The following blog is contributed by Tony D’souza from 10x Impact Labs

The Glific sprint was one of the best parts of my January. I came back with so much learning and emotion. I wanted to capture some of my experience in this blog.

As I look back, four key things stood out—things I want to learn from and bring into our work at 10x.

10x Impact Labs is one of Glific’s Implementation Partners. We work with their Non-Profit Partners to help them make the most of Glific—from setting up the product to piloting use cases and handing over the learnings and knowledge to help non-profits internally implement the product. We also work more broadly in the social impact space, helping non-profits use tech and data to improve and scale their work.

1. Strong Relationships

From the moment I stepped into the reception area on the first day, the strength of relationships was evident. Non-profit team members entered the hall, spotted familiar faces from Glific, and instantly lit up. Genuine joy, warm embraces, and heartfelt greetings filled the space.

It was beautiful to see how a tech non-profit had built such deep relationships, not just at the leadership level but with every team member. This kind of bond creates a strong, supportive community.

2. A Mastery of User-Centricity

User-centricity is something we often talk about in the sector, but at the sprint, I got to see how well Glific had designed for it. Team members across all departments—developers, product managers, business development, and others—were present and actively engaging with non-profits. Each team had different questions relevant to their work, and they spent meaningful time understanding what was working and what wasn’t.

Another thoughtful aspect of this was the sprint’s core design—non-profits were grouped into 3-4 different tracks, each supported by a Glific team member. But what stood out was how non-profits were highly encouraged and enabled to shape their experience. They were given the freedom to pull in anyone from Glific or their partners (10x & SocialBytes) for support. They were also encouraged to join any alternative track that interested them, ensuring they made the most of their experience.

3. Unlocking Blocks for Non-Profits

One of the core agenda items—helping non-profits progress in their use of Glific—was executed exceptionally well. About 80% of the time was dedicated to non-profits working on their use cases and projects. By the second and third day, the impact was clear.

One non-profit shared (paraphrasing) “We’ve had this product for a few months and have been using it in a certain way. Coming here has been so helpful—there’s so much more we can do and need to do. This realization came not just from Glific team members being here and guiding us but also from seeing how other non-profits are using Glific.”

4. Partners—Made to Feel at Home

While I personally had the privilege of knowing some Glific team members from before the sprint, I genuinely felt at home during the event. There was so much warmth from the Glific team, and they were genuinely invested in finding ways we could support non-profits—not just in maximizing their use of Glific, but also in identifying other tech and data bottlenecks. They actively explored how 10x and other ecosystem partners could help address these challenges for non-profits.

Glific team members frequently checked in with me, asking if I had spoken to a particular non-profit yet, and if not, they would rush to introduce me—whether for tech and data support, knowledge sharing, or potential collaborations.

The team also went above and beyond to spotlight us multiple times, creating opportunities for us to share our learnings and work with the larger group. This space also enabled over 6-7 potential collaborations—not just with other non-profits but also with the larger Project Tech4Dev team in areas where we align and can contribute to the ecosystem together.

Looking Ahead

I have so much to learn from Glific and Project Tech4Dev’s culture and approach. Huge thanks to the team for creating this space—I’m really excited for our continued collaboration and already looking forward to the next sprint! 🙂

PS: SocialBytes, another tech enabler partner of Glific, was also at the sprint. I truly admire their work—they have over a decade of experience in social impact and tech. It was wonderful to connect with them more deeply (adding a new friend to my list!) and exchange so many learnings.