A new ZDNet article lists Denver as the fourth-best city in the United States for tech jobs, based on a combination of census, economic and cost of living data. Lists like these are helpful when it comes to boosting the national tech profile of a city. However, numbers alone can’t accurately capture why Denver — and Colorado more broadly — is a great place to work in tech. To understand that, you need to go straight to the source.
For Krystel Harvey, director of enterprise solutions at Colorado Springs-based Quantum Metric, it’s the fact that her company’s focus on work-life balance doesn’t force her to choose between her career and being a mother. Christian McErlean, a software engineer at Vorto in Denver, appreciates that the technology he develops makes a meaningful impact in the lives of its users. In nearby Lakewood, AdAction’s Conor Moloney, director of business development, said the company’s culture of collaboration is reflected on Slack, with a special channel dedicated to asking for help when both work and life challenges arise.
Along with Harvey, McErlean and Moloney, we also spoke with a handful of other local tech workers about both their company cultures and what they love about their jobs. The good news? The insight provided is actionable, as all of the companies featured here are currently hiring.
FluentStream is a cloud-based phone services and communications software provider. Its tech enables companies to see who is on the phone and how long they’ve been on a call, instantly route callers to available reps and identify exactly how many text messages sent by the business have gone unopened.
What’s one thing that makes FluentStream’s company culture unique or special?
We truly are all in it together. Everyone at FluentStream embodies that. There is no task too large or small to take on, and for larger projects we do a great job of collaborating across the organization so we don’t end up with anyone feeling like Atlas. We all recognize that in order to execute on our mission and goals, we have to be willing to take on projects that may be entirely new and unknown to us and that sometimes there may be a menial, though valuable, project that we just need to complete.
With regard to smaller projects, nothing is below anyone in the company. Case in point: Last year we went through a high-priority modernization of our internal data management system, and one of the tasks that had to be completed was verifying the accuracy of customer address information. This meant a lot of Google search time and copy and pasting. There really wasn’t much capacity at that time, so our CEO and I virtually sat side by side and worked through it over the course of a day. We certainly both had a plethora of other large projects in process, but at that moment in time Googling was what needed to get done to keep us working toward our goals.
To execute on our mission and goals, we have to be willing to take on projects that may be entirely new and unknown to us.”
What’s the coolest project you’ve worked on recently, and what did you enjoy most about it?
Consolidating vendors for one of our services from 17 to three. As we evolve and mature as a company and tech team, we are shifting our mindset to focus more on quality, reliability and resiliency instead of a singular focus on lowest cost. While cost is a consideration, ensuring high-quality service our customers can depend on is paramount to our growth and success.
For vendor consolidation, I made very conscious decisions about which vendors we retained to meet these objectives. I had a lot of leeway in the path we chose. The expectation is that each person takes ownership of their projects and isn’t relying on someone to hand them a task to complete for the week.
I recently created Q4 care packages for the tech team. Building culture and morale in a remote environment is a challenge, and I put a lot of thought into what we do for the team each quarter. In Q4, I wanted to continue making everyone’s remote workspace comfortable. To that end, I sent a package that included a sweatshirt, cold brew kit, coffee beans from a local roaster and a couple of snacks.
Melio is a payments platform for small businesses designed to simplify the process of paying vendors and contractors. In addition to mailing checks straight to old-fashioned clients, Melio also offers users the option to pay bills with their credit card, provides the ability to split one bill across multiple payments and payment types, and offers solutions for paying international vendors.
What’s one thing that makes Melio’s company culture unique or special?
Prior to your first day, you receive an outpouring of welcome notes from people across the company. And once you start, people make time to personally meet and greet you. Regardless of worksite or team, we are all considered members of the “FaMelio” and this leads to organic cross-collaboration across teams and a culture built on shared success.
Opportunities to lead or participate in projects are never ending and may include projects that don’t fall under your normal responsibilities.”
What’s the coolest project you’ve worked on recently, and what did you enjoy most about it?
Opportunities to lead or participate in projects are never ending and may include projects that don’t fall under your normal responsibilities. I never thought as a customer success manager that I would lead a project allowing me to work directly with a budget and a vendor to choose the swag we sent to top customers as a holiday gift. I felt trusted and empowered to represent the company and was invited to lead similar projects in the future.
Quantum Metric helps teams work better together by making it easier for each one to understand what aspects of a product or customer experience they should focus on by gathering quantifiable customer insights in real-time.
What’s one thing that makes Quantum Metric’s company culture unique or special?
It feels like I get to come to work with my best friends and family every day. Everyone rolls up their sleeves and pitches in to help one another with no ego on the table whatsoever. We were working on an initiative for one of my customers and the whole team, from C-level executives to engineers and customer support, dropped everything and were at my beck and call with no questions asked for weeks on end.
It felt like everyone was willing to move mountains to make me as well as my customer successful and I’m so deeply appreciative for the hands-on support. I’m a mom of two young children, which can be a challenge to balance with a demanding career, and I never have to worry about leaning on a colleague for support if I can’t be available. I can be an amazing mom and an amazing employee and it’s all down to the culture of support and collaboration that’s been fostered at Quantum Metric.
I can be an amazing mom and an amazing employee and it’s all down to the culture of support and collaboration.”
What’s the coolest project you’ve worked on recently, and what did you enjoy most about it?
I signed up one of the top retailers in the world as a customer last year, which is probably the biggest achievement to date in my career as an enterprise sales executive. This took months of work, collaboration across multiple teams and required a lot of time getting to know hundreds of employees at this now-customer.
Understanding the nuances of what it takes to drive value for so many stakeholders at such an important company and seeing how powerful our platform is in meeting the challenges thrown our way was truly rewarding. Not only was working with my team enjoyable, but it was so validating to see us walk the walk and drive real results for such an important customer.
Projects like this make me so excited to wake up in the morning! I’ve been in this industry for nearly 15 years and have never felt so fulfilled by my career. This is thanks to the work I get to do, the people I am blessed to partner with and this incredible technology that is solving the biggest challenges companies face today.
PointsBet is a digital bookmaker and sports betting platform. The Australian company is the official sports betting partner of NBC Sports.
What’s one thing that makes PointsBet’s company culture unique or special?
What makes the PointsBet culture unique is the willingness from all members of the organization to help out with any task regardless of the project’s size. Everyone is viewed as an equal and their opinions are valued. In a time of major growth for our company, no little task is overlooked or goes unappreciated. It is truly a collaborative and team-oriented environment.
I’ve never seen a group of people turn a potential business risk into such a positive brand opportunity so quickly.”
What’s the coolest project you’ve worked on recently, and what did you enjoy most about it?
The activation and coverage of the $1 million potential payout from a five-leg parlay (five single bets linked together) made by one of our premium clients, Marco Piemonte. In a moment’s notice, everyone pulled together to help each other out and make sure this opportunity for PointsBet was amplified through every channel possible.
From the content team to global executives, PointsBet was able to seize a particular opportunity and take on risk that had benefits for the brand. In my working life, I’ve never seen a group of people turn a potential business risk into such a positive brand opportunity so quickly. I’ll never forget it and will utilize my learnings from this project in the future.
KPA provides environment, health and safety consulting services and software designed to help companies maintain regulatory compliance and keep their staff safe.
What’s one thing that makes KPA’s company culture unique or special?
We win and lose as a team; there are no lone wolves at KPA. Everyone from our CEO to CMO and SVP of sales are willing to jump on calls to help customers and our teammates. Our most-tenured representatives are always willing to jump in and help onboard and collaborate with new hires.
For example, we just hired eight new sellers, and each has been paired up with an existing KPA sales rep to help with their onboarding. New sellers listen in on discovery calls and demos and have dedicated one-on-one time to learn best practices from their seasoned partner. This type of onboarding really fosters an environment of learning where best practices are shared throughout the organization so we can all be successful. It truly is a great place to work!
We are making huge investments in our people, and it is showing in the high-caliber candidates we’re seeing and the diversity of our new AEs.”
What’s the coolest project you’ve worked on recently, and what did you enjoy most about it?
Building out KPA’s new markets team for 2022. We are making huge investments in our people, and it is really showing in the high-caliber candidates we’re seeing and the diversity of our new account executives. This project has been really rewarding because it reinforces the massive opportunity for growth here at KPA.
I have enjoyed collaborating with different departments to get qualified candidates in for interviews and new hires ramped up. We had referrals from existing employees throughout the organization, and our HR and talent acquisition team did a fantastic job working with hiring managers. Our onboarding and training team is getting everyone prepared to have a huge 2022.
Vorto has created an autonomous supply chain platform that uses artificial intelligence and automation to enable companies to put procurement, payment and logistics on autopilot.
What’s one thing that makes Vorto’s company culture unique or special?
The standout thing about Vorto’s culture is the genuine passion and drive that people here bring. These traits serve as a universal language and enable everyone to come together and form a cohesive team across background, identity and beliefs in a way I haven’t experienced before. This also makes company events enjoyable. A happy hour here is an earnest celebration of the team’s accomplishments and the individuals who made it happen instead of just a half-hearted team-building event.
A happy hour here is an earnest celebration of the team’s accomplishments and the individuals who made it happen.”
What’s the coolest project you’ve worked on recently, and what did you enjoy most about it?
The most rewarding experience I’ve had over the last year has been building a modern trucking platform that truck drivers can come on directly for work. The work was engaging and I was able to challenge myself and grow while learning a whole lot, but all of that pales in value compared to the positive impact we’ve had on the truck drivers themselves.
Trucking is one of the largest professions in America, but the industry is plagued with inefficiency and greed. Many different middlemen seek to capture the largest possible percentage of a driver’s work, leaving the driver with a tiny fraction of what they should have made. This is compounded with many other day-to-day issues, such as sometimes not getting paid for their work or not getting work at all, which brings undue hardship to an already demanding job.
We’ve been able to utilize automation and artificial intelligence to challenge the status quo of the trucking industry in various ways, like making payments a rapid and transparent process; optimizing a driver’s day so they can complete more work and make more money and giving them tools for managing themselves and potentially growing a business. Most importantly, we have cut out middlemen who do nothing but take by automatically matching a driver with the best work for them.
AdAction is an adtech company that specializes in performance marketing for mobile app developers and video game studios.
What’s one thing that makes AdAction’s company culture unique or special?
The tone at the top. AdAction embodies the “work hard, play hard” mantra more than any organization I’ve been part of. On top of that, leadership constantly looks for ways to sincerely and genuinely recognize the personal and professional accomplishments of our peers. Our founder and CEO bootstrapped the company from a single-room office to dozens of employees across multiple, international locations. I believe that his experience in having to perform every type of task required to make our business operate has rooted him in the understanding that revenue should not come at the cost of mental health and happiness.
Prior to Covid-19, social events, office sports and other general social gatherings were the norm. In spite of Covid and our transition to a fully remote workforce, leadership has prioritized initiatives and actions that focus on maintaining our bonds as a community of individuals working together for our mutual benefit. This ensures that — even while remote — the work hard, play hard spirit is not just a mantra: it’s the AdAction minimum.
Leadership has prioritized initiatives and actions that focus on maintaining our bonds as a community.”
What’s one company resource, program or benefit that has really enhanced your experience as an employee?
The collaborative nature of our organization, from the CEO to entry level staff, has been one of the most beneficial resources in my experience as an employee. Despite driving hundreds of billions in revenue, digital marketing is a fledgling industry. As such, change happens very quickly, and as a stakeholder you need to be able to adapt to these changes, often in real time. What I have found time and time again is that whenever there is a need, our organization rallies to find a swift resolution.
We’ve even gone so far as to create a dedicated Slack channel titled “helpmeout,” with the sole purpose of swiftly solving not only professional issues but out-of-work issues within the AdAction community. Whether someone needs help with a live test of a product, where to find a specific resource or help watching their dog for the weekend, someone will raise their hand and help you out even if it doesn’t directly impact their area of business.
