We had the good fortune of connecting with Kirsten Helvey and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kirsten, what matters most to you?
Empathy is my driving value, personally and in business.

My father was an immigrant and my mother was a first-generation American, so understanding others’ perspectives and feelings has always been very important to me. This has been a beacon for me in how I live my life, raise my children, and lead teams.

We all approach challenges and solve problems from our own lens of experience. Being empathetic allows us to see and appreciate others’ perspectives. It allows for more diversity of thought and makes it much easier to reach a compromise.

From a business perspective, I’ve found that empathy builds trust, motivates, and empowers employees.

At Instil, we worked together to define our company values and culture. Driven by empathy and a shared vision to make a positive difference in the world, they are:

– Collaboration is Everything
– Challenge Your Biases
– Cultivate Inspiration and Pursue Impact

When leaders show empathy, it often has a domino effect and permeates throughout the business. This creates a culture of authenticity, trust and recognition. All of which will help create working environments where people are happy, motivated and high-performing.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Before diving into the world of Saas (Software as a Service), I was a consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers and IBM Business Consulting Services, where I focused on providing operational expertise to Fortune 500 companies using enabling technologies.
I then joined Cornerstone OnDemand, a talent management software, in its early stage. Over the next 15 years, as I rose through the ranks to become Chief Operating Officer, Cornerstone grew to nearly $500M in revenue, 3,500+ customers, and close to 2,000 employees.

My experience has led me to this exciting point in time, leading the team as CEO at Instil (Instil.io). We are a startup creating a SaaS platform to help nonprofit organizations and change agents dramatically increase their positive impact on the world.

This opportunity has allowed me to build a passionate team of expert technologists and nonprofit professionals to develop a cutting edge product that will help organizations operate more effectively and efficiently.

Technology can help make the world a better place and I am grateful that my experience allows me to operate at the intersection of technology and social impact.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Prior to COVID, my college friends came to LA for a mini-reunion. My go-to list for us included:

– Best beach: Manhattan Beach
– Westside culture stop: J. Paul Getty Museum
– Shopping and people-watching: Venice
– Place to chill: Terranea

LA has so much to offer. I enjoy showing my family and friends my favorite places when they are in town.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My shoutout is dedicated to my parents. They sacrificed so much for my siblings and me and instilled in us the values I hold dear today.

I must also shoutout my tribe. Being a woman in tech has its challenges, and I’m grateful to those that have supported me along my journey. My fiercest champion is my mom. She is the ultimate supporter, there to listen and help navigate the big things in life, while offering the amazing insight only a mom can.

Website: instil.io

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weareinstil/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kmaas/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/weareinstil

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weareinstil

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