Love where you work: 3 Colorado tech employees on the best parts of their jobs

by Jess Ryan
March 3, 2017

Obviously, nobody seeks out a job they’re going to hate. But it’s always better to find a job you love, right? From a great team and a unique office to interesting work and opportunities to grow, these Colorado startup employees have plenty of reasons to love where they work.

 

“This is the reason why I hope to do this the rest of my life.” — Valerie Erwin

Screen Pilot has been working with hotels and hospitality brands since 2006. The marketing and advertising agency calls the Union Station neighborhood in Denver home, with an office right across the street from the iconic and newly-revived building. Nearly three years ago, account executive Valerie Erwin joined the Screen Pilot team, where she acts as a champion for her clients, staying knowledgeable about the industry and helping clients stay up-to-speed on best practices and strategies.

How would you describe working at Screen Pilot?

Crazy, in a good way. I think the definitive nature of most agency work, especially in a digital realm, is how fast-paced it is, so that definitely keeps you on your toes at all times. Personally, I crave and need that; I have never done well in roles or companies where it is easy to grow complacent with the work. At Screen Pilot, every member of this team is constantly growing, learning, doing and creating. It's for the better, too — not just for each person, but for our team, and for our clients. Oh, and fun — have I mentioned we have fun here? This group is work hard, play hard. We love what we do, and we love spending time with each other, whether in the office or out at happy hours and exploring the awesome neighborhood we live and work in.

Why do you love it?

It's hard to pick just one reason, but I'll tell you this: This question was the first question I asked in my interview with Screen Pilot almost three years ago as soon as they gave me the chance to. When I asked, my now colleague, Justin, said, "Because I get to create every day." Honestly, when he said that, I thought, "You're full of it, only designers and copywriters create." That's the traditional agency model, right? I'm so glad I was wrong. In fact, his answer was one of the things that made me so drawn to taking the job with Screen Pilot. Here was this group of people who wouldn't shut up about how much they loved the work, how quickly they were growing and how much they got to create. I heard that and thought, “This, this is the reason why I hope to do this the rest of my life.”

 

“There's a constant buzz that goes well beyond the coffee and espresso, and you feel it from the moment you walk in the door.” — Matt Zwiebel

Matt Zwiebel is the member success manager for Galvanize’s Denver campuses. He supports members at the Colorado-based coworking space and educational ecosystem with programming, mentorship and relationship building. Zwiebel joined the Galvanize team almost two years ago.

How would you describe working at Galvanize?

Working at Galvanize is as far from dull as you can imagine. There's a constant buzz that goes well beyond the coffee and espresso, and you feel it from the moment you walk in the door. You've got entrepreneurs collaborating with one another, students building new apps and a staff that works hard at making sure the energy never stops flowing. It kind of reminds me of the lobby at a university library — a beautiful mix of problem solvers, social butterflies and teams that are executing on real ideas that can scale.

Why do you love it?

Before I moved here from Chicago, I was working at an early stage startup out of Galvanize's sister space, 1871. During my first month in Denver, I sat in Gather (our cafe at our Golden Triangle campus) for hours on end doing freelance work for friends as I searched for a new job; it just felt natural to me. Personally, I thrive off of being in that sort of community where the energy is palpable and all around you. Each time a member shares a win or comes to jam on a problem with me or my team, I get excited about what's to come for them. We all know the adage that 9 out of 10 startups will fail, but every entrepreneur I've met at Galvanize has basically tossed that out the window and keeps hustling and learning. In short, I believe I have the coolest job in Denver knowing that Galvanize will be a small part of their journey towards success.

 

“So long as the company is able to grow and people are able to do their jobs efficiently, I am happy.” — Stacie Wilhelm

Stacie Wilhelm joined Green Chef’s team just over a year ago. The software engineer supports the company’s mission of making cooking fun by bringing fresh food to consumers through an e-commerce platform. The company got its start in 2014 and delivers almost everywhere in the continental United States.

How would you describe working at Green Chef?

Working at Green Chef requires adaptability, as the company is constantly evolving. While pieces of the software I am building are necessary for the company to move forward today, those same pieces may be completely obsolete in six months. And that’s okay! So long as the company is able to grow and people are able to do their jobs efficiently, I am happy.

Why do you love it?

I love being in the background, helping solve problems, and working with other teammates who are just as passionate about both the product we’re creating and the consumer. With all of the moving pieces of our company, collaboration is key to making sure the pieces are moving at just the right pace and just the right time while being able to adjust when the rhythm changes.

 

Photos via featured companies.

Why do you love where you work? Let us know on Twitter: @builtincolorado.

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