Solutions That Serve

Justify Solutions Founder and MBA Alumnus Kazim Noori Helps Nonprofits Better Serve Their Communities Through Technology

At Justify Solutions, technology is measured by what it gives back: fewer administrative demands, clearer information and more time to serve people. Kazim Noori, who immigrated to the United States from Afghanistan 12 years ago, built the company around the needs of nonprofit and public-sector organizations, pairing his background in technology with a commitment to making secure systems more practical and affordable. 

To develop the business knowledge needed to expand the company’s reach, Noori pursued an MBA at the University of Louisville. In the following interview, he discusses the challenges of building a service-centered technology company, the classroom experiences that shaped his approach and the purpose that continues to guide his work.

College of Business: Tell us about your professional background and the path that brought you to the University of Louisville College of Business. 

Kazim Noori: My professional background is in technology, software development and nonprofit services. I founded Justify Solutions in 2018 and named the company after Justify, the Kentucky Derby winner that year. Through the company, I began helping nonprofit organizations use technology to improve their operations, manage programs more effectively and better serve their communities. 

Before enrolling in the MBA program, Justify Solutions was doing well, but I felt that I lacked some of the formal business knowledge needed to grow the company in a competitive environment. I was passionate about helping people, organizations and the broader community, and I repeatedly heard the same challenge from nonprofit leaders: limited funding and resources. I chose the University of Louisville MBA with a focus on innovation because I wanted to learn how to grow my business while developing innovative solutions that could help mission-driven organizations achieve more with fewer resources. 

College of Business: How did your work in the public and nonprofit sectors shape your understanding of the challenges mission-driven organizations face? 

Kazim Noori: My work with public agencies and nonprofit organizations showed me that their biggest challenge is rarely a lack of commitment or good ideas. It is often a lack of resources, combined with growing administrative, reporting and compliance requirements. Staff members are deeply committed to the people they serve, but they frequently have to work with limited funding, disconnected systems and processes that were not designed around their day-to-day realities.

In a world where technology is advancing rapidly and most technology companies are understandably focused on profitability, the nonprofit sector remains significantly underserved. Supporting this sector requires more than simply selling a product. It requires a heart for service and a genuine understanding of the people whose primary goal is serving others, not generating a profit.

This experience taught me that mission-driven organizations do not simply need more technology; they need practical and affordable solutions that reduce administrative work and allow staff to spend more time helping people. It also taught me the importance of listening to frontline staff and designing solutions around their actual needs rather than expecting them to adapt to a one-size-fits-all system. 

College of Business: What inspired you to launch Justify Solutions?

Kazim Noori: When I came to the United States about 12 years ago, I had no family or close friends here, and I had no idea what the future would hold. Like many immigrants arriving in a new country, I was nervous, uncertain and trying to imagine how I would build a life from the beginning.

The first people I met at the airport were two volunteers from a local nonprofit organization. They were waiting to pick me up in their personal car and take me to a home the organization had found and rented for me. When I arrived, a warm meal prepared by another volunteer was already waiting. These were people who did not know me, yet they gave me their time, kindness and a sense that I was not alone.  

That welcome has stayed with me ever since. It was my first impression of the United States, and it touched me more deeply than I can fully express. Over the years, I explored different career paths, but I kept returning to the experience that had shaped me most – the power of serving someone when they need it most.

Justify Solutions was born from combining that experience with my background in technology. I wanted to use my skills to support the organizations and people who dedicate their lives to helping others. Today, I am deeply proud that my team and I have helped serve thousands of people across different communities, directly and indirectly, through partnerships with many remarkable organizations. In many ways, Justify Solutions is my way of passing forward the kindness that was shown to me when I first arrived.

College of Business: What were the greatest challenges you faced as you began building your company?

Kazim Noori: The greatest challenges were earning the trust of clients and competing with much larger technology companies. Trust is especially important in the nonprofit sector because these organizations serve real people and often manage highly sensitive personal information. With that responsibility comes significant privacy, security and compliance requirements.

The problem is that many technology solutions designed to meet those requirements are extremely expensive, placing them beyond the reach of smaller, mission-driven organizations. Nonprofits should not have to spend most of their already-limited funding on technology just to protect their clients’ information and operate effectively.

That became one of the main challenges I wanted Justify Solutions to solve: finding innovative ways to provide secure, compliant and effective technology at a cost these organizations can realistically afford. Building confidence in a smaller company while demonstrating that we could meet those complex needs took time, but it also helped define our purpose and the value we bring to the sector.

College of Business: What motivated you to pursue an MBA after founding Justify Solutions?

Kazim Noori: Once I understood the challenge I wanted Justify Solutions to solve, I also recognized that I needed to better equip myself to solve it. I had the technology background, firsthand experience working with nonprofits and a clear sense of purpose, but I felt that I lacked some of the formal business knowledge needed to grow the company and compete effectively.

I began exploring different educational programs and ultimately found that the University of Louisville MBA, particularly its focus on innovation, was the right path for me. I wanted to learn how to turn a meaningful idea into a sustainable and scalable business while continuing to serve organizations with limited resources.

The program did not disappoint. I gained practical knowledge that changed how I approached strategy, innovation, leadership and business growth. In the years following my graduation, Justify Solutions grew severalfold, and much of what I learned through the MBA helped me navigate that growth with greater confidence and purpose.

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College of Business: Why did you choose the MBA program at UofL?

Kazim Noori: I researched several programs, reviewed their structures and curricula and attended a UofL MBA information session. Through that process, I felt that UofL offered one of the strongest and most relevant MBA curricula in the country, particularly for what I wanted to accomplish as an entrepreneur.

The program’s evening schedule was also essential. It allowed me to continue focusing on Justify Solutions during the day while attending classes in the evening. The curriculum, focus on innovation and class schedule all aligned with exactly what I needed. It felt like the perfect fit for both my professional goals and where I was in my journey at the time.

College of Business: What was your experience in the MBA program like as someone already leading a business?

Kazim Noori: What I appreciated most was how current and practical the program was. I was often learning something in class in the evening that I could apply to Justify Solutions the very next day. Because I was already leading a business, I could immediately connect classroom concepts to real decisions, challenges and opportunities within my company.

The program went far beyond learning material for an exam. In team projects, we would take a hypothetical business from brainstorming and early ideation all the way through product development, launch and the first sale. We even went to public places such as malls and stores with surveys, spoke directly with potential customers about the products we had developed and asked whether they would be willing to buy them. We then brought that feedback into the classroom and analyzed it together.

That experience taught me an important lesson that continues to influence how I lead my company: there can be a significant difference between what we believe will work and what customers actually need or are willing to support. The program gave me the opportunity to test ideas in the real world, learn from the results and bring that practical mindset back to my business.

College of Business: How did operating an active business influence the way you approached classroom discussions, assignments and team projects?

Kazim Noori: Operating an active business caused me to approach the classroom with a real-world perspective. I was not only thinking about whether an idea made sense academically; I was also asking whether it could work with an actual customer, a limited budget, a small team and the everyday pressures of running a company.

In discussions and team projects, I could contribute experiences from decisions I was already making at Justify Solutions, particularly around understanding customer needs, developing practical solutions and turning ideas into sustainable services. At the same time, assignments gave me a structured way to step back and examine my own business decisions more critically.

Having an active business made every lesson feel immediately relevant. The classroom became a place where I could evaluate ideas, challenge some of my assumptions and then return to work with a clearer and more disciplined approach.

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College of Business: Which course, project, faculty member or classroom experience had the greatest impact on the way you approached your company or your role as its founder?

Kazim Noori: The course that had the greatest impact on me was Venture Launch, taught by Dr. Daniel Holt, who was one of the greatest professors I have ever had. The course was exceptionally practical. It walked us through the process of building a business from the ground up – from identifying a meaningful problem and choosing the right name to selecting tools, building a team, testing the market and launching the venture.  

One of the most important lessons Dr. Holt taught us was to begin not with an idea, but with the people we are passionate about serving and the problems they actually experience. We had to get outside the classroom, speak directly with potential customers, test our assumptions and determine whether what we wanted to build would truly create value. That approach continues to influence how I lead Justify Solutions today. We do not begin by asking what technology we want to sell; we begin by listening to the organizations we serve and understanding the problems they need us to solve.

Unfortunately, Dr. Holt passed away on June 14, 2022, during our MBA program, and his loss was deeply felt. I feel fortunate to have been one of his students. His teaching changed the way I think about entrepreneurship, innovation and service, and the lessons I learned from him continue to guide me as a founder. Remembering and applying those lessons is one of the ways I hope to honor the lasting impact he had on me.

College of Business: How do you develop effective technology solutions while remaining grounded in the missions of the organizations you serve?

Kazim Noori: At Justify Solutions, we begin by listening. Before recommending or building anything, we take time to understand the organization’s mission, the people it serves and the day-to-day experiences of the staff doing the work. We ask what is preventing them from serving people more effectively, rather than beginning with a particular technology or product we want to sell.

We also involve frontline staff throughout the process because they often understand the challenges better than anyone. Their feedback helps us design solutions that fit the organization’s actual workflows instead of forcing the organization to change its work to fit the technology.

Most importantly, we remember that technology is only a tool. A solution is effective only if it reduces administrative burden, protects the people’s information, remains affordable and gives staff more time and resources to focus on their mission. That service-centered approach keeps our work grounded in the real purpose of the organizations we support.

College of Business: Which of your accomplishments through Justify Solutions has been most meaningful to you?

Kazim Noori: The accomplishment that means the most to me is knowing that, through our partnerships with hundreds of nonprofit and public-sector organizations, our work has helped serve thousands of people across many communities. We may not always meet the individuals whose lives are affected by the systems we build, but knowing that our technology helps organizations serve them more effectively gives our work a much deeper purpose.

A second accomplishment I am especially proud of is launching OrgStation, our case management and data platform designed specifically for nonprofits and other mission-driven organizations. OrgStation helps organizations manage client intake, services, assessments, outcomes, reportingand other critical program activities in one secure and affordable system.

Creating OrgStation allowed us to directly address one of the challenges that inspired me to build Justify Solutions: giving smaller organizations access to capable and secure technology without requiring them to spend a large portion of their limited resources on software. Seeing organizations use something we created to strengthen their programs and better serve their communities has been incredibly meaningful.

College of Business: What advice would you give those considering pursuing an MBA at UofL?

Kazim Noori: My advice would be to enter the program with a clear sense of what you want to learn, but also remain open to discovering opportunities and perspectives you may not have considered. The value of the UofL MBA extends far beyond earning a degree. It comes from actively participating in discussions, learning from faculty and classmates and applying what you learn to real challenges.

If you are already working or running a business, do not wait until graduation to use the knowledge. Look for ways to apply each lesson immediately. Ask questions, test your assumptions and take full advantage of the practical projects and access to experienced faculty.

The program requires a meaningful investment of time and effort, but if you engage fully and treat the classroom as a place to solve real problems, not simply to earn grades, it can change how you think, lead and approach your career. It certainly did that for me.

College of Business: What is next for you and Justify Solutions?

Kazim Noori: The next chapter for Justify Solutions is focused on expanding OrgStation so that more nonprofits and communities can benefit from affordable, effective and secure technology. We also want to ensure that OrgStation continues to evolve by partnering with other technology providers and building on enterprise-level platforms that can keep pace with rapid changes in the technology sector.

One challenge nonprofits often face is investing in a system only to discover a few years later that its underlying technology has become outdated, forcing them to start over. We designed OrgStation to evolve over time so organizations can continue benefiting from new capabilities without repeatedly replacing their entire system. That approach has already allowed us to incorporate artificial intelligence and launch Npedia.ai. Npedia gives nonprofits a secure place to organize their important documents and knowledge sources, transforming their internal and collective knowledge into an AI-powered resource that helps their teams find information, learn and grow.

Going forward, our goal is not simply to introduce more technology. It is to help mission-driven organizations stay current and take advantage of emerging tools in practical, responsible and affordable ways.

College of Business: Are there any other thoughts or insights you would like to share with readers?

Kazim Noori: One lesson I would share is that business success and service to others do not have to be separate goals. A company can grow, innovate and remain competitive while also being guided by a genuine desire to improve people’s lives.

When I arrived in the United States, a few people who did not know me chose to give their time and kindness to help me begin a new life. They probably did not realize how deeply that moment would shape my future. Years later, that same spirit of service continues to guide the work we do at Justify Solutions.

I hope readers remember that even a seemingly small act of service can create an impact far beyond what we can immediately see. The support we offer someone today may inspire them to build something that serves thousands of others tomorrow.

About the UofL College of Business:

Founded in 1953, the UofL College of Business fosters intellectual and economic vitality in our city, region and the global business landscape. Our academic programs, research, community outreach initiatives and commitment to student success inspire lives and businesses to flourish through entrepreneurship, innovation, critical thinking, diversity and the power of people.  

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