In just five years, the New Zealand NPS software startup, AskNicely, has grown from the vision of co-founders John Ballinger and Aaron Ward to a 70+ employee operation with clients around the world. In this podcast, Aaron talks with JLL Managing Director, Niall Travers, about how he and John chose Portland as their US HQ and the role that culture plays in the growth and success of the company. Listen-in to find out about the most important personality trait executives look for in hiring new employees at AskNicely!Enjoy! 

JLL Portland

Interview with Aaron Ward: Developing and maintaining culture in a high growth tech startup

Originally from Great Britain, Mat Ellis has lived and worked all over the world. After moving to Portland over 10 years ago, he started his own software company, Cloudability. He’s been there ever since and has seen the city change from a quick stop on the way to Silicon Valley to a unique tech hub of its own.In his interview with Craig, Mat offers a unique perspective on how the city has transformed, the face-to-face communication style of the people there, the obstacles it's faced in the past and the tough decisions it could face in the future.Friends for more than eight years, Craig and Mat have a candid discussion about the struggles tech company founders face in raising capital, attracting top leadership talent, and how local politics and legislation plays a role in the success of company at any stage of growth. They also talk about some of the challenges many tech entrepreneurs face when deciding whether they should set up shop in the Bay Area or a secondary market like Portland, where they might find a smaller but more collaborative tech community.

Interview with Mat Ellis: The evolution of Portland's Tech Community

Learn more about PDX entrepreneurs and innovators through our candid interviews with friends, clients and thought leaders. JLL is the world leader in real estate services, powered by an entrepreneurial spirit. We want the most ambitious clients to work with us, and the most ambitious people to work for us. It’s as simple as that.

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Interview with Aaron Ward: Developing and maintaining culture in a high growth tech startup

Interview with Mat Ellis: The evolution of Portland's Tech Community