At the following New York City tech companies, teamwork really does make the dream work.
“Everyone at the company is always willing to listen to other team members’ new ideas and as a result, our products are always changing and improving as we grow,” said Abishai Gray, a senior software engineer at Spruce.
This kind of team dynamic is just one reason for Gray’s tenure at the real estate technology company.
If you’re looking to become part of a close-knit team where you can consistently learn and grow, look no further. Built In NYC checked in with 10 tech leaders across the city whose companies are actively hiring to get a quick pulse of their respective team dynamics, what they enjoy about their roles and what they’re excited to accomplish this year.
What they do: 360Learning is a learning platform that combines collaborative tools with the power of learning management systems (LMS). As a result of the company’s rapid growth in the last year, Enterprise Account Executive Travis Lopes said he’s excited to hire additional members to his team and help them ramp up.
What was the deciding factor for you when you accepted your job at your current company?
When I interviewed at 360Learning, part of the interview process was a 30-minute role-play (15-minute discovery, 15-minute demo). I distinctly remember after the role-play that the interviewer gave me helpful, detailed, thoughtful feedback and coaching. I remember thinking to myself that I hadn’t received this level of coaching for the last year in my current role and that I wanted to work for someone like him. That was the deciding factor for me accepting my job.
I can honestly say that all of those things have come true. I believe there is a current deficit in coaching in the tech sales world. In all of my sales roles in tech so far, receiving coaching and feedback that helps build your skills as an account executive has not been a priority for leadership. At 360Learning, we are bucking the trend.
Looking to the future, what excites you most about where your company is headed?
What excites me the most about where 360Learning is headed is the fact that during 2020, a French company breaking into a crowded corporate learning market in the U.S. during the worst global pandemic in the last century was able to grow around 300 percent in revenue.
I wanted to work for someone who I could learn and grow from.”
In my role as enterprise AE, I was responsible for a part of that and I am super excited about bringing on additional teammates in my role and helping them ramp up. Additionally, I am excited about helping 360Learning continue to grow its presence as a top-ranked learning management system and learning experience platform in the U.S. corporate learning market.
What they do: Third Summit is a digital media company that creates enterprise-grade tools for mainstream content creators. Vice President of Product Lior Berezinski said that he’s excited to continue working on their current project, Alteon, where he has the opportunity to work on roadmap development and expansion.
What was the deciding factor for you when you accepted your job at your current company?
Having worked in media and entertainment for more than 20 years, when I saw Third Summit’s vision for the industry, I understood immediately how unique and modern their work is. Our main project, building the Alteon production ecosystem, has strong potential to change the way content gets created by freelancers, ad agencies, studios and influencers. I appreciated how deliberate the creators were in designing Alteon, targeting key pain points in the creative industry.
You can contribute to the creation of theatrical and TV releases that end up being viewed by millions of people around the world.”
I was also eager to keep working in the media and entertainment space, as it’s a fun and exciting industry to be in. You can contribute to the creation of theatrical and TV releases that end up being viewed by millions of people around the world. Everyone working on Alteon shares that love and industry experience. It’s a great environment for anyone familiar with the world of digital communication.
We are often exposed to new technologies and we are always looking for better, more efficient ways to accomplish our goals. As creators of technology for media professionals, it’s an environment that can feel limitless.
Looking to the future, what excites you most about where your company is headed?
The product we’re working on, Alteon, is a tool for content creators that simply does not exist in today’s market. Forging into unprecedented territory gives me the opportunity to draft its development and expansion roadmap into three key areas: scalable cloud storage, on-demand payment processing and community building. We rely on AI and cloud technology to create everything, making our goals and work culture very future-oriented.
I have worked in both the manufacturing and consumer side of the media software industry. Because Alteon is an agile tool, I am able to combine all facets of my background to help create a product that truly helps content creators and their clients work more easily together.
What they do: Fintech company Canoe automates the document and data workflows related to alternative investments. Being a product manager at a startup means no two workdays are the same for Kevin Tobiassen. He enjoys the fast-paced environment and being able to contribute and work across all teams of the organization.
What was the deciding factor for you when you accepted your job at your current company?
As a product professional, I was blown away by the technology that Canoe had already built. After hearing the CEO and CTO’s vision, I realized that the product was just scratching the surface of its potential. I ended up taking the position because I was most excited by the opportunity to build out a killer product at a young company on top of such a strong technological foundation.
I was excited by the opportunity to build out a killer product at a company with a strong technological foundation.”
Looking to the future, what excites you most about where your company is headed?
Being a product manager at a startup, no two workdays are the same. I’m getting to contribute and work across all the teams of the organization, from sales to client success and engineering. The variety and the fast-paced environment keeps me energized. It also helps me to get a lot of different perspectives on what we, as a product organization, should be prioritizing next for our clients. Being able to make such a wide-ranging impact on the growth of this team, company and product as it evolves excites me the most.
What they do: Codecademy is an interactive platform that offers free coding classes in 12 different programming languages. Director of Engineering Kip Price said that, as a company, they’re currently exploring new ways to extend the platform and serve users throughout their entire learning journeys.
What was the deciding factor for you when you accepted your job at your current company?
The biggest thing that drew me to Codecademy was how passionate everyone is about teaching the world to code. It was clear from my interview day onward that Codecademy was very focused on empowering anyone to start their coding journey. On top of that, everyone at Codecademy is equally comfortable teaching and learning. Every day is an opportunity to try something new or to share knowledge with the rest of my team.
At Codecademy, every day is an opportunity to try something new.’’
Looking to the future, what excites you most about where your company is headed?
As we grow as a company and team, I’m most excited to see how far Codecademy can take learners on their coding journeys. For the last 10 years, we’ve focused on making Codecademy the best place to start learning to code. Today, we’re exploring ways to extend our platform and serve users throughout their entire learning journeys — whether they are just starting out or already coding full-time and looking to expand their technical skill sets.
What they do: Bliss Point Media is a video advertising agency that combines machine learning and decision science to deliver clients’ campaigns. Looking to the future, Ella Toselli, director of client strategy and analytics, said that BPM is excited to continue to evolve its product to meet the changing TV-advertising landscape.
As a tenured employee, what has been the biggest reason you’ve stayed at your company so long?
I’ve stayed at Bliss Point for over two years because of the learning opportunities that I’ve had since day one. There truly is not a week that goes by where I don’t learn something new at BPM. There is an emphasis on learning, development and growth within your role that I think is hard to find elsewhere. This has kept me engaged over the years, coupled with the enjoyment of working with genuine and motivated colleagues.
There’s an emphasis on learning and development that I think is hard to find elsewhere.
Looking to the future, what excites you most about where your company is headed?
The TV world is an exciting place to be right now with the introduction of several new streaming platforms and changing viewership trends. Bliss Point is at the forefront of these changes, evolving to provide measurement and media expertise for all of the new opportunities and industry trends.
What they do: Spruce is a platform that aims to provide users with fast, frictionless and transparent real estate transactions. Senior Software Engineer Abishai Gray said that he enjoys working with a group of people who are all focused on the same goal: success for users, clients and the company.
As a tenured employee, what has been the biggest reason you’ve stayed at your company so long?
I love the work that I do. I am solving interesting problems for our users. It’s very rewarding to hear about the positive impact we have on our users’ lives. I feel like I am working with a group of people who want what’s best for our users and the business. Everyone is always willing to listen to other team member’s new ideas and as a result, our products change and improve as the team grows.
It’s rewarding to hear about the positive impact we have in our users’ lives.”
Looking to the future, what excites you most about where your company is headed?
I’m most excited about the impact I and all of us at Spruce could have on the people that we serve and the industry we are trying to change. Additionally, I’m looking forward to continuing to work with a group of people who are focused on success for our users, clients and ourselves.
What they do: Software company Chainalysis helps businesses investigate blockchain activity. Looking to the future, Federal Account Executive Yacine Allaoua said that he’s excited to continue working on a product that helps people better join the global economy.
What was the deciding factor for you when you accepted your job at your current company?
The deciding factor for me was the groundbreaking nature of what we do and the role we play in making the world a better place. As I was interviewing, every time I connected with somebody, a brand new case was being brought to justice. On top of being a crypto geek, it was clear that Chainalysis plays a massive role in driving down crime on the blockchain, as well as offering solutions to stakeholders that help them stay compliant and take part in this new and growing asset class. Aside from the technology, each Chainalysist I met during my hiring process amplified that this was a place I wanted to be.
A year later, these feelings have been confirmed and reinforced, not just by the folks I joined with but all those who have joined since. There is a true desire from everybody to collaborate and take Chainalysis and the cryptocurrency industry as far as it can go.
There’s a true desire to take Chainalysis and the cryptocurrency industry as far as it can go.”
Looking to the future, what excites you most about where your company is headed?
The work we do today is helping unbanked people join the global economy. You need a mailing address to open a bank account but just a smartphone to buy, sell and send cryptocurrencies. Most people have a smartphone, including migrants and refugees. Each day, we are helping with the maturation of a brand new asset class, while allowing anybody with a phone to have a “seat at the table.” This is what makes what we do so important.
What they do: Summer helps users navigate the complex student loan marketplace. This year, the company is focusing on enhancing its partnerships with employers, including small businesses, enterprises and nonprofits, Head of Partner Impact Ella Saunders Crivello said.
As a tenured employee, what has been the biggest reason you’ve stayed at your company so long?
The last year has been relentless. At Summer, we’ve seen the devastating impact the pandemic has had on student loan borrowers. I am proud to work with the Summer team to ensure borrowers across every income level — no matter their employment status — are free of the stress and burden of their student debt.
My husband and I welcomed our daughter, Anna, in October. Her birth has provided a profound perspective on how important it is to feel passionate about the impact your work can bring. We need to know we’re contributing to creating a world that we’d like our daughter to feel stable in. That is why I love working at Summer.
We need to know we’re contributing to creating a world that we’d like our daughter to feel stable in.”
Looking to the future, what excites you most about where your company is headed?
This year, Summer is focused on enhancing partnerships with employers, including small businesses, enterprises and nonprofits. These partnerships provide real and lasting relief to employees.
Our existing partners share with us that this is a benefit that ensures stability for their employees and reduces shame around debt. Furthermore, when an employer plays a part in helping their employees achieve their financial goals, it boosts employee morale and productivity and impacts the employee’s tenure at the company.
What they do: Rightpoint is a consultancy that aims to deliver digital branding and marketing services to clients. As part of her role with the company, Director of Analytics Kathleen Lukasik said that she’s excited to continue to enhance their use of insights from data to inform customers’ adoption of data-driven decision making.
What was the deciding factor for you when you accepted your job at your current company?
As I was going through the interview process, something about Rightpoint made me feel confident in accepting my position. From the onset, I was met with passionate and curious people who I knew I would be proud to work with.
Being involved in a growing practice of strategists, technologists and designers who were curious enough to pave a new way forward and think cohesively struck a chord with me. To this day, our collaborative nature and processes keep me energized to do great work for our clients.
From the onset, I was met with passionate and curious people who I knew I would be proud to work with.”
Looking to the future, what excites you most about where your company is headed?
Within the last year and a half, we’ve grown consistently, introduced new practices and specialties, and continued to help our clients evolve their experiences with customers and employees. It has been quite a journey!
As part of my role within the company, I am excited to continue to enhance our use of insights from data and analysis to inform our work. Our approach to data and analytics considers the growing complexity of data challenges with strategic analytics specializations that work together. With the intersection of these skills, we can connect the dots between business strategy and the technology experiences they are built on to help solve some of our clients’ toughest challenges.
What they do: MANTL is an enterprise software company that builds technology to enable banks and credit unions to better serve their customers. Software Engineer Dain Chatel is excited to continue to evolve his skills in development, domain-driven design and continuous delivery.
As a tenured employee, what has been the biggest reason you’ve stayed at your company so long?
I’ve stayed at MANTL because of our communicative, ambitious and well-rounded engineering team. The leaders of the team value individual growth as much as code improvement. They seize every opportunity to implement new technologies or challenge us to level up. My colleagues are focused on process, thoughtful discussion and documentation, which has allowed us to design a clear, maintainable system that we can continue to improve as the team grows.
At MANTL, everyone has a chance to work across the stack.”
Looking to the future, what excites you most about where your company is headed?
I’m excited to leverage new technologies in our local development environment, go deeper with domain-driven design and keep striving for continuous delivery. At MANTL, everyone has a chance to work across the stack and any engineer can attend any technical planning session. This prevents us from siloing domain knowledge and helps us make sound architectural decisions. Our founders have also made a commitment to diversity and inclusion, which improves the quality of our code and community as we tackle increasingly complex challenges.
