U.S. entrepreneur and Apple CEO Steve Jobs once said, “The secret of my success is that we have gone to exceptional lengths to hire the best people in the world.”
For the 11 tech leaders featured below, those sentiments rang true as they consistently gushed about their hard-working, intelligent and kind employees. Time and time again, these New York leaders named their people as the most critical factor in establishing rewarding workplaces.
For Julio Lopez, senior director of client experience at Movable Ink, colleagues are as important, if not more, than any company’s titles, salaries or prestige.
“Of course, those are very important facets, but it’s imperative to remember that you’ll be spending a significant amount of time with your coworkers,” Lopez said. “At Movable Ink, the people are the ’x factor’ that make it an amazing place to work.”
Beyond touting compassionate, collaborative teams, many of the featured leaders emphasized their companies’ robust benefits — notably, unlimited PTO, generous parental leave, wellness stipends, flexible schedules and hybrid or remote environments. Some perks were particularly unique, including Hinge’s date stipends, Tipico’s free Peloton app subscriptions and Peak’s month-long work-from-anywhere options.
Fostering inclusive workplaces was also essential for these 11 leaders who boasted identity-affirming employee resource groups that were supported with annual budgets and the power to influence organizational policies. At Aircall, for example, leadership collaborated with its gender equality ERG after Roe v. Wade was overturned in June to create a policy that reimburses employees for out-of-state travel expenses to access abortion services.
Built In New York connected with leaders at Movable Ink, Hinge, Tipico, Peak, Aircall and six other companies that are hiring now to learn more about what makes their companies the best places to work.
Senior UX Researcher Courtney Lett loves talking about dating all day — and gets paid to do it. At Hinge, the company that runs the popular dating app, Lett says that employees bring the same authenticity to the workplace that they expect from their users, and they enjoy date stipends and premium accounts for friends and family.
Let’s be blunt: What makes Hinge the best place to work?
It’s fun and rewarding! Working as a researcher on the product team, I get to talk about dating all day. I’d sit around with my friends and talk about it for free, so I can’t believe we’re getting paid to try and solve the biggest issues with dating today.
It’s no secret that dating is messy, complex and, frankly, scary. However, I work with people who are so thoughtful and passionate about making it better because it’s an experience we’ve all had to navigate (or are currently navigating). Plus, it truly makes me feel warm inside when I meet someone and they excitedly tell me that they met their partner on Hinge; it’s so motivating.
How would you describe Hinge’s company culture in a single word, and why?
Authentic. It’s a dating app; we’re asking our users to be vulnerable and bring their true selves to our app in their search for connections. It’s only fitting that we operate that way as a company because otherwise, what are we even doing here?
I can honestly say I’ve always been encouraged to bring my unique and true self to work, and I’ve seen real authenticity displayed from colleagues at every level from top to bottom. It’s so refreshing working at a place where people are transparent about what’s working and what’s not with our product and company as a whole, and there’s always a desire to improve!
For the days when I can’t show up in a meaningful way, I can log onto Slack and tell my team, “You know what, the news (or whatever else) is upsetting me today, so I need to unplug for a bit,” and I’m met with support and grace.
It truly makes me feel warm inside when I meet someone and they excitedly tell me that they met their partner on Hinge; it’s so motivating.”
List five of your favorite perks that Hinge offers.
1. Date stipend! Yes, it’s exactly how it sounds. Each month, Hinge lets us use $100 toward any date we want. I’ve used it for actual dates, activities with my friends and even dinners with my mom.
2. Lots of food and treats. In our office, we have a barista and catered lunches. We’ll also get credits to order delivery. Also, there are different office surprises such as massages, happy hours and cooking classes (we made dumplings recently).
3. Employee resource groups. This isn’t unique to Hinge, but our ERGs are truly special and have created incredible communities at work. I co-lead our Black at Hinge ERG and there are many others.
4. Upgrades for friends and families. We can request upgrades to give our friends and family members premium and other in-app perks.
5. “Be your best self.” Last but definitely not least, Hinge gives us $3,000 every year to use toward any professional development.
At Cityblock Health, a company that connects communities with primary care physicians and integrated behavioral health and social services, Head of Data Product and Platform Marie Copoulos says teams are “all in” when it comes to creating a quality care experience for all. As a woman in tech, Copoulos was drawn to the healthtech company’s diverse tech teams, a contributing factor that also compels her to stay.
Let’s be blunt: What makes Cityblock Health the best place to work?
Cityblock has an ambitious mission. I’ve worked in healthcare data and analytics and value-based care for most of my career. As an industry, we’ve been talking about both of these forces for a long time, but often tiptoe around the edges of big changes.
I was drawn to Cityblock because it is all in on the work to change the care experience for the folx who we serve. Radical change can be hard, but it’s needed!
I was drawn to Cityblock because it is all in on the work to change the care experience for the folx who we serve.”
How would you describe Cityblock’s company culture in a single word, and why?
I mentioned “all in,” so I am going to use those two words. Being all in is a cultural attribute but also just a really good description of what a day at Cityblock is like.
As a cultural attribute, it’s a call to action — really bring your experiences and expertise to the table. As a description of the day-to-day work, I see folx regardless of role jump in to solve the hardest problems in front of us, which makes for a fun work environment. Cityblock is full of incredibly smart and mission-oriented people who are very committed to the work we do.
List some of your favorite perks that Cityblock offers.
1. Effective virtual work. Many Cityblock team members joined in the midst of the pandemic from all over the country. This created a virtual-first culture where folx got to know each other and their teams in this context. It’s been great to meet in person as things have opened up, but there has been tremendous creativity in terms of how to create meaningful and effective virtual collaboration.
2. A diverse tech organization. I specifically looked for this in my search, as a woman in tech. I wanted to see that the tech team was already diverse and that the environment existed for me to continue to build and retain a diverse tech team. It’s a big part of what brought me to Cityblock and what keeps me here.
3. Mission and member-focused. Everything at Cityblock comes back to the mission and, ultimately, to our members. The work is hard at points, for sure, but it’s amazing to know that at the end of the day, that work is going toward improving the experience of care for our members — who are so often failed by the traditional health system.
Principal Product Manager Pujish Amin says that building relationships is key at Northwestern Mutual, a company that provides tech solutions for strategic wealth management decisions. Beyond nurturing valuable connections with colleagues, Amin enjoys multiple benefits at the fintech company including flexible schedules, internal growth opportunities and generous PTO.
Let’s be blunt: What makes Northwestern Mutual the best place to work?
The best thing about working at Northwestern Mutual is the people. The culture is incredibly supportive and my colleagues are all collaborative.
The work is exciting, but a lot of jobs have cool things to do; what’s really unique about Northwestern Mutual is its relationship-focused culture. I’ve been able to build relationships with people on my team and beyond, and I truly enjoy everyone I work with.
You’ll often hear people staying at the company for a long time, and I think a big reason is the smart, innovative and caring people we get to work with.
How would you describe Northwestern Mutual’s company culture in a single word, and why?
Diverse. We have a diversity of race, religion and ethnicity — and it also goes beyond that. We’re a very diverse and inclusive culture; whoever you are, you can find a community here. On our internal Slack platform, we have thousands of different communities that exist, from our employee resource groups to gaming and sports communities.
It’s also part of my goals to look at who I’m adding to my team at Northwestern Mutual. I want diverse employees from varied backgrounds and experiences to add to the diversity of thought on our team, which ultimately impacts the work we produce. There are a lot of opportunities to share your experiences and thoughts, which makes us all stronger.
There’s a big emphasis on internal movement at Northwestern Mutual. You can start in one role and move around to find new opportunities and career paths.”
List five of your favorite perks that Northwestern Mutual offers.
While Northwestern Mutual has a lot of great benefits, a few of my favorites are:
1. Work flexibility. There is a lot of flexibility on my team. My colleagues and I decide together which days to be in the office for meetings and which days to work from home; there’s always flexibility with our schedules.
2. Opportunities for growth. There’s a big emphasis on internal movement at Northwestern Mutual. You can start in one role and move around to find new opportunities and career paths.
3. Beautiful workspace. Our corporate office is amazing, featuring a café with free snacks and coffee as well as a high-tech work environment with resources for the latest tools and technology.
4. Work-life balance. We receive generous PTO, holidays, two days off for volunteering and can roll over PTO each year.
5. Health and wellness. There are a plethora of health and wellness resources, including mental health resources, gym stipends in New York and an on-site gym in Milwaukee, on-site health clinics and healthy offerings through our wellness program.
Leaders at iCapital, a company that offers tech-based solutions for buying and selling alternative investments, promise equitable compensation packages, flexible hybrid work environments and leadership development opportunities. Additionally, Head of Employee Communications Chip Huffman says that iCapital is known for hosting extraordinary events — one example being a 1,000-person global gaming competition to celebrate the company’s first video game appearance this past fall.
Let’s be blunt: What makes iCapital the best place to work?
The people. Sure, we’re tackling tech challenges daily, rewiring the alternative investment ecosystem and partnering with some of the biggest clients in the financial world, but we’re doing it shoulder-to-shoulder with the sharpest, kindest, most welcoming colleagues anywhere.
We hire people who are humble and hungry, and that’s exactly what you’ll find — a company of people who are eager to help and wide open to new ways of doing things, often which have never been done before!
How would you describe iCapital’s company culture in a single word, and why?
Innovative. We’re writing and re-writing the rules of fintech every day in an industry — think alternative investments like private equity, structured investments, hedge funds, annuities and more — that’s changing almost as often. That means we are built to innovate and iterate, and our teams support and challenge each other in equal measure.
We hire people who are humble and hungry, and that’s exactly what you’ll find.”
List five of your favorite perks that iCapital offers.
1. Everyone’s an owner. From our CEO to brand-new analysts, equity is part of every compensation package because we believe passionately that everyone deserves to benefit from their hard work.
2. The best of both worlds. Our iCapital culture thrives in our time together, but flexibility is equally important; so employees benefit from a hybrid work model that allows individuals to experience the benefits of both.
3. World-class collaboration space. From our brand new office in Greenwich, Connecticut (just seconds off the train), to New York (right across from Grand Central), to our global operations in Lisbon, London and beyond, iCapital’s offices are breathtaking spaces where we gather together to do our best work.
4. One-of-a-kind events. This fall, iCapital made our very first video game appearance (we were pretty shocked, too) and celebrated with a 1,000-person global gaming competition and a traveling trophy for the winner (congratulations, Hong Kong!).
5. Career advancement and investment. Every single iCapital employee attends an offsite, an opportunity to connect with colleagues and build their skills. Leadership development is part of everyone’s growth path.
Annual holiday parties, Turkey Trots and game nights are just some of the fun team bonding events at fintech company Flourish. Head of Product Shane Lapsys says that employees also enjoy a number of other perks, including flexible hybrid work models, robust health insurance packages and wellness funds for gym memberships.
Let’s be blunt: What makes Flourish the best place to work?
First, the team we have at Flourish is absolutely fantastic and very aligned with how we want to work. Second, the types of problems we try to solve are really interesting, and we’re trying to do new things all the time. Those two things work in conjunction with one another because we specifically hire people who are excited about working on new things and solving problems that don’t have a 10-step formula.
We’re trying to build something — we have no idea what the steps are and we have to go figure it out together. We have a lot of smart, creative people who are excited about that and passionate about what they do. It’s an energizing environment.
Flourish is collaborative, ambitious, commercial and results-driven.”
How would you describe Flourish’s company culture in a single word, and why?
How about four words? Flourish is collaborative, ambitious, commercial and results-driven. We have a good mix of collaboration, and we’re striving to be inclusive in how we decide things and problem-solve, ultimately coming to conclusions and focusing on the execution. I always think we can do better, but I really like that as a part of our culture.
I would like for Flourish to have a true meritocracy of ideas. I don’t think we’re quite there yet, and that’s OK. To do that, you need a lot of discussions, debates and analyses; I don’t think we’re too far off. We have competing views, which ultimately lead to compromises that work for us.
List five of your favorite perks that Flourish offers.
1. We’re hybrid and see a ton of value in co-location for company culture, work collaboration and efficiency in communication, but we have a cool perk where anyone who wants to leave for a longer period can take up to a month consecutively to work remotely. If someone wants to spend the summer at the beach or the winter on the slopes, they can work remotely as long as it’s approved by their manager and team.
2. I really like the flexibility that we have with the hybrid model and the approach we’ve taken with returning to the office. I think it’s really thoughtful, and we’ve tried to be intentional. It’s not just for the sake of how things used to be, it’s for very specific business reasons and we’ve analyzed, evaluated and taken feedback from people.
3. Having team lunches where people sit and eat together.
4. We have good health insurance, wellness funds to cover gym costs, incentives for completing financial literacy trainings and even time off for volunteering.
5. We organize fun cultural and team bonding events, such as the company holiday party, Turkey Trot, periodic happy hours in the office and game nights.
A team member at Uniswap Labs shared that “gm” — a phrase that stands for “good morning” but generally embodies friendly sentiment among crypto builders — best describes the company culture at Uniswap Labs, a platform for trading cryptocurrency and NFTs. Employees at the blockchain company also benefit from unlimited PTO, educational stipends and impressive wellness perks.
Let’s be blunt: What makes Uniswap Labs the best place to work?
The vision. We’re building products that materially improve people’s lives. We’re not optimizing ad traffic for the most clicks. Our innovative team of brilliant builders creates products for anyone to exchange value through fair, accessible markets on the internet.
By building the best platform to experience Web3, we can empower rapid integration and decentralization growth to make crypto markets efficient and cheap.
The people. We are excited to transform our financial systems while embodying our values to put people first and build to last.
How would you describe Uniswap Labs’s company culture in a single word, and why?
Gm. Gm means good morning. It’s a common phrase in the crypto lexicon. Initially a simple pleasantry, gm has grown to encompass the optimistic sentiment for builder culture around crypto. It’s a way to foster camaraderie in a predominantly global and online industry.
A similar attitude can be felt at Uniswap. We are a hopeful and upbeat crew. Having survived multiple bear markets, we continue to keep our heads up and focus on building products that will create an open, fair and decentralized financial ecosystem.
We continue to keep our heads up and focus on building products that will create an open, fair and decentralized financial ecosystem.”
List five of your favorite perks that Uniswap Labs offers.
1. Unlimited PTO, flexible working hours and a hybrid and remote-friendly workplace, including up to $2,000 reimbursement for the work-from-home setup for remote employees.
2. Team building, unique in-person and remote events, happy hours and team dinners in SoHo, and plenty of crypto community socials and conferences.
3. Education reimbursements of up to $1,500 per year for employees who take approved programs of study or utilize resources that support career development.
4. Paid parental leave at 100 percent of salary and with no waiting period.
5. Wellness benefits such as Carrot Fertility, Gympass, Omada Health virtual physical therapy, One Medical, Spring Health and top-tier Blue Cross Blue Shield health plans with biannual gym reimbursements.
... and an awesome people team that iterates and adds benefits constantly based on employee feedback!
Inclusivity is integral at software company Aircall, which touts six ERGs that specialize in ethnic and gender identities. Employees at the company, which hosts a cloud-based voice platform that integrates with productivity and helpdesk tools, also appreciate stipends for fitness, mental health resources and childcare.
Let’s be blunt: What makes Aircall the best place to work?
Aircall adheres to a certain set of values, one of which is we trust in and commit to each other. How this translates is that we will often give our employees the opportunity to move into new roles within the company, even without prior experience. We value our people’s potential and provide them with the necessary tools to succeed from one-on-one external coaching, training programs and skills certifications. We have a thriving culture of internal mobility that has been a key driver in our employee retention.
We’re also an international company that works in a very borderless fashion. On any given day, you’re going to speak with your counterparts based in France, Spain, Australia, the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, India and more. Last year, we conducted a company-wide global offsite in Huelva, Spain and invited all 700-plus employees. It was our first time coming together at this size with an incredible experience building cohesion, alignment and, most importantly, celebrating together.
Relationship-building is critical at Aircall, which is why we prioritize company-wide experiences and opportunities for our employees at all levels to meet and better work with each other.
We prioritize company-wide experiences and opportunities for our employees at all levels to meet and better work with each other. ”
How would you describe Aircall in a single word, and why would you choose that word?
Inclusive. Our employees ranked this as a top three highly engaged category in our bi-annual employee engagement survey in November, which was consistent with how it ranked earlier in March.
We also have six employee resource groups specializing in ethnic identity, gender identity and equality. Each ERG has an executive sponsor and annual DEI budget to support company-wide initiatives in honor of improving our company representation, equity, accountability and inclusion. We rely heavily on our ERGs for feedback and guidance, as they’re experts within their own communities.
Aircall ERGs have also made an immense impact internally. Our Gender Equality Matters ERG leads a successful global mentorship program with more than 70 participants and growing. Earlier this year, the leadership team partnered with our ERG leads to create a new U.S.-based policy that allows for transportation reimbursement for any child-bearing employees who needs to travel out of state to receive abortion services that are no longer allowed in their home state as a result of Roe v. Wade being overturned.
List five of your favorite perks that Aircall offers.
1. $100 monthly stipends to use toward fitness or mental health expenses.
2. $150 monthly stipends for each child who is 10 and under for our parent employees.
3. $70 monthly stipends for internet reimbursement for all remote employees
4. $125 monthly travel reimbursement for New York City employees.
5. One-on-one professional coaching services for all managers and ERG leaders.
Recruiting Manager Sheereen Rehman describes the company culture at Dotdash Meredith, a digital and print publisher, as supportive and flexible. Teams will not bat an eye if you need to take time to care for your health or family, Rehman says, and employees have unlimited PTO, flexible schedules and wellness perks.
Let’s be blunt: What makes Dotdash Meredith the best place to work?
Dotdash Meredith is a company that strives to uphold its mission and values; this is a company that values its employees.
People really enjoy coming to work, and they know there will never be an objection if you need to prioritize your health or family. It’s amazing to know that you are part of such a strong professional community when you work here.
People really enjoy coming to work, and they know there will never be an objection if you need to prioritize your health or family.”
How would you describe Dotdash Meredith’s company culture in a single word, and why?
Supportive. The company is one of the few that supports everyone from new hires to new parents. The flexibility to be able to work from home and take care of anything while also working makes people want to stay here.
List five of your favorite perks that Dotdash Meredith offers.
1. Unlimited PTO.
2. Flexible schedules.
3. Wellness benefits, including mental health support.
4. Supportive ERGs.
5. Generous 401(k)s.
Employees at artificial intelligence company Peak, affectionately dubbed “Peakers,” can spend up to a month working from anywhere in the world and collaborating with international colleagues. People Business Partner Rikki Stout says the company prioritizes DEI and fosters a people-first, values-based culture.
Let’s be blunt: What makes Peak the best place to work?
Don’t just take my word for it, ask the hundreds of superhumans who work at Peak. In fact, we did!
We’ve had a couple of independent award bodies anonymously survey Peakers, and the result is a host of culture award wins. Peak has been named the 19th best large company to work for in the U.K. (our third year running in this lineup). Add that to the multiple awards we have won in other markets, including Fast Company’s Best Workplaces for Innovators award in the U.S. and…you get the picture.
Our culture is built on values of smart, curious, driven, open and responsible. Every decision we make is linked to them, and how we interact with each other, talent, customers and prospects are all governed by them. Our values act as barometers for all of our people-focused activities across the business.
As well as a values-based culture, we have industry-leading benefits including a work-from-anywhere policy that allows everyone to spend up to one month working from anywhere in the world. No location is off the table, as long as it has internet access. We also have generous parental leave policies that give everyone plenty of paid time off.
How would you describe Peak’s company culture in a single word, and why?
Inclusive best describes Peak. On a very basic level, we’re a business that solves problems. To do that effectively, we need people from a variety of backgrounds who view situations differently and can come at problems from different standpoints. With offices across the globe, we are a blend of many different cultures, so it’s vital that Peak operates with inclusivity at its heart.
We employ superhumans from every corner of the world, and this broad range of perspectives really makes Peak what it is. Peakers can also apply for secondments to clubhouses in different countries, which is a great opportunity to expose different people to cultures and places that ordinarily they may not have had the chance to see while fostering tighter relationships between our international teams.
DEI is a priority for our entire team and is headed up by our chief operating officer and executive director, who lead the committee that sets the goals and agenda for Peak from an inclusivity point of view. This committee is made up of all sorts of people from within Peak and is at the forefront of the topic. There is no hierarchy at the committee, and its suggestions and discussions help shape the makeup of Peak.
We employ superhumans from every corner of the world, and this broad range of perspectives really makes Peak what it is.”
List five of your favorite perks that Peak offers.
1. Work from anywhere. Spend a month working from anywhere in the world.
2. Share scheme. We all own the business; it’s our business and we want what’s best for it.
3. Enhanced parental leave for everyone.
4. Flexible bank holidays. Because we are a global organization, people can now flex their bank holidays to fit in with religious holidays or whenever it suits them.
5. Secondments to our other global clubhouses to experience different cultures.
Sports betting provider Tipico embodies a true team mentality, according to Human Resources Vice President Lisa Villarreal. The Hoboken-based gaming company offers free Peloton app subscriptions, 100 percent paid parental leave for 12 weeks and unlimited PTO.
Let’s be blunt: What makes Tipico the best place to work?
The people. We have done a really great job at hiring people who are not only fun to work with but who are experts in their field. All employees are active participants in their team’s growth and development by giving their colleagues the confidence in knowing that they can count on them to get things done.
We are a highly collaborative work environment, so really getting to know each other and our work styles is the key to success here. We have a true team mentality, and we’re able to achieve our goals by working together and supporting each other, which makes Tipico a great place to work.
We have a true team mentality, and we’re able to achieve our goals by working together and supporting each other.”
How would you describe Tipico’s company culture in a single word, and why?
Welcoming. From day one, employees go through onboarding programs that connect them to each department and leader throughout the company. Through this, employees are able to make connections and become part of a larger team from the very beginning.
We created this onboarding program with one main intention, which was to welcome employees into our organization so that they would not only gain knowledge of who we are, what our goals are and what we do, but also learn about the employees at this company in a more intimate setting, allowing them to create relationships easily.
List five of your favorite perks that Tipico offers.
1. Free subscriptions to the Peloton app for workout classes, along with free high-intensity interval training and cycle classes in our Hoboken location.
2. Unlimited time off.
3. Fully stocked kitchen, along with in-office breakfasts and lunches.
4. 100 percent paid parental leave for 12 weeks.
5. Brand new updated office in the middle of downtown Hoboken.
From puppy yoga to acupuncture to massages, marketing technology company Movable Ink is committed to providing wellness opportunities for its teams. The company, which helps businesses apply data to create personalized content and maximize customer engagement, also offers in-person and virtual bonding events, mental health days and DEI-focused ERGs.
Let’s be blunt: What makes Movable Ink the best place to work?
The people. More often than not, when individuals are evaluating whether they want to work for a company, they focus on titles, salaries and the prestige of the organization. Of course, those are very important facets, but it’s imperative to remember that you’ll be spending a significant amount of time with your coworkers.
At Movable Ink, the people are the “x factor” that make it an amazing place to work. The teams are hyper-intelligent and hardworking, but also supportive and friendly. There’s a true sense of camaraderie that permeates across departments.
Notably, the leadership team exhibits the same characteristics, and they work hard to foster a culture of mutual respect and innovation that has led to our accelerated growth. People make or break companies, and I can confidently say that I work with some of the best individuals in the industry.
How would you describe Movable Ink’s company culture in a single word, and why?
Human. Every organization has its mantras that are regurgitated at town halls. The values they espouse are painted on the walls, and they all tout “work hard, play hard” cultures. I find that this is usually lip service; a company culture is dictated by the actions that are taken and the decisions that are made.
At Movable Ink, every action, every decision and every conversation brings with it a very real and very human element. We understand that we are not just employees but humans with needs that need to be met.
Individual projects are encouraged and nurtured, diversity and inclusion are not just promoted but financially supported, hierarchies are eschewed for the sake of results and everyone has a voice at the table.
Individual projects are encouraged and nurtured, diversity and inclusion is not just promoted but financially supported ... and everyone has a voice at the table.”
List five of your favorite perks that Movable Ink offers.
1. Global events. We know COVID-19 has fundamentally changed work cultures, but the Movable Ink team has found a way to keep us together with an amazing array of events, both in-person and virtual, that allow everyone to participate.
2. Wellness events. From puppy yoga to acupuncture to massages, the Movable Ink team consistently plans events that foster our wellness.
3. Snacks and drinks. I know many organizations offer this, but there is never a shortage or lack of selection on snacks and drinks, which I highly appreciate.
4. Mental health days. Employees are encouraged to take days off with the primary goal being recharging and fostering mental health.
5. ERG autonomy. Many organizations have ERGs, but at Movable Ink, they not only have dedicated executive sponsorship, they have the autonomy to create activities and involvement opportunities, allowing everyone to have a truly safe space
