Led by a team of adventure-loving globetrotters, software and travel tech company FareHarbor knows an exciting business when it sees one.
The Denver-based organization recently introduced its “Summer Rippers” project, an initiative launched to motivate FareHarbor team members to bring positive revenue growth — or “absolutely rip” — for its clients.
“It was amazing to see because we brought growth to over 700 of our clients, but also because it was so much fun,” Manager of Account Management Max Sosland said. “Each action had a different point total associated with it, and by the end whichever team had the most points won anything from extra PTO to custom-made T-shirts to getting to pie all of our managers in the face.”
With innovative projects like this, it’s safe to say that FareHarbor rips in its own right — and they aren’t the only ones. That’s why Built In Colorado met with nine local tech professionals to learn what makes their companies unique as they look to add new rippers to their teams.
Why have you decided to stay at your company after all of these years?
I was in a unique position to have worked with a number of Resi Media engineers, including Chief Technology Officer Brad Reitmeyer, at a previous Fortune 500 company. When Brad heard I wanted to make a move, he approached me about working at Resi. Going from a large multinational company with tens of thousands of employees to a small company with fewer than 100 was daunting. Big companies have deep pockets for R&D, but also mountains of red tape to wade through. But I eventually made the jump, and I’m glad I did.
The engineering team at Resi has a culture of excellence. We have accomplished so much and given our customers an amazing experience in video streaming. However, as amazing as our product is, we are not sitting around patting ourselves on the back. We are continually looking for ways to improve — whether that is the software we deliver to our customers, our CI/CD pipeline or our agile process and ceremonies. I have learned working at a small company has its advantages as well. At Resi, I get to affect real change, and my ideas are taken seriously. I’m proud to be a Resi engineer.
The nature of our core product and the experience of our engineering team play a huge role in the evolution of my engineering skills.”
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 at Resi is automated subtitles for live video. The near real-time aspect of live video demands attention to detail and covering of edge cases. Combined with the massive scale our systems are required to support, I faced the most exciting challenges in my career: distributed system design, autoscaling, custom instrumentation, resilience and near real-time latency requirements.
The nature of our core product and the experience of our engineering team play a huge role in the evolution of my engineering skills. Working at Resi is taking me to the next level.
Resi Media’s all-in-one video delivery platform specializes in high-quality transmission for web, multisite and on-demand streaming.
Why have you decided to stay at your company after all of these years?
Opportunity is the number one reason I have stayed at DISH. When I joined nine years ago, I found a company that is driven by curiosity, pride, adventure and a desire to win. This culture nicely aligns with my personal values and supports my desire to learn and grow.
DISH continues to reinvent itself — this time, in the wireless industry. I had the opportunity to join a new area of business, DISH Retail Wireless Technology, as the senior IT manager for Republic Wireless and Gen Mobile brands. This was a major role change for me, moving from the manufacturing team that supports DISH TV over to a newly formed organization that supports the technical needs of the rapidly evolving retail wireless business. This opportunity provides the challenges of learning the technical complexities of the retail wireless industry, creative problem solving and supporting the dynamic needs of a growing business.
I found a company that is driven by curiosity, pride, adventure and a desire to win.”
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 recently is onboarding the Republic Wireless technology stack into DISH. This project required building a new team to support and enhance the acquired systems, transitioning knowledge and ownership of these systems and finding ways to integrate with our existing IT infrastructure.
Professionally, I’ve been challenged to manage all aspects of the IT needs for an entire brand, including support, development, testing, integration and deployment, while also building a strategic IT roadmap for long-term success. I’ve also grown my communication, negotiation and presentation skills to better manage scope with stakeholders and provide updates to executive management. This is an exciting time to be part of DISH, and I am happy to help build the foundation for our multibranded wireless business.
DISH is a technology company that offers satellite television, live-streaming and on-demand programming, mobile plans and products, smart home installation services and more.
Why have you decided to stay at your company after all of these years?
Have you ever worked somewhere you didn’t feel like you made a difference in the lives of others, or you didn’t see how your work mattered? I have. But when I joined Pinnacol Assurance, that changed. I joined the team almost seven years ago in the information systems department, and today, I lead the advanced analytics practice, which applies automation and artificial intelligence to produce deep insights. Yes, Pinnacol offers competitive pay and benefits, but I stay for the impactful mission and compassionate team members I work with every day to solve important problems.
Pinnacol is dedicated to delivering high-caliber care and service in every aspect imaginable. To accomplish this, we examine our outcomes, learn and iterate to become better. To me, this is what makes Pinnacol a truly outstanding organization. We’re focused on serving our policyholders and injured workers as well as our agent partners, vendors and employees.
The work I do with my team and other colleagues at Pinnacol helps us deliver efficient and timely care to hardworking, injured Coloradans, and helps Colorado businesses achieve competitively priced coverage with a focus on creating safe workplaces.
Yes, Pinnacol offers competitive pay and benefits, but I stay for the impactful mission and compassionate team members I work with every day to solve important problems.”
What’s the coolest project you’ve worked on recently, and how did it help you grow professionally?
At Pinnacol, I lead our data science and machine learning operations. To solve complex business problems, my team uses deep data analysis to identify actionable insights and opportunities and builds products to augment or automate decision-making.
Many of the projects we work on require collaboration with other Pinnacol teams. I enjoy that I have regular opportunities to learn more about our business and refine my problem-solving skills. I have the honor of leading a bright team of data scientists, natural language processing engineers and machine-learning engineers. These experts teach me new things every day.
Over the past year, my team worked on building alerts to help employees monitor claims that require more attention. We also constructed predictive model systems that will enable future process augmentation. More recently, my team is engaged in project work that’s focused on better customizing our product for Colorado businesses. This work is energizing, challenging and impactful, which helps me grow as a professional.
Pinnacol Assurance is a state-centric private insurance company that specializes in workers’ compensation cases. Its mission is to keep workers safe and healthy on the job.
Why have you decided to stay at your company after all of these years?
Since first joining FareHarbor as an intern four years ago, and then full-time almost three years ago, I have stayed because of the amazing people and clients who I have gotten to work with. Individuals from any team will pause whatever it is they are working on if it means they can provide their expertise to get a solution for a client or help someone figure out an issue. Each team member contributes their expertise in different ways, from the technical to the relationship side, and people are always so happy to lend a hand. So many projects require individuals ranging from account managers to site experts to dashboard specialists — and sometimes all at once. For example if a client is getting a brand-new website built, that also requires changes to the tours they operate. When those opportunities arise, everyone jumps in with the same goal of helping our clients run their tours and activities.
FareHarbor is an online reservation and management software system for tours and travel activity.
What was the key driver in your decision to join your company?
The high-growth environment, passionate people and space to grow professionally drove my decision to join Sunday.
Sunday has created an environment filled with incredibly smart, creative people who bring diverse perspectives and experience. Our collaborative culture is rooted in respect and a genuine passion for the impact we are all making.
Sunday has given me the autonomy to influence and grow my business unit and team. I continually feel challenged, enthusiastic and motivated by what we are accomplishing.
Our collaborative culture is rooted in respect and a genuine passion for the impact we are all making.”
What’s the coolest project you’ve worked on recently, and how did it help you grow professionally?
As the GM of Retail at Sunday, my team is constantly ideating on ways to bring the digital experience of the brand to life on shelf. In 2022, we launched a portfolio of regionally relevant nutrients across our retail channel. We crafted these products utilizing our soil database, created regionally inspired content and delivered a custom experience for Sunday shoppers across the country. The launch was driven by teams across science, R&D, marketing, creative and supply chain. The cross-functional power of Sunday allowed us to launch a customer-centric, customized approach in retail.
Sunday is a data-driven startup based in Boulder with a mission to empower consumers to take better care of their land.
Why have you decided to stay at your company after all of these years?
When I started with Enverus about three years ago, my initial attraction was the unique space we occupy in the energy industry, as well as the opportunity to be a part of a growing company. I wasn’t looking for the status quo. I was looking for a challenge and to be part of something bigger. I have not been disappointed. The opportunities I’ve had at Enverus have helped me grow more than at any other point in my career.
I wasn’t looking for the status quo. I was looking for a challenge and to be part of something bigger.”
What’s your favorite perk or benefit your company offers?
Enverus works hard to ensure we are providing a growth-minded culture for our employees where they feel valued and can come as they are. Part of that is providing opportunities for employees to give back to the communities where they live and work, so we provide employees with volunteer time off so they can support those community organizations that hold meaning for them. We also have our Enverus Communities, which is a safe place to network, share ideas and discuss topics of interest.
Enverus brings stability to the energy industry by enabling businesses to make smarter energy investments.
What was the key driver in your decision to join your company?
From the beginning, Honeybee Robotics aligned with my interests in aerospace that I had felt for a long time. I knew about the rock abrasion tool on the Mars Rover before I knew about Honeybee, and was so excited to find out Honeybee was involved. The projects, people and the great support I get from my manager keep me here.
The projects, people and the great support I get from my manager keep me here.”
What’s the coolest project you’ve worked on recently, and how did it help you grow professionally?
A Thrust Vector Control Actuator that gimbals a rocket engine on a lunar lander. I have been working on the motor and the gearbox. We have not done anything like this before, and it presents a ton of interesting engineering challenges. As a new graduate, this is a super engaging way to learn new things. Specifically, this program has taught me how we can stretch our heritage designs and knowledge to tackle problems that are new.
Honeybee Robotics is spurring the advancement of space exploration with a thorough approach to research and development.
What was the key driver in your decision to join your company?
Simply stated, I joined CyberGRX for the people. A lot of companies say they value their people and that their culture matters most, but I have found that the reality of every day doesn’t always match the inspirational speeches or the posters on the wall. At CyberGRX, I am professionally challenged by all of my teammates on a daily basis, from my approach to my perspective to my way of executing. I have learned so much across the board that has made me a better teammate and leader. And the best part is, I really enjoy working alongside everyone, having a good laugh, celebrating the moments of great success and just understanding the journey each of us are on.
I have never seen people step up — without hesitation — to come together and provide support the way our employees did for their colleagues.”
What’s your favorite perk or benefit your company offers?
I saw the true colors of our team shine this past year, when we had several employees devastatingly lose their homes to the fires that occurred in Louisville. Even amidst a period of significant growth and change, I have never seen people step up — without hesitation — to come together and provide support the way our employees did for their colleagues. It felt like a family, where you could lean on one another for help, even when you weren’t asking for any.
CyberGRX is a cyber risk-management platform for businesses and their third-party connections.
Why have you decided to stay at your company after all of these years?
I joined Matillion two and a half years ago, and it’s still one of the best decisions of my career. The number one reason I’ve stayed at Matillion over the years is because of its values-based culture. Matillion truly cares about its people and community, and that is exhibited every single day. Matillion offers five weeks of PTO after your first year of employment, and five paid volunteer days encouraging employees to refresh, recharge and give back. With two young kids of my own, my team always allows me to put my family first, no matter what, and that is something I find invaluable.
my team always allows me to put my family first, no matter what.”
What’s the coolest project you’ve worked on recently, and how did it help you grow professionally?
One of the coolest projects I’ve recently worked on is building an account-based marketing entitlements framework that strategically aligns marketing and field. This included developing a go-to-market strategy that leverages data and insights to align and coordinate both marketing and field activities across the customer lifecycle. The opportunity to develop something like this for the business has really allowed me to push the boundaries of what my team and I are capable of executing as we continue to scale roles and responsibilities for my team. It was an incredibly fun and rewarding experience that challenged me in every aspect of my role.
Matillion provides transformation and integration for data stored in the cloud.
