Air Support Project who are we?
Table of Contents
An introduction to Air Support Project
From classrooms to living rooms, poor indoor air quality puts our health at risk every day. That’s why we created Vello – a high-performance air purifier that anyone can set up in minutes, giving everyone access to healthier air. It’s portable, effective, and based on proven science and the evolution of the DIY air purifier concept – reimagined for everyday use, with world class design and engineering at an affordable price for everyone.
We are Air Support Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit led by public health advocates, designers, and engineers who believe clean air is a human right – not a luxury. We came together to address an urgent need: to reduce the spread of airborne pathogens and contaminants by cleaning and filtering the air in the indoor spaces where we spend nearly all of our time. By creating an accessible, affordable, and easily-deployable way to clean the air— using readily available, non-proprietary MERV-13 filters — we aim to make indoor spaces safer, more accessible, and resilient to multiple environmental hazards.
With early support from Balvi/Kanro, and in partnership with the expert development team at ATOM Innovation, we’ve taken that vision from concept to reality. Our goal is to deliver an effective air purifier that’s low-cost, and scalable for the masses – in homes, schools, offices, and shared spaces. And part of our mission is to enable donations, in order to make sure Vello reaches the individuals and communities that need it most.
This is about health, equity, and common sense – and we’re just getting started.
Help bring Vello to life – and make clean air something everyone can count on.
MEET THE TEAM
Sarah Masih- I serve as executive director of Air Support Project, and I’m also an artist and mother to a wild-hearted toddler named James. I helped start the organization after the pandemic made clear how overlooked indoor air is in public health. My role now involves supporting our strategy and partnerships, with a focus on helping bring clean air solutions to schools, shelters, and other community spaces where they’re most needed. I also take on whatever tasks are needed to keep the organization moving forward, from operations to outreach.
Melissa Smallwood – I am the Vice President and Outreach Coordinator at Air Support Project and the author of The Future of Long COVID: A Threatcasting Approach. My background is in science policy, strategic foresight, and neuroscience, and I am passionate about science literacy, health & environmental justice. Once Vello is in production, I will be working with ASP’s community partners to distribute our purifiers into schools, community centers, and other shared spaces for low – or no – cost to them.
Epi-Yeti Software – I lead open-source innovation for cleaner air. Drawing on deep nonprofit experience, I created Airwareness, a free aerosol-modeling app that empowers communities worldwide; and I maintain Open Air Scholar, an open-access research hub that turns complex clean-air science into practical insights. I guide software strategy, user-centric design, and cross-sector collaborations—reinforcing that healthy air belongs to everyone.
S. Riley – I oversee fundraising at Air Support Project, leveraging my background in decentralized organizing, media production, and crowdfunding. Through innovation and strategic partnerships, I unite donors with impactful initiatives, ensuring sustainable support for vulnerable communities. I also support our executive director in an administrative capacity and help fill the gaps in daily operations to keep our work running smoothly.
Our Products and outreach
Vello
Vello is our flagship air purifier that uses high-efficiency, low-cost, non-proprietary MERV-13 filters to deliver a Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) of ≥450 cubic feet per minute (cfm) with a target noise level of <54 decibels. Vello is meant to be a practical solution to a wide spectrum of indoor air quality issues – featuring high performance and simple tooless assembly at a low price point, while also meeting the performance and comfort thresholds essential for home and educational environments. This balance of high performance and low noise represents a significant advancement in accessible air purification technology.
App
Airwareness Support App is a free, browser-based tool developed to help users simulate and understand indoor air quality and airborne infection risks. Using customizable inputs like room size, ventilation, occupancy, and pathogen type, the app provides 3D visualizations powered by the Wells-Riley model to show how pathogens spread in indoor environments and how interventions like improved ventilation can reduce those risks. Ideal for use in settings such as classrooms and offices, the open-source app empowers individuals to explore different scenarios, test strategies, and contribute feedback, all in the pursuit of creating healthier, safer indoor spaces. We’ve written a guide to use our Airwareness App here and for more information on using the Airwareness App to enhance accessibility in classrooms and beyond, please check out our blog post here.
Scholar
Open Air Scholar is an open-access research hub launched to make clean air knowledge widely accessible. It offers a curated collection of research summaries on topics like air quality, filtration, respiratory health, and broader public health impacts. Designed to support informed, data-driven decisions in communities, the platform empowers users to explore scientific findings in an easy-to-understand format. Open Air Scholar makes it simple to share credible information and challenge misinformation, serving as both an educational tool and an advocacy resource for clean air. You can read more about our Open Air Scholar here.
Blog
Air Support Project curates a living library of open-source blog posts, each released under a permissive Creative Commons license so anyone can reuse, remix, and amplify our designs without barriers. Every article distils field-tested lessons, whether it is assembling ultra-quiet, high-CADR air purifiers on a shoestring budget or deploying the free, browser-based Airwareness Support App to visualise infection risk in real time. Publishing this playbook turns knowledge into momentum; open education empowers communities everywhere to claim the clean indoor air that is their right.
Community Events
Our X/Twitter Spaces connect public‑health experts, engineers, and community organizers to share practical clean‑air strategies. Recordings and concise takeaways remain freely available for anyone who cannot attend live.
World Ventil8 Day Space – Nov 8 2024 | 3 p.m. ET
We showcased low‑cost upgrades—MERV‑13 filtration, demand‑controlled ventilation—and encouraged participants to press for stronger indoor‑air standards. Check out our blog post here.
Balvi/Kanro Innovators Space – Dec 10 2024 | 9 p.m. ET
Balvi‑funded teams compared open‑source projects, unveiled new prototypes, and agreed to publish designs under permissive licenses. Check out our blog post here.
Wildfire Relief & Clean‑Air Space – Jan 21 2025 | 9 p.m. ET
During the Los Angeles wildfire emergency, speakers detailed KN95 distributions, Corsi–Rosenthal box build‑events, and satellite smoke alerts that guide rapid indoor‑air interventions.
Schools in Focus | 2025 Year-End Health & Attendance Review – May 22 2025 | 9 p.m. ET
We brought in air quality experts to discuss the impact of poor air quality and infectious disease on school absenteeism, and explored practical ways to get clean air solutions into the school environment.
Partner with us
Air Support Project invites mission-aligned organizations, researchers, funders, and grassroots groups to partner with us. Together, we can create cleaner, healthier indoor environments through open-source innovation, community education, and evidence-driven action. Please reach out to Melissa Smallwood (melissa@airsupportproject) if you are interested in working together with us to make clean air accessible to all. Sign up for email updates here.
Donate to us
Air Support Project is a registered 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, so every contribution is tax-deductible in the United States and fuels our open-source mission to make clean indoor air a universal right. Your gift underwrites the design and deployment of ultra-quiet, high-CADR fan-and-filter purifiers, community workshops, and the free Airwareness Support App—all shared publicly so anyone can copy, improve, and scale the work. Donate here.
"Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships."
