On this episode of Humanizing Tech, we’re joined by CEO and Founder at Edify, Kristen Buchanan (she/her). A longtime fan of PDXWIT, Kristen noticed many of the people she was meeting had to “manage up” during their onboarding experience. She kept hearing stories about how difficult that is, especially for people with marginalized identities. Kristen believes the new hires aren’t responsible for shaping an onboarding experience; that it’s the people managers who need to own this part of the process in a systematic way -- beyond gut feelings. This led to her building a solution that offers a ​​functional, holistic onboarding experience tailored for teams to attract, keep, and grow great employees. We learn all about Kristen’s philosophy toward equitable onboarding, team building, and her entrepreneurial journey -- specifically the importance of your mentors challenging you, how she took that leap of faith into business ownership, and her best advice both for others seeking the motivation to get their own business ideas out there and for those interviewing for new employment opportunities.