Building technology for the businesses that power our communities
Shapers AI is a volunteer team of young professionals in tech, finance, and consulting helping local organizations implement AI.
Get involved
What we do
Small businesses often run analog because modern software is built for companies 100x their size. We change that. We pair engineers, designers, and strategists with local businesses to scope, build, and deploy lightweight tools—like receipt scanners, inventory systems, and websites.
Simple, useful software, built fast and handed over.
The project is led by the Seattle hub of the World Economic Forum's Global Shapers Community. Global Shapers is a worldwide network of roughly 15,000 young professionals organized into city-based hubs running community impact projects.
Today, hubs across every continent have joined the project, expanding our reach globally.
The Philosophy
Most AI conversations revolve around billion-dollar infrastructure and enterprise SaaS. Meanwhile, the restaurant down the street still does inventory on a legal pad, and nobody is building for them.
We believe the most valuable use of technology isn't always the most complex. Sometimes it's just about helping a business owner see what is possible, giving them back hours of their week, and empowering them to own their solutions.
Our approach
- 01A business comes to us (or gets referred) with a problem.
- 02We scope it — what would actually help, what's realistic to build.
- 03A small team of volunteers builds and deploys it.
- 04We hand it over. The business owns it.
Partners
We're building alongside mission-aligned organizations that help small businesses grow.
What We've Built
Practical AI projects built with small businesses, local operators, and community partners.
SpringRoll House Receipt Scanner
An AI receipt pipeline for SpringRoll House Deli that turns phone photos, supplier emails, and CSV exports into clean ingredient purchases, live unit costs, and updated recipe margins in Google Sheets.
Built by the Shapers AI Seattle Team
Stack
Claude Vision, Python, Sheets
Flow
Scan receipt, map items, update costs
Cost
$1-3 per 100 receipts
Submit a project
Built something useful for a local business? Send the project, a short note, and any visuals we can feature.
Work With Us
Whether you're a business owner looking for help or a professional looking to contribute, this is where it starts.