Earlier this month, the AI-focused Dreamforce conference attracted tens of thousands of attendees from around the world to San Francisco.
Amid the flurry of activity and influx of tech professionals, one would be justified in forgetting the industry shakeups that have rocked the city — and far beyond — in the past year. It’s not that headlines concerning mass layoffs or the migration away from the city during the rise of remote work are inaccurate; their impacts on the Bay Area’s tech scene and the city are undeniable.
But, even with all of these challenges, San Francisco remains a beacon for innovation that remains one of the foremost — if not the most prominent — tech hubs in the United States and the world.
While Dreamforce might’ve been a pronounced reminder of the city’s top-tier tech scene, talented professionals at companies like Discord, Check and Embroker have known this to be true all along.
These companies and their teams are carrying San Francisco’s bright torch of technological advancement forward, all while being supported by noteworthy perks and benefits and energizing developments.
What Discord does: Discord is a communication app for voice, video and text, with 150 million monthly users in 19 million servers, uniting friends and diverse communities around the world.
Notable Perks and Benefits
- More than 14 paid holidays, four weeks of PTO and flexible sick time
- A diverse slate of employee resource groups
- Up to $1,000 annually in donation matching to charitable organizations
- Parental leave, plus fertility, adoption and surrogacy benefits
Building connections: At Discord, team members are excited to play a role in creating a platform that connects so many people worldwide — and know from personal experience how much that means. “Over the years, it has become an invaluable space for us to hang out. I come in each day knowing that my work is helping others feel and stay connected to their own friends and communities,” said Product Manager Amanda Hui while discussing the company’s tech and products.
What Imbue does: Imbue aims to restore the dream of the personal computer, designing AI systems with advanced reasoning that enable agents to achieve more and operate safely.
Notable Perks and Benefits
- Flexible work schedule and remote work program
- Company equity
- Continuing education stipend
- Company-sponsored outings
Rebranded: Imbue, previously Generally Intelligent, announced a $200 million Series B funding at a valuation surpassing $1 billion. With support from Astera Institute, NVIDIA and other notable participants, the company is on a mission to advance AI systems that can reason and code. Their vision is to imbue computers with genuine intelligence, echoing the aspiration of truly personal computers. This endeavor seeks to transform how we interact with technology, making it more intuitive and user-centric.
What Check does: Check offers a payroll API for seamless integration into SaaS, HR or time-tracking platforms. It simplifies tax calculations, remittances and money transfers and enables companies to provide integrated payroll solutions.
Notable Perks and Benefits
- Generous parental leave and return to work program
- Unlimited vacation policy and sabbatical
- $2,000 annual continuing education stipend
- Documented equal pay policy
Team synergy: Check champions a collaborative culture. Head of Platform Sales Chelsea Palmer noted, “Building a company is hard: It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Creating a long-term, sustainable company takes more than just high-performing AEs. It takes teamwork, and teamwork requires high levels of collaboration and accountability. That’s what we incentivize and reward at Check.” Dive deeper into their team-centric approach in this Built In article.
What Astra does: Astra aims to enhance life on Earth through space innovations like Launch Services and Space Products, providing cost-effective orbital launch services.
Notable Perks and Benefits
- Hiring practices that promote diversity
- Unlimited vacation policy
- Company-sponsored family events
- Performance and company equity
Out of this world: “Lowering the cost of getting to space has been a goal of mine for a long time,” said SVP of Product Engineering and Launch Systems Giovanni Greco. Drawing parallels between the vast potential of space and the internet’s nascent days, he believes that the true promise of space will emerge as it becomes increasingly accessible. Get a closer look at Astra’s cutting-edge tech.
What Embroker does: Digital insurance company Embroker pairs technology with expertise to provide growing businesses with intelligent, tailored property and casualty insurance options.
Notable Perks and Benefits
- Flexible work schedule and remote work program
- Employee stock purchase plan
- Continuing education available during work hours
- Unlimited vacation policy
Leadership news: Embroker, a prominent insurance tech firm, has onboarded Gene Linetsky as their new CTO. With a rich history in tech leadership, including stints at AllStripes and TrueML, Linetsky is set to refine Embroker's specialized digital platform, ONE. His expertise promises to elevate the platform's user experience.
What Superhuman does: Superhuman offers businesses an email experience designed for speed and efficiency, helping manage volume, boost responsiveness and enhance performance.
Notable Perks and Benefits
- $3,000 annual budget for professional development
- $1,000 budget for workplace setup
- Flexible parental leave
- Flexible schedule outside of core hours
Hybrid harmony: The evolution of the workplace into hybrid models brings challenges and opportunities as companies strive to maintain team unity and engagement across different working environments. “Building and maintaining an engaging hybrid culture requires the creative ability and willingness to try different things. Traditions or events that have worked well in the past might need to be changed, and that’s okay,” said People Ops Specialist Amanda Samuel in a recent article by Built In SF.
What AllStripes does: AllStripes is a research platform for rare diseases, streamlining patient contributions to studies and accelerating drug development using de-identified medical records.
Notable Perks and Benefits
- Employee stock purchase plan
- Customized development tracks
- Wellness programs and mental health benefits
- Partners with nonprofits
Preventing burnout: Managers play a pivotal role in addressing employee burnout. In an interview with Built In SF, Director of Community Success and Patient Engagement Erin Smith said, “I use weekly one-on-one meetings to check in on employees’ overall wellness and workload. Remote work has made it harder to recognize when employees are overwhelmed, so it’s critical to maintain these regular discussions.”
