the team
behind the experience

Jeff is no stranger to fundraising events, having participated in them for over 25 years. He ran his first fundraiser in 2005 and has managed over 50 auction events and fundraisers for his own charities, not to mention hundreds more with Handbid. Jeff has been involved in technical product and software development since 1996 and has built and managed mobile app solutions since 2008. When it became clear that he and his wife, Kari Porter, needed a better solution for their fundraisers, developing a mobile bidding app was a no-brainer. The result? Jeff and his wife Kari developed and launched Handbid in 2011. The rest is what they call “history”.

Kari probably has more auction management experience than anybody at Handbid, having managed her first auction for her son’s preschool in 2004. Back then, there were paper bid sheets, and “card on file” meant a carbon of your credit card stored in a manilla folder — yikes! When the Porters got started with their own fundraisers in 2005, Kari knew just what to do! Prior to being a full time mom, Kari was a software developer working for enterprises like American Management Systems and Sybase. After their daughter was born with Prader-Willi syndrome in 2002, Kari shifted gears to focusing on the house and kids. But that did not stop Jeff and Kari from starting up a charity in 2004 and running auction events. After helping start Handbid in 2011, Kari became “full time” in 2015. Leveraging her computer science background, Kari quickly helped complete and launch a new version of the platform. She also focused on automating most of the company’s operations, allowing it to remain lean and mean. Today, the team still refers to Kari as the “wizard behind the curtain.”

Taylor is no stranger to Handbid, having written the original Handbid software—from the backend services to the first-generation mobile apps—that helped define what mobile bidding could be. After founding and leading several technology ventures in retail, AI, and automation, Taylor returned to Handbid in April 2025 as Vice President of Engineering. In this role, he has modernized Handbid’s software development practices with contemporary cloud architecture, testing, and AI-driven automation, ensuring Handbid remains the leading mobile bidding and fundraising platform for events of all sizes.

After traveling with Jeff and Kari to their kids’ gymnastics meets for years, Elise witnessed hundreds of service calls and thought, “I can do this!” With five years of event experience under her belt, Elise collaborates with the Handbid team and clients to bring charities’ visions to life. She loves helping nonprofits raise money for great causes! Elise enjoys watching clients engage their audience through gamification and deliver an exceptional guest experience. She also delights in the fact that Handbid was designed by fundraisers, for fundraisers. The team voted Elise the most likely Handbid staff member to win the Hunger Games. Why? Because her 4’10” frame can fit into the smallest of spaces!