About us
A team built around one problem.
We build relationship systems for nonprofits whose donors, funders, and partners have outgrown tracking by memory. Everything we build is documented, fitted to how your team already works, and yours to run when we're done.
Our values
What we care about
What we care about
High Value
High Value
Every engagement is measured by what changes for the client, not the hours it took. Time reclaimed, reporting that lands on schedule, a system that outlasts whoever built it.
Every engagement is measured by what changes for the client, not the hours it took. Time reclaimed, reporting that lands on schedule, a system that outlasts whoever built it.
Social Impact
Social Impact
We choose to work with organizations advancing human and animal rights, economic access, and environmental conservation.
We choose to work with organizations advancing human and animal rights, economic access, and environmental conservation.
What We Control
What We Control
We build for what a team can control: the process, the follow-through, the system that holds even when funding, staffing, or circumstance doesn’t cooperate.
We build for what a team can control: the process, the follow-through, the system that holds even when funding, staffing, or circumstance doesn’t cooperate.
Honesty and Transparency
Honesty and Transparency
Clients know where their project stands and what they’re paying for, without asking twice. Trusting us with a project deserves the same in return, so when something’s off, we say so first.
Clients know where their project stands and what they’re paying for, without asking twice. Trusting us with a project deserves the same in return, so when something’s off, we say so first.
Meet the Team
Dylan Bassett
Founder & Principal
Dylan grew up drawn to the outdoors, hiking, camping, days on the lake, summers at the skatepark, and somewhere along the way that translated into a genuine environmentalism and a conviction that his work should mean something beyond the bottom line.
He studied information systems and entrepreneurship at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, then spent time as an agile project manager and systems analyst before moving into corporate consulting where he advised clients on technology strategy and digital transformation. That experience shaped how he thinks about client trust, project rigor, and what he didn’t want to replicate when he built something of his own. He founded Dept.1 to bring that same discipline to organizations that exist to help people. Somewhere in that decision, any tension between who he is and what he does disappeared.
Outside of work, Dylan’s creative energy finds its outlet in skateboarding, snowboarding, golf, martial arts, and in Dept.1 itself – which he treats as an ongoing experiment in making serious operational work accessible to the organizations that need it most.
Henry Zhuo
Associate
Henry grew up with the support of his city's public library system, the kind of infrastructure that doesn't ask for credit and just shows up. He knows what it means for a community resource to actually function, and that shaped a particular interest in helping humanitarian causes expand their reach and deepen the impact of what they already do.
He brings experience delivering technology solutions across nonprofit, public sector, insurance, hospitality, and specialty distribution. That range gives him a practical, cross-sector lens that shows up in how he approaches problems as nonprofits build and evolve the operational models behind their missions. He values simplicity and candor, and clients tend to notice both.
Outside of work, Henry is someone who keeps close to the people and places that matter. Weekends with friends, good music, and time in green spaces. He's reserved by nature and delivers high-quality work with a quiet humility. It's a combination that holds up well under pressure.
Anthony Conner
Associate
Anthony didn't grow up with a lot, and he can look back now and see exactly where nonprofit support could have changed things for him. It's what connects him to organizations that fill those gaps for marginalized communities, and it's what brought him to Dept.1. He spent years as a music educator before finding his way into marketing, operations, and systems work, and that path shows up in how he operates. Teaching gave him the ability to read a room, build something from scratch, and make complicated things accessible to people encountering them for the first time.
He has worked across healthcare, fulfillment, and marketing, with hands-on experience in Salesforce, large-scale project coordination, and the kind of client-facing work where details actually matter. At Dept.1 he has supported the systems and content behind how the firm shows up and grows. Both feel like natural extensions of someone who moves fast, thinks clearly, and doesn't overcomplicate things that don't need to be complicated.
When he's not doing any of that, he's playing jazz in Minnetonka, finding a new restaurant to drag people to, or at home with his partner and their two cats, Elena and Oliver, who run the house.
Dylan Bassett
Founder & Principal
Dylan grew up drawn to the outdoors, hiking, camping, days on the lake, summers at the skatepark, and somewhere along the way that translated into a genuine environmentalism and a conviction that his work should mean something beyond the bottom line.
He studied information systems and entrepreneurship at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, then spent time as an agile project manager and systems analyst before moving into corporate consulting where he advised clients on technology strategy and digital transformation. That experience shaped how he thinks about client trust, project rigor, and what he didn’t want to replicate when he built something of his own. He founded Dept.1 to bring that same discipline to organizations that exist to help people. Somewhere in that decision, any tension between who he is and what he does disappeared.
Outside of work, Dylan’s creative energy finds its outlet in skateboarding, snowboarding, golf, martial arts, and in Dept.1 itself – which he treats as an ongoing experiment in making serious operational work accessible to the organizations that need it most.
Henry Zhuo
Associate
Henry grew up with the support of his city's public library system, the kind of infrastructure that doesn't ask for credit and just shows up. He knows what it means for a community resource to actually function, and that shaped a particular interest in helping humanitarian causes expand their reach and deepen the impact of what they already do.
He brings experience delivering technology solutions across nonprofit, public sector, insurance, hospitality, and specialty distribution. That range gives him a practical, cross-sector lens that shows up in how he approaches problems as nonprofits build and evolve the operational models behind their missions. He values simplicity and candor, and clients tend to notice both.
Outside of work, Henry is someone who keeps close to the people and places that matter. Weekends with friends, good music, and time in green spaces. He's reserved by nature and delivers high-quality work with a quiet humility. It's a combination that holds up well under pressure.
Anthony Conner
Associate
Anthony didn't grow up with a lot, and he can look back now and see exactly where nonprofit support could have changed things for him. It's what connects him to organizations that fill those gaps for marginalized communities, and it's what brought him to Dept.1. He spent years as a music educator before finding his way into marketing, operations, and systems work, and that path shows up in how he operates. Teaching gave him the ability to read a room, build something from scratch, and make complicated things accessible to people encountering them for the first time.
He has worked across healthcare, fulfillment, and marketing, with hands-on experience in Salesforce, large-scale project coordination, and the kind of client-facing work where details actually matter. At Dept.1 he has supported the systems and content behind how the firm shows up and grows. Both feel like natural extensions of someone who moves fast, thinks clearly, and doesn't overcomplicate things that don't need to be complicated.
When he's not doing any of that, he's playing jazz in Minnetonka, finding a new restaurant to drag people to, or at home with his partner and their two cats, Elena and Oliver, who run the house.
Dylan Bassett
Founder & Principal
Dylan grew up drawn to the outdoors, hiking, camping, days on the lake, summers at the skatepark, and somewhere along the way that translated into a genuine environmentalism and a conviction that his work should mean something beyond the bottom line.
He studied information systems and entrepreneurship at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, then spent time as an agile project manager and systems analyst before moving into corporate consulting where he advised clients on technology strategy and digital transformation. That experience shaped how he thinks about client trust, project rigor, and what he didn’t want to replicate when he built something of his own. He founded Dept.1 to bring that same discipline to organizations that exist to help people. Somewhere in that decision, any tension between who he is and what he does disappeared.
Outside of work, Dylan’s creative energy finds its outlet in skateboarding, snowboarding, golf, martial arts, and in Dept.1 itself – which he treats as an ongoing experiment in making serious operational work accessible to the organizations that need it most.
Henry Zhuo
Associate
Henry grew up with the support of his city's public library system, the kind of infrastructure that doesn't ask for credit and just shows up. He knows what it means for a community resource to actually function, and that shaped a particular interest in helping humanitarian causes expand their reach and deepen the impact of what they already do.
He brings experience delivering technology solutions across nonprofit, public sector, insurance, hospitality, and specialty distribution. That range gives him a practical, cross-sector lens that shows up in how he approaches problems as nonprofits build and evolve the operational models behind their missions. He values simplicity and candor, and clients tend to notice both.
Outside of work, Henry is someone who keeps close to the people and places that matter. Weekends with friends, good music, and time in green spaces. He's reserved by nature and delivers high-quality work with a quiet humility. It's a combination that holds up well under pressure.
Anthony Conner
Associate
Anthony didn't grow up with a lot, and he can look back now and see exactly where nonprofit support could have changed things for him. It's what connects him to organizations that fill those gaps for marginalized communities, and it's what brought him to Dept.1. He spent years as a music educator before finding his way into marketing, operations, and systems work, and that path shows up in how he operates. Teaching gave him the ability to read a room, build something from scratch, and make complicated things accessible to people encountering them for the first time.
He has worked across healthcare, fulfillment, and marketing, with hands-on experience in Salesforce, large-scale project coordination, and the kind of client-facing work where details actually matter. At Dept.1 he has supported the systems and content behind how the firm shows up and grows. Both feel like natural extensions of someone who moves fast, thinks clearly, and doesn't overcomplicate things that don't need to be complicated.
When he's not doing any of that, he's playing jazz in Minnetonka, finding a new restaurant to drag people to, or at home with his partner and their two cats, Elena and Oliver, who run the house.
Dylan Bassett
Founder & Principal
Dylan grew up drawn to the outdoors, hiking, camping, days on the lake, summers at the skatepark, and somewhere along the way that translated into a genuine environmentalism and a conviction that his work should mean something beyond the bottom line.
He studied information systems and entrepreneurship at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, then spent time as an agile project manager and systems analyst before moving into corporate consulting where he advised clients on technology strategy and digital transformation. That experience shaped how he thinks about client trust, project rigor, and what he didn’t want to replicate when he built something of his own. He founded Dept.1 to bring that same discipline to organizations that exist to help people. Somewhere in that decision, any tension between who he is and what he does disappeared.
Outside of work, Dylan’s creative energy finds its outlet in skateboarding, snowboarding, golf, martial arts, and in Dept.1 itself – which he treats as an ongoing experiment in making serious operational work accessible to the organizations that need it most.
Henry Zhuo
Associate
Henry grew up with the support of his city's public library system, the kind of infrastructure that doesn't ask for credit and just shows up. He knows what it means for a community resource to actually function, and that shaped a particular interest in helping humanitarian causes expand their reach and deepen the impact of what they already do.
He brings experience delivering technology solutions across nonprofit, public sector, insurance, hospitality, and specialty distribution. That range gives him a practical, cross-sector lens that shows up in how he approaches problems as nonprofits build and evolve the operational models behind their missions. He values simplicity and candor, and clients tend to notice both.
Outside of work, Henry is someone who keeps close to the people and places that matter. Weekends with friends, good music, and time in green spaces. He's reserved by nature and delivers high-quality work with a quiet humility. It's a combination that holds up well under pressure.
Anthony Conner
Associate
Anthony didn't grow up with a lot, and he can look back now and see exactly where nonprofit support could have changed things for him. It's what connects him to organizations that fill those gaps for marginalized communities, and it's what brought him to Dept.1. He spent years as a music educator before finding his way into marketing, operations, and systems work, and that path shows up in how he operates. Teaching gave him the ability to read a room, build something from scratch, and make complicated things accessible to people encountering them for the first time.
He has worked across healthcare, fulfillment, and marketing, with hands-on experience in Salesforce, large-scale project coordination, and the kind of client-facing work where details actually matter. At Dept.1 he has supported the systems and content behind how the firm shows up and grows. Both feel like natural extensions of someone who moves fast, thinks clearly, and doesn't overcomplicate things that don't need to be complicated.
When he's not doing any of that, he's playing jazz in Minnetonka, finding a new restaurant to drag people to, or at home with his partner and their two cats, Elena and Oliver, who run the house.
FOUNDER
Dylan Bassett
Dylan grew up drawn to the outdoors, hiking, camping, days on the lake, summers at the skatepark, and somewhere along the way that translated into a genuine environmentalism and a conviction that his work should mean something beyond the bottom line.
He studied information systems and entrepreneurship at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, then spent time as an agile project manager and systems analyst before moving into corporate consulting where he advised clients on technology strategy and digital transformation. That experience shaped how he thinks about client trust, project rigor, and what he didn’t want to replicate when he built something of his own. He founded Dept.1 to bring that same discipline to organizations that exist to help people. Somewhere in that decision, any tension between who he is and what he does disappeared.
Outside of work, Dylan’s creative energy finds its outlet in skateboarding, snowboarding, golf, martial arts, and in Dept.1 itself – which he treats as an ongoing experiment in making serious operational work accessible to the organizations that need it most.
Associate
Henry Zhuo
Henry grew up with the support of his city's public library system, the kind of infrastructure that doesn't ask for credit and just shows up. He knows what it means for a community resource to actually function, and that shaped a particular interest in helping humanitarian causes expand their reach and deepen the impact of what they already do.
He brings experience delivering technology solutions across nonprofit, public sector, insurance, hospitality, and specialty distribution. That range gives him a practical, cross-sector lens that shows up in how he approaches problems as nonprofits build and evolve the operational models behind their missions. He values simplicity and candor, and clients tend to notice both.
Outside of work, Henry is someone who keeps close to the people and places that matter. Weekends with friends, good music, and time in green spaces. He's reserved by nature and delivers high-quality work with a quiet humility. It's a combination that holds up well under pressure.
Associate
Anthony Conner
Anthony didn't grow up with a lot, and he can look back now and see exactly where nonprofit support could have changed things for him. It's what connects him to organizations that fill those gaps for marginalized communities, and it's what brought him to Dept.1. He spent years as a music educator before finding his way into marketing, operations, and systems work, and that path shows up in how he operates. Teaching gave him the ability to read a room, build something from scratch, and make complicated things accessible to people encountering them for the first time.
He has worked across healthcare, fulfillment, and marketing, with hands-on experience in Salesforce, large-scale project coordination, and the kind of client-facing work where details actually matter. At Dept.1 he has supported the systems and content behind how the firm shows up and grows. Both feel like natural extensions of someone who moves fast, thinks clearly, and doesn't overcomplicate things that don't need to be complicated.
When he's not doing any of that, he's playing jazz in Minnetonka, finding a new restaurant to drag people to, or at home with his partner and their two cats, Elena and Oliver, who run the house.
FOUNDER
Dylan Bassett
Dylan grew up drawn to the outdoors, hiking, camping, days on the lake, summers at the skatepark, and somewhere along the way that translated into a genuine environmentalism and a conviction that his work should mean something beyond the bottom line.
He studied information systems and entrepreneurship at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, then spent time as an agile project manager and systems analyst before moving into corporate consulting where he advised clients on technology strategy and digital transformation. That experience shaped how he thinks about client trust, project rigor, and what he didn’t want to replicate when he built something of his own. He founded Dept.1 to bring that same discipline to organizations that exist to help people. Somewhere in that decision, any tension between who he is and what he does disappeared.
Outside of work, Dylan’s creative energy finds its outlet in skateboarding, snowboarding, golf, martial arts, and in Dept.1 itself – which he treats as an ongoing experiment in making serious operational work accessible to the organizations that need it most.
Associate
Henry Zhuo
Henry grew up with the support of his city's public library system, the kind of infrastructure that doesn't ask for credit and just shows up. He knows what it means for a community resource to actually function, and that shaped a particular interest in helping humanitarian causes expand their reach and deepen the impact of what they already do.
He brings experience delivering technology solutions across nonprofit, public sector, insurance, hospitality, and specialty distribution. That range gives him a practical, cross-sector lens that shows up in how he approaches problems as nonprofits build and evolve the operational models behind their missions. He values simplicity and candor, and clients tend to notice both.
Outside of work, Henry is someone who keeps close to the people and places that matter. Weekends with friends, good music, and time in green spaces. He's reserved by nature and delivers high-quality work with a quiet humility. It's a combination that holds up well under pressure.
Associate
Anthony Conner
Anthony didn't grow up with a lot, and he can look back now and see exactly where nonprofit support could have changed things for him. It's what connects him to organizations that fill those gaps for marginalized communities, and it's what brought him to Dept.1. He spent years as a music educator before finding his way into marketing, operations, and systems work, and that path shows up in how he operates. Teaching gave him the ability to read a room, build something from scratch, and make complicated things accessible to people encountering them for the first time.
He has worked across healthcare, fulfillment, and marketing, with hands-on experience in Salesforce, large-scale project coordination, and the kind of client-facing work where details actually matter. At Dept.1 he has supported the systems and content behind how the firm shows up and grows. Both feel like natural extensions of someone who moves fast, thinks clearly, and doesn't overcomplicate things that don't need to be complicated.
When he's not doing any of that, he's playing jazz in Minnetonka, finding a new restaurant to drag people to, or at home with his partner and their two cats, Elena and Oliver, who run the house.
FOUNDER
Dylan Bassett
Dylan grew up drawn to the outdoors, hiking, camping, days on the lake, summers at the skatepark, and somewhere along the way that translated into a genuine environmentalism and a conviction that his work should mean something beyond the bottom line.
He studied information systems and entrepreneurship at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, then spent time as an agile project manager and systems analyst before moving into corporate consulting where he advised clients on technology strategy and digital transformation. That experience shaped how he thinks about client trust, project rigor, and what he didn’t want to replicate when he built something of his own. He founded Dept.1 to bring that same discipline to organizations that exist to help people. Somewhere in that decision, any tension between who he is and what he does disappeared.
Outside of work, Dylan’s creative energy finds its outlet in skateboarding, snowboarding, golf, martial arts, and in Dept.1 itself – which he treats as an ongoing experiment in making serious operational work accessible to the organizations that need it most.
Associate
Henry Zhuo
Henry grew up with the support of his city's public library system, the kind of infrastructure that doesn't ask for credit and just shows up. He knows what it means for a community resource to actually function, and that shaped a particular interest in helping humanitarian causes expand their reach and deepen the impact of what they already do.
He brings experience delivering technology solutions across nonprofit, public sector, insurance, hospitality, and specialty distribution. That range gives him a practical, cross-sector lens that shows up in how he approaches problems as nonprofits build and evolve the operational models behind their missions. He values simplicity and candor, and clients tend to notice both.
Outside of work, Henry is someone who keeps close to the people and places that matter. Weekends with friends, good music, and time in green spaces. He's reserved by nature and delivers high-quality work with a quiet humility. It's a combination that holds up well under pressure.
Associate
Anthony Conner
Anthony didn't grow up with a lot, and he can look back now and see exactly where nonprofit support could have changed things for him. It's what connects him to organizations that fill those gaps for marginalized communities, and it's what brought him to Dept.1. He spent years as a music educator before finding his way into marketing, operations, and systems work, and that path shows up in how he operates. Teaching gave him the ability to read a room, build something from scratch, and make complicated things accessible to people encountering them for the first time.
He has worked across healthcare, fulfillment, and marketing, with hands-on experience in Salesforce, large-scale project coordination, and the kind of client-facing work where details actually matter. At Dept.1 he has supported the systems and content behind how the firm shows up and grows. Both feel like natural extensions of someone who moves fast, thinks clearly, and doesn't overcomplicate things that don't need to be complicated.
When he's not doing any of that, he's playing jazz in Minnetonka, finding a new restaurant to drag people to, or at home with his partner and their two cats, Elena and Oliver, who run the house.
FOUNDER
Dylan Bassett
Dylan grew up drawn to the outdoors, hiking, camping, days on the lake, summers at the skatepark, and somewhere along the way that translated into a genuine environmentalism and a conviction that his work should mean something beyond the bottom line.
He studied information systems and entrepreneurship at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, then spent time as an agile project manager and systems analyst before moving into corporate consulting where he advised clients on technology strategy and digital transformation. That experience shaped how he thinks about client trust, project rigor, and what he didn’t want to replicate when he built something of his own. He founded Dept.1 to bring that same discipline to organizations that exist to help people. Somewhere in that decision, any tension between who he is and what he does disappeared.
Outside of work, Dylan’s creative energy finds its outlet in skateboarding, snowboarding, golf, martial arts, and in Dept.1 itself – which he treats as an ongoing experiment in making serious operational work accessible to the organizations that need it most.
Associate
Henry Zhuo
Henry grew up with the support of his city's public library system, the kind of infrastructure that doesn't ask for credit and just shows up. He knows what it means for a community resource to actually function, and that shaped a particular interest in helping humanitarian causes expand their reach and deepen the impact of what they already do.
He brings experience delivering technology solutions across nonprofit, public sector, insurance, hospitality, and specialty distribution. That range gives him a practical, cross-sector lens that shows up in how he approaches problems as nonprofits build and evolve the operational models behind their missions. He values simplicity and candor, and clients tend to notice both.
Outside of work, Henry is someone who keeps close to the people and places that matter. Weekends with friends, good music, and time in green spaces. He's reserved by nature and delivers high-quality work with a quiet humility. It's a combination that holds up well under pressure.
Associate
Anthony Conner
Anthony didn't grow up with a lot, and he can look back now and see exactly where nonprofit support could have changed things for him. It's what connects him to organizations that fill those gaps for marginalized communities, and it's what brought him to Dept.1. He spent years as a music educator before finding his way into marketing, operations, and systems work, and that path shows up in how he operates. Teaching gave him the ability to read a room, build something from scratch, and make complicated things accessible to people encountering them for the first time.
He has worked across healthcare, fulfillment, and marketing, with hands-on experience in Salesforce, large-scale project coordination, and the kind of client-facing work where details actually matter. At Dept.1 he has supported the systems and content behind how the firm shows up and grows. Both feel like natural extensions of someone who moves fast, thinks clearly, and doesn't overcomplicate things that don't need to be complicated.
When he's not doing any of that, he's playing jazz in Minnetonka, finding a new restaurant to drag people to, or at home with his partner and their two cats, Elena and Oliver, who run the house.
FOUNDER
Dylan Bassett
Dylan grew up drawn to the outdoors, hiking, camping, days on the lake, summers at the skatepark, and somewhere along the way that translated into a genuine environmentalism and a conviction that his work should mean something beyond the bottom line.
He studied information systems and entrepreneurship at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, then spent time as an agile project manager and systems analyst before moving into corporate consulting where he advised clients on technology strategy and digital transformation. That experience shaped how he thinks about client trust, project rigor, and what he didn’t want to replicate when he built something of his own. He founded Dept.1 to bring that same discipline to organizations that exist to help people. Somewhere in that decision, any tension between who he is and what he does disappeared.
Outside of work, Dylan’s creative energy finds its outlet in skateboarding, snowboarding, golf, martial arts, and in Dept.1 itself – which he treats as an ongoing experiment in making serious operational work accessible to the organizations that need it most.
Associate
Henry Zhuo
Henry grew up with the support of his city's public library system, the kind of infrastructure that doesn't ask for credit and just shows up. He knows what it means for a community resource to actually function, and that shaped a particular interest in helping humanitarian causes expand their reach and deepen the impact of what they already do.
He brings experience delivering technology solutions across nonprofit, public sector, insurance, hospitality, and specialty distribution. That range gives him a practical, cross-sector lens that shows up in how he approaches problems as nonprofits build and evolve the operational models behind their missions. He values simplicity and candor, and clients tend to notice both.
Outside of work, Henry is someone who keeps close to the people and places that matter. Weekends with friends, good music, and time in green spaces. He's reserved by nature and delivers high-quality work with a quiet humility. It's a combination that holds up well under pressure.
Associate
Anthony Conner
Anthony didn't grow up with a lot, and he can look back now and see exactly where nonprofit support could have changed things for him. It's what connects him to organizations that fill those gaps for marginalized communities, and it's what brought him to Dept.1. He spent years as a music educator before finding his way into marketing, operations, and systems work, and that path shows up in how he operates. Teaching gave him the ability to read a room, build something from scratch, and make complicated things accessible to people encountering them for the first time.
He has worked across healthcare, fulfillment, and marketing, with hands-on experience in Salesforce, large-scale project coordination, and the kind of client-facing work where details actually matter. At Dept.1 he has supported the systems and content behind how the firm shows up and grows. Both feel like natural extensions of someone who moves fast, thinks clearly, and doesn't overcomplicate things that don't need to be complicated.
When he's not doing any of that, he's playing jazz in Minnetonka, finding a new restaurant to drag people to, or at home with his partner and their two cats, Elena and Oliver, who run the house.
FOUNDER
Dylan Bassett
Dylan grew up drawn to the outdoors, hiking, camping, days on the lake, summers at the skatepark, and somewhere along the way that translated into a genuine environmentalism and a conviction that his work should mean something beyond the bottom line.
He studied information systems and entrepreneurship at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, then spent time as an agile project manager and systems analyst before moving into corporate consulting where he advised clients on technology strategy and digital transformation. That experience shaped how he thinks about client trust, project rigor, and what he didn’t want to replicate when he built something of his own. He founded Dept.1 to bring that same discipline to organizations that exist to help people. Somewhere in that decision, any tension between who he is and what he does disappeared.
Outside of work, Dylan’s creative energy finds its outlet in skateboarding, snowboarding, golf, martial arts, and in Dept.1 itself – which he treats as an ongoing experiment in making serious operational work accessible to the organizations that need it most.
Associate
Henry Zhuo
Henry grew up with the support of his city's public library system, the kind of infrastructure that doesn't ask for credit and just shows up. He knows what it means for a community resource to actually function, and that shaped a particular interest in helping humanitarian causes expand their reach and deepen the impact of what they already do.
He brings experience delivering technology solutions across nonprofit, public sector, insurance, hospitality, and specialty distribution. That range gives him a practical, cross-sector lens that shows up in how he approaches problems as nonprofits build and evolve the operational models behind their missions. He values simplicity and candor, and clients tend to notice both.
Outside of work, Henry is someone who keeps close to the people and places that matter. Weekends with friends, good music, and time in green spaces. He's reserved by nature and delivers high-quality work with a quiet humility. It's a combination that holds up well under pressure.
Associate
Anthony Conner
Anthony didn't grow up with a lot, and he can look back now and see exactly where nonprofit support could have changed things for him. It's what connects him to organizations that fill those gaps for marginalized communities, and it's what brought him to Dept.1. He spent years as a music educator before finding his way into marketing, operations, and systems work, and that path shows up in how he operates. Teaching gave him the ability to read a room, build something from scratch, and make complicated things accessible to people encountering them for the first time.
He has worked across healthcare, fulfillment, and marketing, with hands-on experience in Salesforce, large-scale project coordination, and the kind of client-facing work where details actually matter. At Dept.1 he has supported the systems and content behind how the firm shows up and grows. Both feel like natural extensions of someone who moves fast, thinks clearly, and doesn't overcomplicate things that don't need to be complicated.
When he's not doing any of that, he's playing jazz in Minnetonka, finding a new restaurant to drag people to, or at home with his partner and their two cats, Elena and Oliver, who run the house.
FOUNDER
Dylan Bassett
Dylan grew up drawn to the outdoors, hiking, camping, days on the lake, summers at the skatepark, and somewhere along the way that translated into a genuine environmentalism and a conviction that his work should mean something beyond the bottom line.
He studied information systems and entrepreneurship at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, then spent time as an agile project manager and systems analyst before moving into corporate consulting where he advised clients on technology strategy and digital transformation. That experience shaped how he thinks about client trust, project rigor, and what he didn’t want to replicate when he built something of his own. He founded Dept.1 to bring that same discipline to organizations that exist to help people. Somewhere in that decision, any tension between who he is and what he does disappeared.
Outside of work, Dylan’s creative energy finds its outlet in skateboarding, snowboarding, golf, martial arts, and in Dept.1 itself – which he treats as an ongoing experiment in making serious operational work accessible to the organizations that need it most.
Associate
Henry Zhuo
Henry grew up with the support of his city's public library system, the kind of infrastructure that doesn't ask for credit and just shows up. He knows what it means for a community resource to actually function, and that shaped a particular interest in helping humanitarian causes expand their reach and deepen the impact of what they already do.
He brings experience delivering technology solutions across nonprofit, public sector, insurance, hospitality, and specialty distribution. That range gives him a practical, cross-sector lens that shows up in how he approaches problems as nonprofits build and evolve the operational models behind their missions. He values simplicity and candor, and clients tend to notice both.
Outside of work, Henry is someone who keeps close to the people and places that matter. Weekends with friends, good music, and time in green spaces. He's reserved by nature and delivers high-quality work with a quiet humility. It's a combination that holds up well under pressure.
Associate
Anthony Conner
Anthony didn't grow up with a lot, and he can look back now and see exactly where nonprofit support could have changed things for him. It's what connects him to organizations that fill those gaps for marginalized communities, and it's what brought him to Dept.1. He spent years as a music educator before finding his way into marketing, operations, and systems work, and that path shows up in how he operates. Teaching gave him the ability to read a room, build something from scratch, and make complicated things accessible to people encountering them for the first time.
He has worked across healthcare, fulfillment, and marketing, with hands-on experience in Salesforce, large-scale project coordination, and the kind of client-facing work where details actually matter. At Dept.1 he has supported the systems and content behind how the firm shows up and grows. Both feel like natural extensions of someone who moves fast, thinks clearly, and doesn't overcomplicate things that don't need to be complicated.
When he's not doing any of that, he's playing jazz in Minnetonka, finding a new restaurant to drag people to, or at home with his partner and their two cats, Elena and Oliver, who run the house.
FOUNDER
Dylan Bassett
Dylan grew up drawn to the outdoors, hiking, camping, days on the lake, summers at the skatepark, and somewhere along the way that translated into a genuine environmentalism and a conviction that his work should mean something beyond the bottom line.
He studied information systems and entrepreneurship at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, then spent time as an agile project manager and systems analyst before moving into corporate consulting where he advised clients on technology strategy and digital transformation. That experience shaped how he thinks about client trust, project rigor, and what he didn’t want to replicate when he built something of his own. He founded Dept.1 to bring that same discipline to organizations that exist to help people. Somewhere in that decision, any tension between who he is and what he does disappeared.
Outside of work, Dylan’s creative energy finds its outlet in skateboarding, snowboarding, golf, martial arts, and in Dept.1 itself – which he treats as an ongoing experiment in making serious operational work accessible to the organizations that need it most.
Associate
Henry Zhuo
Henry grew up with the support of his city's public library system, the kind of infrastructure that doesn't ask for credit and just shows up. He knows what it means for a community resource to actually function, and that shaped a particular interest in helping humanitarian causes expand their reach and deepen the impact of what they already do.
He brings experience delivering technology solutions across nonprofit, public sector, insurance, hospitality, and specialty distribution. That range gives him a practical, cross-sector lens that shows up in how he approaches problems as nonprofits build and evolve the operational models behind their missions. He values simplicity and candor, and clients tend to notice both.
Outside of work, Henry is someone who keeps close to the people and places that matter. Weekends with friends, good music, and time in green spaces. He's reserved by nature and delivers high-quality work with a quiet humility. It's a combination that holds up well under pressure.
Associate
Anthony Conner
Anthony didn't grow up with a lot, and he can look back now and see exactly where nonprofit support could have changed things for him. It's what connects him to organizations that fill those gaps for marginalized communities, and it's what brought him to Dept.1. He spent years as a music educator before finding his way into marketing, operations, and systems work, and that path shows up in how he operates. Teaching gave him the ability to read a room, build something from scratch, and make complicated things accessible to people encountering them for the first time.
He has worked across healthcare, fulfillment, and marketing, with hands-on experience in Salesforce, large-scale project coordination, and the kind of client-facing work where details actually matter. At Dept.1 he has supported the systems and content behind how the firm shows up and grows. Both feel like natural extensions of someone who moves fast, thinks clearly, and doesn't overcomplicate things that don't need to be complicated.
When he's not doing any of that, he's playing jazz in Minnetonka, finding a new restaurant to drag people to, or at home with his partner and their two cats, Elena and Oliver, who run the house.
FOUNDER
Dylan Bassett
Dylan grew up drawn to the outdoors, hiking, camping, days on the lake, summers at the skatepark, and somewhere along the way that translated into a genuine environmentalism and a conviction that his work should mean something beyond the bottom line.
He studied information systems and entrepreneurship at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, then spent time as an agile project manager and systems analyst before moving into corporate consulting where he advised clients on technology strategy and digital transformation. That experience shaped how he thinks about client trust, project rigor, and what he didn’t want to replicate when he built something of his own. He founded Dept.1 to bring that same discipline to organizations that exist to help people. Somewhere in that decision, any tension between who he is and what he does disappeared.
Outside of work, Dylan’s creative energy finds its outlet in skateboarding, snowboarding, golf, martial arts, and in Dept.1 itself – which he treats as an ongoing experiment in making serious operational work accessible to the organizations that need it most.
Associate
Henry Zhuo
Henry grew up with the support of his city's public library system, the kind of infrastructure that doesn't ask for credit and just shows up. He knows what it means for a community resource to actually function, and that shaped a particular interest in helping humanitarian causes expand their reach and deepen the impact of what they already do.
He brings experience delivering technology solutions across nonprofit, public sector, insurance, hospitality, and specialty distribution. That range gives him a practical, cross-sector lens that shows up in how he approaches problems as nonprofits build and evolve the operational models behind their missions. He values simplicity and candor, and clients tend to notice both.
Outside of work, Henry is someone who keeps close to the people and places that matter. Weekends with friends, good music, and time in green spaces. He's reserved by nature and delivers high-quality work with a quiet humility. It's a combination that holds up well under pressure.
Associate
Anthony Conner
Anthony didn't grow up with a lot, and he can look back now and see exactly where nonprofit support could have changed things for him. It's what connects him to organizations that fill those gaps for marginalized communities, and it's what brought him to Dept.1. He spent years as a music educator before finding his way into marketing, operations, and systems work, and that path shows up in how he operates. Teaching gave him the ability to read a room, build something from scratch, and make complicated things accessible to people encountering them for the first time.
He has worked across healthcare, fulfillment, and marketing, with hands-on experience in Salesforce, large-scale project coordination, and the kind of client-facing work where details actually matter. At Dept.1 he has supported the systems and content behind how the firm shows up and grows. Both feel like natural extensions of someone who moves fast, thinks clearly, and doesn't overcomplicate things that don't need to be complicated.
When he's not doing any of that, he's playing jazz in Minnetonka, finding a new restaurant to drag people to, or at home with his partner and their two cats, Elena and Oliver, who run the house.
FOUNDER
Dylan Bassett
Dylan grew up drawn to the outdoors, hiking, camping, days on the lake, summers at the skatepark, and somewhere along the way that translated into a genuine environmentalism and a conviction that his work should mean something beyond the bottom line.
He studied information systems and entrepreneurship at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, then spent time as an agile project manager and systems analyst before moving into corporate consulting where he advised clients on technology strategy and digital transformation. That experience shaped how he thinks about client trust, project rigor, and what he didn’t want to replicate when he built something of his own. He founded Dept.1 to bring that same discipline to organizations that exist to help people. Somewhere in that decision, any tension between who he is and what he does disappeared.
Outside of work, Dylan’s creative energy finds its outlet in skateboarding, snowboarding, golf, martial arts, and in Dept.1 itself – which he treats as an ongoing experiment in making serious operational work accessible to the organizations that need it most.
Associate
Henry Zhuo
Henry grew up with the support of his city's public library system, the kind of infrastructure that doesn't ask for credit and just shows up. He knows what it means for a community resource to actually function, and that shaped a particular interest in helping humanitarian causes expand their reach and deepen the impact of what they already do.
He brings experience delivering technology solutions across nonprofit, public sector, insurance, hospitality, and specialty distribution. That range gives him a practical, cross-sector lens that shows up in how he approaches problems as nonprofits build and evolve the operational models behind their missions. He values simplicity and candor, and clients tend to notice both.
Outside of work, Henry is someone who keeps close to the people and places that matter. Weekends with friends, good music, and time in green spaces. He's reserved by nature and delivers high-quality work with a quiet humility. It's a combination that holds up well under pressure.
Associate
Anthony Conner
Anthony didn't grow up with a lot, and he can look back now and see exactly where nonprofit support could have changed things for him. It's what connects him to organizations that fill those gaps for marginalized communities, and it's what brought him to Dept.1. He spent years as a music educator before finding his way into marketing, operations, and systems work, and that path shows up in how he operates. Teaching gave him the ability to read a room, build something from scratch, and make complicated things accessible to people encountering them for the first time.
He has worked across healthcare, fulfillment, and marketing, with hands-on experience in Salesforce, large-scale project coordination, and the kind of client-facing work where details actually matter. At Dept.1 he has supported the systems and content behind how the firm shows up and grows. Both feel like natural extensions of someone who moves fast, thinks clearly, and doesn't overcomplicate things that don't need to be complicated.
When he's not doing any of that, he's playing jazz in Minnetonka, finding a new restaurant to drag people to, or at home with his partner and their two cats, Elena and Oliver, who run the house.
FOUNDER
Dylan Bassett
Dylan grew up drawn to the outdoors, hiking, camping, days on the lake, summers at the skatepark, and somewhere along the way that translated into a genuine environmentalism and a conviction that his work should mean something beyond the bottom line.
He studied information systems and entrepreneurship at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, then spent time as an agile project manager and systems analyst before moving into corporate consulting where he advised clients on technology strategy and digital transformation. That experience shaped how he thinks about client trust, project rigor, and what he didn’t want to replicate when he built something of his own. He founded Dept.1 to bring that same discipline to organizations that exist to help people. Somewhere in that decision, any tension between who he is and what he does disappeared.
Outside of work, Dylan’s creative energy finds its outlet in skateboarding, snowboarding, golf, martial arts, and in Dept.1 itself – which he treats as an ongoing experiment in making serious operational work accessible to the organizations that need it most.
Associate
Henry Zhuo
Henry grew up with the support of his city's public library system, the kind of infrastructure that doesn't ask for credit and just shows up. He knows what it means for a community resource to actually function, and that shaped a particular interest in helping humanitarian causes expand their reach and deepen the impact of what they already do.
He brings experience delivering technology solutions across nonprofit, public sector, insurance, hospitality, and specialty distribution. That range gives him a practical, cross-sector lens that shows up in how he approaches problems as nonprofits build and evolve the operational models behind their missions. He values simplicity and candor, and clients tend to notice both.
Outside of work, Henry is someone who keeps close to the people and places that matter. Weekends with friends, good music, and time in green spaces. He's reserved by nature and delivers high-quality work with a quiet humility. It's a combination that holds up well under pressure.
Associate
Anthony Conner
Anthony didn't grow up with a lot, and he can look back now and see exactly where nonprofit support could have changed things for him. It's what connects him to organizations that fill those gaps for marginalized communities, and it's what brought him to Dept.1. He spent years as a music educator before finding his way into marketing, operations, and systems work, and that path shows up in how he operates. Teaching gave him the ability to read a room, build something from scratch, and make complicated things accessible to people encountering them for the first time.
He has worked across healthcare, fulfillment, and marketing, with hands-on experience in Salesforce, large-scale project coordination, and the kind of client-facing work where details actually matter. At Dept.1 he has supported the systems and content behind how the firm shows up and grows. Both feel like natural extensions of someone who moves fast, thinks clearly, and doesn't overcomplicate things that don't need to be complicated.
When he's not doing any of that, he's playing jazz in Minnetonka, finding a new restaurant to drag people to, or at home with his partner and their two cats, Elena and Oliver, who run the house.
FOUNDER
Dylan Bassett
Dylan grew up drawn to the outdoors, hiking, camping, days on the lake, summers at the skatepark, and somewhere along the way that translated into a genuine environmentalism and a conviction that his work should mean something beyond the bottom line.
He studied information systems and entrepreneurship at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, then spent time as an agile project manager and systems analyst before moving into corporate consulting where he advised clients on technology strategy and digital transformation. That experience shaped how he thinks about client trust, project rigor, and what he didn’t want to replicate when he built something of his own. He founded Dept.1 to bring that same discipline to organizations that exist to help people. Somewhere in that decision, any tension between who he is and what he does disappeared.
Outside of work, Dylan’s creative energy finds its outlet in skateboarding, snowboarding, golf, martial arts, and in Dept.1 itself – which he treats as an ongoing experiment in making serious operational work accessible to the organizations that need it most.
Associate
Henry Zhuo
Henry grew up with the support of his city's public library system, the kind of infrastructure that doesn't ask for credit and just shows up. He knows what it means for a community resource to actually function, and that shaped a particular interest in helping humanitarian causes expand their reach and deepen the impact of what they already do.
He brings experience delivering technology solutions across nonprofit, public sector, insurance, hospitality, and specialty distribution. That range gives him a practical, cross-sector lens that shows up in how he approaches problems as nonprofits build and evolve the operational models behind their missions. He values simplicity and candor, and clients tend to notice both.
Outside of work, Henry is someone who keeps close to the people and places that matter. Weekends with friends, good music, and time in green spaces. He's reserved by nature and delivers high-quality work with a quiet humility. It's a combination that holds up well under pressure.
Associate
Anthony Conner
Anthony didn't grow up with a lot, and he can look back now and see exactly where nonprofit support could have changed things for him. It's what connects him to organizations that fill those gaps for marginalized communities, and it's what brought him to Dept.1. He spent years as a music educator before finding his way into marketing, operations, and systems work, and that path shows up in how he operates. Teaching gave him the ability to read a room, build something from scratch, and make complicated things accessible to people encountering them for the first time.
He has worked across healthcare, fulfillment, and marketing, with hands-on experience in Salesforce, large-scale project coordination, and the kind of client-facing work where details actually matter. At Dept.1 he has supported the systems and content behind how the firm shows up and grows. Both feel like natural extensions of someone who moves fast, thinks clearly, and doesn't overcomplicate things that don't need to be complicated.
When he's not doing any of that, he's playing jazz in Minnetonka, finding a new restaurant to drag people to, or at home with his partner and their two cats, Elena and Oliver, who run the house.
