In recent years, the definition of what it means to “make it” in Los Angeles has expanded to encompass much more than finding fame and fortune in the entertainment industry. Yes, just about every other person working at a restaurant is a budding actor, musician or model, and just about every other person on staff is likely an aspiring influencer or TikToker. That said, the growth of the city’s tech scene means many people are now moving to Los Angeles to make it as a salesperson, product manager or developer, instead.
The good news is that making it as a tech worker in L.A. is much less daunting than getting noticed by a casting director or a social media algorithm. There are a wide variety of companies in both Silicon Beach and L.A. County that are hiring right now, and we’re shining the spotlight on four of them. Continue reading to learn more, including the teams and roles for which they’re hiring along with the standout offerings from their perks and benefits packages.
What GumGum does: GumGum is a MarTech company that uses artificial intelligence technologies to analyze a webpage and serve ads relevant to its text, images, video and more - without the use of personal data.
Ensuring sales satisfaction: GumGum is currently hiring a handful of sales roles, which range from an entry-level sales coordinator position to openings for a senior account manager and an account director. While all three job descriptions are quite detailed, they don’t touch on the team’s culture, which centers on keeping salespeople fulfilled, as Allison Gietl, SVP of East Coast Sales, told Built In LA in a September interview.
“In addition to creating a company culture that allows people to bring their true authentic self to work, we have leaned into empowering and advancing people on an individual career level,” Gietl said. “This keeps our team motivated and gives them a sense of value and purpose, in addition to just meeting sales goals. We’ve also created a communication strategy to make sure we’re checking in frequently and employees are feeling supported and connected despite not being in person.”
A deepening commitment to DEIB: In a wide-ranging March interview with the marketing tech news outlet MarTech Cube, GumGum CEO Phil Schraeder spoke about the company’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. Schraeder said the company’s DEIB coalition has organized more than 130 events since 2021 and that, in addition to events, GumGum is also conducting an audit of its partners as part of its commitment to prioritizing diverse suppliers and vendors.
“It really is vital to me that I act with intention and thoughtfulness because everyone deserves the right to bring their authentic selves to work,” Schraeder told MarTech Cube. “There’s a lot of unlearning that is needed to be truly anti-racist, and we’re committed to transforming the way we’ve addressed DEIB in the past.”
What FIGS does: FIGS is a medical apparel company that offers fashion-forward and performance-oriented scrubs, lab coats, jackets and more.
History-making founder: FIGS went public in the spring of 2021 and made history in the process. According to Fortune, it was likely the first-ever company led by two female co-founders to IPO. Heather Hasson and Trina Spear founded FIGS in 2013 after finding that medical professionals lacked an online option to buy their scrubs. Notably, the company raised just $60 million in venture capital funding before hitting the New York Stock Exchange.
Focused on your finances: FIGS offers financial perks and benefits to help employees build their nest eggs. In addition to a 401(k) plan with a 6% match, performance bonuses and company equity are also on offer. There are also financial perks that offset day-to-day and larger one-time expenses, including a weekly Uber Eats credit, a home office stipend for new hires and relocation assistance.
What Core Digital Media does: Core Digital Media’s portfolio of websites is designed to help consumers navigate life’s biggest financial decisions, like home refinancing, mortgage lenders, insurance, credit options and more.
Promoting from within: Core Digital Media has committed itself to providing professional development opportunities to employees, which helps team members build their skill sets and ensures the company can look internally first when hiring for leadership roles. Megan Craven is evidence of this policy in action. Craven joined the company in 2014 as an entry-level analyst, and through CDM’s internal training opportunities, she rapidly rose through the ranks to now be the director of product.
“Leadership has always kept my best interests in mind and has provided me with the tools needed to accomplish my goals,” Craven said. “As a result, I have been able to succeed in ways I could not have imagined.”
Experienced product leader wanted: Core Digital Media is currently hiring an SVP of product, a senior leadership role that reports directly to the CEO. The SVP of product will be responsible for developing the vision, strategy and roadmap for CDM’s products and executing against it. Preferred candidates will have 15 years of product management and eight years of leadership experience, along with a history of optimizing customer acquisition for an online publisher, e-commerce company or mobile app. This is a hybrid position based in Los Angeles with an estimated salary of between $240,000 and $310,000.
What MasonHub does: MasonHub is a third-party logistics firm that provides fulfillment services for e-commerce companies.
Let’s talk perks and benefits: MasonHub’s perks and benefits package is filled with the highlights, which include unlimited paid time off with a company mandate that at least 10 days must be taken off per year. Additional standout perks and benefits include equity, performance bonuses and an office the company calls “extremely” dog-friendly - which is also filled with drinks and snacks.
Leading the way: This spring, MasonHub was named to the 2023 edition of The Leading 100 list, an annual list of innovative brand-to-consumer tech companies. The list was created by The Lead, a media and events company focused on the brand-to-consumer space. Sonal Gandhi, chief content officer at The Lead, explained the selection criteria for the list in a press release announcing it.
“The pace of change in the fashion, beauty and consumer industries has become dizzyingly fast, even for the industry leaders,” said Gandhi. “The companies selected for The Leading 100 list represent some of the best examples of how technology innovation is helping address the needs of this rapidly evolving business environment.”
