how she turned mentorship into a retention tool, created a talent pipeline backed by 100+ CIOs, and positioned i.c.stars as a high-value solution in a market that often treats nonprofits like afterthoughts.
💡 Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode:
- How to Build a Flywheel That Funds Itself: Why Sandee created daily tea sessions with CIOs that led to millions in long-term support.
- How to Sell to Fortune 500s (Even With an 18-Month Sales Cycle): Her exact approach to landing 6-figure sponsorships from enterprise brands.
- How to Monetize Your Mission: How 20-person intern cohorts generated real revenue by building tech for major brands.
- How to Make Mentorship a Retention Strategy: Why companies now fight to get their employees involved—and how it helps their bottom line.
- How to Pitch With Power (Not Pity): The messaging shift that turned i.c.stars into a business partner instead of a charity case.
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OTHER EPISODES TO CHECK OUT:
- From DEI to Dollars: How to Position Your Brand for Impact & ROI with Crystal Foote HERE.
- How to Scale & Prioritize Impact with Bianca Tylek HERE
- How Grassroots Grew a $4 Million Community-Driven Business with Sloane Davidson HERE
🚀 Want to Get Sh!t Done in Your Business? Start Here:
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