WTIA is working right now to make sure we bring you the best FullConTech ever. To help us prepare, we’re looking at a variety of organizations that take creative approaches to “Building a Better Workplace.”

I recently talked to Ali Wulf, Recruiting Program Specialist, and Hillary Robinson, Community Engagement Coordinator, at TUNE, a Seattle mobile marketing company. Ali and Hillary told me about two programs their company runs, TUNE House and TUNE Cares.

Given FullConTech 2018’s workplace theme and focus on problem-solving, I got really excited about these programs for a number of reasons:

• They’re focused on achieving concrete goals.
• They reflect TUNE’s unique culture. (If you’ve read anything about TUNE founders, Lucas and Lee Brown, the creators of “Geeks in the Woods,” you know they’re huge believers in developing and engaging employees.)
• They’re repeatable, and offer plenty of ideas to grab and use in almost any organization.

Another benefit? Attracting, developing, and retaining great employees.

“Definitely, one of the reasons people apply to TUNE,” Ali told me, “is its culture and support for employees’ passions and interests. 

Hillary added, “These programs build relationships among our employees that probably wouldn’t have formed without them. Employees get the chance to know each other in a different way and make connections while making a difference.“

TUNE House

Located near the University of Washington campus, TUNE House, now in its third year, provides room and board – as well as mentoring and other opportunities – to eight women who are UW students working on technology degrees. Each woman lives at the house for two years.

The idea for the house grew out of Lucas’ and Lee’s on experience at Babson College, where they lived in a community of students interested in entrepreneurship. Concerned about the gender gap in the technology industry, they thought TUNE could have an impact by creating a safe space for women to learn from and explore ideas with each other. Not only does TUNE House remove the pressures of paying rent and buying groceries, it also fosters an environment in which women can talk about their challenges, failures, and successes with people who are having a similar experience.

“All of us at TUNE want to address the gender gap in technology and give back in a tangible way,” Ali said.

“Tangible” at TUNE House means three things:

• Provide new experiences – TUNE supports programs at the house that help the residents grow personally, academically and professionally. The women are already highly accomplished before they start their residencies, but TUNE House inspires them to get more involved in the tech community and make a difference. TUNE House also hosts conversations to inspire and mentor the residents – Melinda Gates visited the house last fall and spoke with the women.
• Building community – While the TUNE House is only a two year program, it helps build strong, lasting relationships among alumni and other female students with similar interests.
• Making an impact  – TUNE wants to support women interested in tech careers at the University of Washington and at area high schools. As part of that effort, the company hosts the TUNE Road Show. The scholars go to local high schools to talk with girls about technology education and careers.

“Our intention when we created the House wasn’t that it would solve everything,” Ali says. “But we do believe we can make a difference by investing in individual lives and inspiring other companies to contribute in their own way.”  

Sixteen women have gone through the program so far, and they will be accepting 4 new scholars for the 2018-2019 academic year.

On March 1, TUNE House scholars hosted a Women’s History Month event at TUNE HQ in Belltown with the theme “Success.” Speakers included a 4th grade student to Sarah Bird, CEO of Moz.

If you’re interested in getting your organization involved with TUNE House, please contact TUNEhouseteam@tune.com.

Connecting with Community Speaker Series

As part of its employee participation and giving program, TUNE Cares has hosted a speaker series for employees featuring community leaders since 2015. The series, so far, has welcomed eight speakers that include Seattle City Council Member, Teresa Mosqueda, and WTIA board member, Ed Lazowska.

The goal of TUNE Cares is to inspire employees to pursue and share their individual passions and strengths. And the speaker series presents employees with opportunities for doing that. For example,  Council Member Mosqueda talked about how employees could get involved with Seattle city planning.

One employee was so inspired by Brady Walkinshaw, CEO of Grist Magazine, who spoke during Earth Week, that she asked to take over TUNE’s Earth Week initiatives. She now plans and runs that initiative with the goal of inspiring other employees to get more involved with the environment.

“We want to empower employees to pursue the things they care about and understand that pushing for even small changes can make a big difference,” Hillary said.

Want to join the discussion and explore new ideas for “Building a Better Workplace”? Join us for FullConTech on May 8 at the Microsoft Campus in Redmond. You can find out more about the event and register here: