Over four decades ago, Warren Kantor sat down with his widowed mother and a lengthy application for a benefit program that could help her better afford her shelter expenses. Although Warren knew that his mother, who was struggling financially as a salesperson at Gimbels department store, was eligible for this valuable benefit, it seemed as though she might never receive it. The application forms were cumbersome, the requirements extensive, and the submission instructions unclear. For the next two decades, Warren continued to assist his mother with benefit applications such as these, taking the time to help her understand the process.

Warren later encountered great success in the financial services sector. He recognized that many of the strategies used to target and identify people eligible for credit cards could also be employed to identify individuals eligible for public benefits. In 2005, Warren founded Benefits Data Trust to pursue the mission of helping low-income individuals access the state and federal aid programs for which they are eligible.