“Cockroach” usually isn’t used as a term of endearment, but nok’s VP of Operations Andrew Dewhurst hopes to give the word a positive spin.
“One of our early investors sent us an email calling us ‘the mighty cockroach warriors,’ because no matter what struggles or challenges we face, we simply survive and multiply,” Dewhurst said.
Dewhurst has since adopted the word “cockroach” to describe his company culture, praising his colleagues for their ongoing grit.
Meanwhile, if Tully O'Neill, a compliance project manager at fintech platform Aspiration, had to pick one word to describe her company’s culture, she’d choose “ingenuity,” inspired by her colleague’s idea to plant a tree each time a customer elects to round up to the nearest dollar.
“We launched this service in March and received rave reviews,” O’Neill said. “Due to its success, Aspiration will unveil something equally ingenious very soon.”
These words offer a glimpse into what it’s like to work at these growing companies. For more on nok, Aspiration and six additional LA tech companies — all of which are hiring — see below.
What they do: Want to test drive the newest VR headset at home before putting your money down? Thanks to nok, consumers can experience week-long, in-home trials for high-end technology products. The company’s invite-only marketplace helps users make more informed purchasing decisions, while providing brands with a unique avenue to connect with their customers.
Company culture in one word: “Cockroaches. It may sound like an odd choice, but we’ve come to love this word,” Andrew Dewhurst, VP of operations, said. “One of our early investors sent us an email calling us ‘the mighty cockroach warriors’ because no matter what struggles or challenges we face, like moving the company from the E.U. to the U.S. or pivoting after COVID-19, we simply survive and multiply. A cockroach embodies the essence of grit and represents the true nature of building a business – getting dirty and taking punches without keeling over.”
Coolest project Dewhurst has worked on at nok: “My favorite project has been building out our partnership with Dyson. Historically, we’ve been an e-commerce platform, but our Dyson partnership incorporated an in-store experience. Customers can walk out of the LA Dyson store with a product via nok to try for free and schedule a free pickup if they choose not to buy it. This project forced me to think holistically to ensure a seamless integration, especially since I’m new to tech. We’ve worked with Dyson staff, our technical team and our marketing team to ensure that we accomplish this.”
What they do: StackCommerce partners with more than 1,000 publishers and 5,000 brands on its product discovery platform. To date, the company has helped more than 5 million products get discovered.
Company culture in one word: “Teamwork,” Kerry Milazzo, HR operations manager said. “We are a startup at heart, work at a fast pace and often wear many hats, but that doesn’t stop my colleagues from stepping up to help out. This speaks to our core value, “one team.” I’m constantly in awe of how our entire team embodies this daily through their willingness to help others. Even when up against tight deadlines, I’ve watched members of the operations team step up to help QA marketing emails and members of the leadership team volunteer to answer customer questions.”
Milazzo’s growth at StackCommerce: “Three years ago, I began my tenure at Stack as a hybrid office manager and employee engagement coordinator role. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to grow into my current role overseeing the HR and recruiting department. I evolved from a green employee planning company events and happy hours to spearheading initiatives like transitioning to a remote culture. Stack has invited me to forge my own career path and grow into a trusted leader of the company.”
What they do: Marina Del Rey-based Aspiration plants a tree when users round up their purchases to the nearest dollar and donates 10% of every dollar its customers put toward the platform to nonprofits throughout the country. Both initiatives are part of the company’s goal to become the most sustainable, ethical and socially conscious financial platform.
Company culture in one word: “Ingenuity. Aspiration consistently displays relentless ingenuity in all areas, including the products that we create, our monthly leadership chats and bi-weekly town halls and the tools that we use at work,” Tully O’Neill, compliance project manager, said.
Coolest project O’Neill has worked on: “My brilliant colleague Trent was the brainchild of Aspiration’s “Plant Your Change,” which he proposed to the company at the beginning of this year. “Plant Your Change” is a service that enables customers to plant a tree every time they swipe their Aspiration debit card by rounding up their purchase to the nearest dollar. For this project, I worked with my teammates to ensure we were compliant with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Federal Trade Commission and other legal criteria.
“We launched this service in March and received rave reviews. Due to its success, Aspiration will unveil something equally ingenious very soon. By working on this project, I gained more knowledge pertaining to environmental regulations, FTC guidelines, and Know Your Customer rules. Lastly, because of my tenure with Aspiration, a planet-friendly financial firm, I’m more cognizant of single-use plastic. I carry a water bottle everywhere and if I can walk to a place, I will.”
What they do: Everything motor, MotorTrend Group is an entertainment company with a monthly audience of 26 million readers and viewers across its web, TV and print channels, plus 110 million social media followers.
Company culture in one word: “Collaborative,” said Uma Rao, senior technical program manager. “As soon as I joined MotorTrend, I quickly grasped that the true essence of MotorTrend’s culture lies in delivering value through teamwork and collaboration. The recent launch to integrate MotorTrend with a sophisticated back-end platform called “SONIC” impacted all MotorTrend platforms and was a true testament to how all of our teams come together to solve complex problems. Open communication, approachable leadership and an all-hands-on-deck attitude are the backbone that drive MotorTrend success.”
Rao’s growth at MotorTrend: “Even though I have been at MotorTrend only 10 months, I feel like I have already grown leaps and bounds. As a program manager that works closely with mobile teams, I have learned that attention to detail in building an intuitive user experience with great design in an app always trumps rushing to market with new features. Our teams strive to improve the app’s features and functionality based on feedback and suggestions, and we take our time doing extensive testing to ensure the quality of our app.”
What they do: Founded in 1960, The Aerospace Corporation is a nonprofit organization federally funded to address space exploration challenges. On the menu: Launch assurance, satellite and orbit development, space policy and strategy, and more.
Company Culture in one word: “Diverse,” Sue Mobasser, an associate director, said. “Aerospace is diverse in multiple ways. In terms of job domain, Aerospace supports a wide variety of customers from East Coast to West Coast, as well as international clients. Regarding our people and their technical capabilities, we provide expertise on smart flight software, augmented launch vehicles, digital twins ground systems and more. If you need to know something, whether it is the technical term of the year or a fundamental truth, there is someone who knows the answer. We have people that you can learn from and people who want to learn from you. Aerospace’s in-house university has a long buffet line of all-you-can-eat courses and fully supports employees to continuously improve in areas of their choice. If you want a one-on-one mentorship, you can do that. Our culture is rich. We share our similarities and celebrate our differences. When you join Aerospace, the sky really is the limit.”
Mobasser’s growth at The Aerospace Corporation: “I have been with Aerospace for 6.5 years and I have been promoted three times. Aerospace has a good recognition system, regardless of the position you are in. People see you and support your growth. If you want to start on a management track, leadership will mentor and guide you. If you want to continue on the technical track, there are plenty of opportunities to learn and contribute. It could be either supporting the customers using knowledge and tools that you already have or performing research and development to make the current fields more innovative. Aerospace supports you to learn from both inside and outside the company such as attending, presenting, organizing, and chairing technical workshops and conferences.”
What they do: In an effort to take on climate change, Inspire provides custom residential renewable energy solutions through a monthly subscription service.
Company culture in one word: “Committed,” Cy Serrano, a senior product manager, said. “At Inspire, we’re driven by an urgent mission to accelerate a net-zero carbon future. There’s no time to waste and the work is challenging. We need everyone engaged and giving their best effort. We’re committed to the mission and to each other, and we believe the best Inspire is a diverse Inspire committed to inclusivity and belonging.”
He added: “A recent example of this followed the George Floyd protests, when we reevaluated our DEI practices and identified gaps where Inspire was falling short of supporting employees of color, women and LGBTQIA+ backgrounds. From this, Inspire started three employee resource groups (ERGs) and hired someone on the people team to support these groups and also lead our DEI-related initiatives. Since then, each group has drafted and adopted their own charters complete with mission statements and a vision for a better future. We’ve also established a handful of objectives and desired outcomes that will serve as the foundation for how we use our budget over the next year. It has been very emotionally challenging work for all of us on top of our day-to-day responsibilities, but I have loved and admired the commitment we’re all making to continue to show up for each other to make Inspire the best that it can be.”
Serrano’s growth at Inspire: “I joined Inspire in February 2020, just weeks before the pandemic forced our offices to close. I’ve had to form relationships quickly in order to effectively lead the team, which can be challenging in a virtual environment, but we are all learning and evolving together. During this time, I’ve assumed more formal responsibility for a new team within the technology department, taking on two direct reports and managing several product groups both internally and externally that support our customer acquisition efforts. With the support of my colleagues, I’m able to continue to push myself to be a better leader and contributor at Inspire. I’m excited for where the next year takes us and what we’ll be able to accomplish together.”
What they do: Co-founded by celebrity couple Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard, Hello Bello develops baby and family products like diapers, sunblock and apparel that aims to marry low budgets with high-quality goods.
Company culture in one word: “Progressive,” said Jade Swords Dugdale, a senior marketing communications manager. “Hello Bello set out to create premium baby products at non-premium prices on a global scale — something that had yet to be done in the industry. As an employee, I couldn’t think of anything more attractive than a company that continuously looks to grow, innovate and try new things to improve their industry. The same can be said for the workplace culture. Building a team around common purpose and values means people bring the best of themselves to work each day with energy, passion and motivation.”
She added: “Hello Bello has created a culture that inspires innovation and collaboration. Within our marketing team, the ability to have open conversations around new processes or technologies allows the team to feel nurtured and heard while encouraging us to achieve more in our everyday tasks.”
Coolest project Swords Dugdale’s worked on at Hello Bello: “The launch of our new community platform! The platform allows us to further connect with our brand advocates and parenting and caregiver community while providing a safe space for product feedback. As a mom myself, I’ve never had the opportunity professionally to bring my “mom” knowledge to the table in such a meaningful way. I’m excited and eager for us to connect in a more authentic way with parents and caregivers all over the world.”
What they do: Youth sports meets the future at PlayVS. The company operates and hosts nationwide high school and collegiate esports leagues and provides scholarships for league champions.
Company culture in one word: “Focused,” Alinn Louv, head of community, said “I joined PlayVS over two years ago and have never questioned the purpose of our business. We exist to deliver the best player experience possible. Our team has grown a lot over the past year, but every person is dialed in on that singular goal. It is incredible to work at a company that has a clear vision and the determination to get there. Every Monday, we have an all-hands meeting to prepare for the week, and the first thing on the agenda is always to acknowledge team members who deliver on our ‘player experience first’ value.”
Coolest project Louv has worked on at PlayVS: “This fall, I launched “Game Changers,” a new initiative at PlayVS to inspire more young girls to get into esports and give women in tech a gaming platform to share their experiences. Our Game Changer ambassadors ranged from women in the professional esports scene, such as 100Thieves Academy Head Coach Kelsey Moser, to women in tech like Wendy Lecot, the head of strategic partnerships at HyperX. This has definitely been one of the most rewarding projects I have worked on because of the direct impact and honest conversations we’ve shared with the next generation of athletes, gamers and students. Our most recent panel focused on creating safe and inclusive spaces on campus. The topic was top of mind for a lot of our student leaders building their esports programs during these times.”
She added: “Through this experience, I have grown tremendously as I dove deeper into what it means to truly support women in this industry and how to help open doors for others. Since day one, PlayVS has given me the opportunity to chase my passions and has empowered me to execute on those dreams.”
