Empowering Communities Through Innovation
Developing technology platforms that connect faith-based organizations, farmers, and communities to address their most pressing challenges
Our Story
Ikigai LLC was founded at the intersection of faith and purpose. The Japanese concept of “Ikigai,” meaning “reason for being,” beautifully mirrors the Christian understanding of calling. Just as Ikigai represents the convergence of what you love, what you are good at, what the world needs, and what sustains you, the Christian faith teaches that God has uniquely equipped each person with gifts, passions, and purpose to serve His kingdom and meet the needs of the world.
Dr. Sandra Saint-Surin founded Ikigai LLC on this principle: that communities thrive when faith-based organizations, local institutions, and innovators discover their God-given purpose and actively serve the people around them. This conviction emerged from her doctoral research examining how churches and other community anchors can effectively address local needs through meaningful service by living out the biblical mandate found in Matthew 25:35a”I was hungry and you gave me food.”
As a concept-stage company, we are developing technology platforms that help churches, farmers, and communities fulfill their calling to serve in practical, measurable ways. Many of these initiatives focus on the agricultural sector, creating platforms and services that support farmers, promote sustainability, and strengthen community food systems. We are also exploring digital tools that unite people of faith and community members in collective action for neighborhood transformation.
At Ikigai LLC, we believe that when communities discover their “reason for being,” which is their God given purpose, they unlock sustainable impact that transforms lives and honors the Creator.
Founder & CEO
Dr. Sandra Saint-Surin
Education
4 Degrees
Service
Peace Corps
Innovation
RECCS Rubric
Dr. Sandra Saint-Surin’s journey to founding Ikigai LLC reflects the company’s namesake: the convergence of passion, skill, calling, and impact.
Her calling to serve emerged through her doctoral research at Alliance Theological Seminary, where she earned a Doctorate in Ministry in Global Leadership and a Master of Divinity in Theology and Mission. Her dissertation focused on church-based community service and resulted in the RECCS rubric (Rubric for Evaluating Commitment to Community Service), a framework now applied to validate church-based community gardens. This research revealed a profound truth: churches possess incredible potential to address community needs, yet they often lack the tools and connections required to fulfill that calling.
Dr. Saint-Surin’s interdisciplinary training, which includes theological education, a Master of Arts in Political Science with a concentration in Urban Policy and Administration, and a Bachelor of Science in Health Science with concentrations in Community Health Education and Sociology, uniquely positioned her to bridge faith, policy, and community health in addressing systemic challenges.
As a Peace Corps Health Extension Volunteer in rural Zambia, Dr. Saint-Surin worked with farming communities and witnessed firsthand how limited resources and fragmented knowledge systems perpetuated cycles of poverty despite communities’ inherent potential. Drawing on lessons learned from implementing PEPFAR grants and organizing community-wide health initiatives, she founded Ikigai LLC to merge grassroots experience with technological innovation. Her vision is to create platforms that empower churches, farmers, and communities to address their most pressing challenges through evidence-based, scalable solutions.
Her professional experience deepened this conviction. As an Environmental Protection Specialist with the Federal Highway Administration, she coordinated with state and federal partners to accelerate project delivery while protecting communities and the environment. As a Transportation Specialist in the Office of International Programs, she coordinated international exchanges across African nations, strengthening transportation systems through collaboration.
Throughout these experiences, a consistent pattern emerged: communities thrive when they are supported with expertise, resources, and technology, and when they are empowered to discover and fulfill their purpose.
Dr. Saint-Surin founded Ikigai LLC to merge her grassroots experience with technological innovation, creating platforms that bridge the gap between local need and expert resources. Her vision reflects both the Japanese concept of Ikigai and the Christian call to stewardship: empowering churches, farmers, and communities to discover their God-given purpose and create sustainable impact that honors Him.
What We're Building
Ikigai LLC is developing platforms that will address critical needs across multiple sectors
Ikigai Gardens
Will connect churches with agricultural expertise to launch community gardens addressing food insecurity. This faith-based platform will provide churches with technology tools, connections to agricultural experts, and impact measurement frameworks.
Ikigai Valorize
Agricultural solutions are in development to serve the farming sector, with feasibility research currently underway.
Prayer Walk Connection
A future initiative designed to unite churches and believers for neighborhood transformation
Future Ikigai Initiatives
Future Ikigai initiatives will address community needs as the company grows.
Our Approach
As we develop our platforms, we are committed to:
Building WITH communities, not FOR them
Creating research-backed solutions with measurable outcomes
Designing user-centered platforms that prioritize real needs
Developing sustainable models that support ongoing impact
Partnering strategically with organizations and academic institutions that share our vision
Our Values
Seven core principles that shape every decision we make
Community Empowerment
We build WITH communities, not FOR them.
Evidence-Based Innovation
Research and data guide our solutions.
Sustainable Impact
We create long-term change, not dependency.
Strategic Partnerships
Collaboration multiplies our impact.
Faith Integration
We respect and honor faith-based motivations for service while developing solutions that serve everyone.
Transparency & Honesty
We conduct research ethically and communicate openly with all stakeholders.
Excellence
We maintain high standards in research, platform development, and partnership execution.
Current Stage
Our Team
Ikigai LLC is currently a founder-led organization. As we prepare for our Q1 2026 pilot launch, we are partnering with academic institutions to support platform development, agricultural expertise, research and impact measurement, and related technical roles. These strategic partnerships enable us to leverage university resources and expertise while maintaining operational efficiency.
For general inquiries or partnership opportunities, contact us at ikigaillcapps@gmail.com
Advisory Board
We seek advisors with expertise in:
- Agricultural technology and innovation
- Faith-based community development and ministry
- Social entrepreneurship and startup scaling
- Food systems and sustainable agriculture
- Technology platform development
- Grant funding and non-dilutive financing
- Research methodology and impact measurement
- Community organizing and stakeholder engagement
- Agricultural economics and market development
Interested in serving as an advisor?
Contact us at ikigaillcapps@gmail.com with subject line “Advisory Board Interest”