Culture can make or break a team.
Or at least that’s what folks on the product teams at Caliola Engineering and Accuris would say.
“‘Impactful’ describes our culture because what we build and how we work saves lives,” UX/UI Designer Andrea told Built In.
Andrea went on to explain that the product team culture at Caliola Engineering, which offers expertise in military satellite communications, always has a sense of impact because their team decisions are rooted in real-world consequences.
“That shared purpose — protecting lives, enabling critical missions, serving the nation — infuses our culture with clarity and meaning,” Andrea added.
Meanwhile, the president of product management at Accuris, Michael Arnold, said that “drive” was the best word to describe the team culture on the data-driven product team.
“At Accuris, we don’t wait for the industry to tell us what’s next; we build what’s next,” Arnold said.
Built In spoke with Arnold and Andrea in detail about what sets their employers apart.
Accuris provides digital transformation to engineering organizations.
Describe your company culture in one word. What made you pick that word?
Driven. At Accuris, we don’t wait for the industry to tell us what’s next, we build what’s next. I chose ‘driven’ because our culture is fueled by a relentless push to innovate, improve and deliver meaningful results for our customers. We’re not content with incremental change. We push boundaries, challenge assumptions and move fast.
What's the coolest project you've worked on recently, and how did it help you grow professionally?
I have been with Accuris for just over two years.
The coolest project I’ve worked on recently is the launch of Thread, our newest product designed to bring structure and traceability to complex engineering requirements. What made it stand out wasn’t just the technical challenge but the orchestration it required across every part of the company: product, engineering, data science, data partnerships, sales and marketing.
The project sharpened my ability to operate at both 30,000 feet and ground level and made it clear that real innovation doesn’t come from perfect conditions but from a team that’s aligned, committed and resourceful.
Caliola Engineering develops secure, resilient communication technologies that support mission-critical operations for national defense.
Describe your company culture in one word. What made you pick that word?
Impactful. ‘Impactful’ describes our culture because what we build and how we work saves lives. Our team is impactful because every decision we make, every system we build and every mission we support has real-world consequences. That shared purpose — protecting lives, enabling critical missions, serving the nation — infuses our culture with clarity and meaning. This deep sense of purpose, paired with a culture of insight, innovation and integrity, is what makes our team not just effective but exceptional. At present, we are currently serving mission-critical communications through our engineering services team while our software and hardware teams are actively working with the Navy to provide the next generation of secure and resilient communications solutions.
What's the coolest project you've worked on recently, and how did it help you grow professionally?
The coolest project I’ve worked on since I’ve been at Caliola has been the creation of the mission planning software for the Navy’s newest satellite modem.
While working on this project, I was able to work directly with our customer at the Navy, including project leads as well as the end users who will be using the product in the future. Getting to visit the end users and locations where the software will be used helped inform our UX and UI design of the program as well as establish relationships with contacts that we can now reach out to for further support on decision-making while developing this application. This has also opened the door for other projects we are working on with the Navy in relation to getting access to stakeholders, subject matter experts and the final end users to provide ongoing feedback during our product development process.