How giving back plays a big role at these LA tech companies

by Joyce Famakinwa
August 28, 2018

LA tech companies are driven to make the world a better place by building both products and company cultures that put philanthropy center stage.

For many local companies, that means investing in the community, volunteering their time for worthy causes and pushing forward research that will ultimately benefit us all. Here’s how four LA companies are making a difference — and how those charitable efforts are baked into their cultural DNA.

 

SteelHouse team
photo via steelhouse

SteelHouse’s cloud-based marketing platform gives businesses the tools they need to build and launch marketing campaigns. The adtech company’s platform allows users to design and track ads as well as adjust budget based on performance. Anna McMurphy, the company’s head of people, culture and entertainment, talked to us about how the company is giving back to the community.

Anyone who suggests a way we can give back to our community is met with encouragement and provided the resources to get it done!”

Can you talk about some of the current volunteer efforts your company is involved in, or other ways you empower the team to give back to the community?

One ongoing project that SteelHouse has been involved in is a community pantry just outside of our office. We fill it with books and food, making these resources available to anyone who might need them. SteelHouse also organizes group volunteering events. An example is when we make lunches for the homeless living along the LA river, which is located right next to our office. Everyone at SteelHouse will stop by the kitchen to make sandwiches and pack the bags, and then we ride our office bikes to hand them out.

 

How do these efforts reflect your company’s culture and values?

SteelHouse has five pillars that make up our culture, one of which is respect. This respect extends to our relationship with the community we live and work in. Anyone who suggests a way we can give back to our community is met with encouragement and provided the resources to get it done!

 

Criteria Corp team
photo via Criteria Corp

From sorting through mountains of resumes to conducting an endless stream of interviews, the hiring process is no walk in the park. But Criteria Corp wants to help make that workflow a little more streamlined. The software company’s specially designed pre-employment personality, aptitude and skill tests allow companies in all industries to better uncover cream-of-the-crop candidates. Adam Walsh, a director of sales and founder of Criteria Corp’s volunteer committee, walked us through the company’s many charitable efforts.  

 

Helping is in the fabric of our culture here as much as it is present in our services.”

Can you talk about some of the current volunteer efforts your company is involved in, or other ways you empower the team to give back to the community?

We have charity events at least quarterly that are chosen by our volunteer committee. Anyone is welcome to attend these monthly meetings to help choose the next event. The events range from reading to kids and educational programs to feeding the hungry, cleaning up beaches and attending charity walks to help fight diseases.

Two of my favorite charities we support are the Midnight Mission and the LA Food Bank. Around the holidays, we also participate in Children’s Hospital Los Angeles’ adopt a family program, and we have been able to add an additional family each year as we have grown as a company. In addition to the company-wide events, we also provide an annual benefit where every employee can choose a charity, and Criteria will donate $250 to that charity in their name.

 

How do these efforts reflect your company’s culture and values?

We help companies find talent to help grow their business. Helping is in the fabric of our culture here as much as it is present in our services.

 

Prodege team
photo via prodege

Prodege is the parent company of a host of rewards and cash-back brands like ShopAtHome.com, MyPoints.com and Swagbucks.com. The company boasts over 40 million members and has provided more the $500 million in cash back and gift cards. If that isn’t keeping them busy enough, the company is also active on the philanthropy front. Josef Gorowitz, the company’s founder and president, gave us the details.

We strongly believe that charitable giving and volunteering is one of the greatest things we can do personally and as a company.”

Can you talk about some of the current volunteer efforts your company is involved in, or other ways you empower the team to give back to the community?

At Prodege, we’re passionate about giving back to our communities and we strongly believe that charitable giving and volunteering is one of the greatest things we can do personally and as a company. Employees are given $200 a year to donate to a charity of their choice. Our employees are empowered to donate to causes that are important to them personally, and it’s something that we all look forward to on a quarterly basis.

We have also partnered with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles in the past by supporting their Make March Matter program as well as offering volunteer opportunities for employees with CHLA’s Companies for Kids program. We also support and partner with Mychal’s Learning Place, an organization that works with children and adults with developmental disabilities.  

 

82 Labs
photo via 82 labs

Have you ever wanted to bottle and sell your favorite cure? 82 Labs actually did just that. The company is the creator of Morning Recovery, an elixir that helps speed up the breakdown of toxins that accumulate in your body from drinking. Co-founder and CEO Sisun Lee told us about the company’s dedication to science-based studies — and how that ties back into their mission of promoting health and wellness.

Our values reflect our approach to science, wellness and human health.”

Can you talk about some of the current community-focused efforts your company is involved in, or other ways you empower the team to give back?

Morning Recovery was developed in conjunction with leading Ph.D. researchers at the USC School of Pharmacy. We support their groundbreaking foundational research to help us understand, on a molecular level, how alcohol impacts our bodies.

In 2018, we formally launched our broader research in partnership with the USC School of Pharmacy to continue to support their innovative work and further enhance our commitment to research.

Our gift to the university supports the USC School of Pharmacy’s Boldly First Initiative, an endeavor that ensures the school sets the highest standards of excellence in education, research and clinical practice for years to come. In addition to our partnership with USC, we recently formalized a Science Advisory Group adding the expertise of leading researchers like Dr. Joris C. Verster of the Alcohol Hangover Research Group.

I couldn’t be prouder to have partners making such profound and indelible impact on the everyday lives of people.

 

How do these efforts reflect your company’s culture and values?

Our company is very data-driven and in a category where there is naturally a lot of skepticism. Our values reflect our approach to science, wellness and human health. We believe a rigorous approach and commitment to science, research and data is the best way to advance our customer, product and company philosophy.

 

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