PhoenixTeam ranks at No. 45 with 269% growth rate. 

ARLINGTON, VA, February 28, 2023 –  PhoenixTeam places No. 45 out of 142 companies on the Inc. Regionals fastest-growing private companies in the Mid-Atlantic! Ranked within the top rising businesses, PhoenixTeam boasts a two-year median revenue growth rate of 269% and is one of 62 repeat honorees. The Mid-Atlantic region includes Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia.

The 2023 Inc. Regionals serves as an extension to the Inc. 5000 list and includes six major U.S. areas: Pacific, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Midwest, Northeast, and Southwest, with the Mid-Atlantic region averaging a growth rate of 381%.

“It is an honor to be recognized by the Inc. 5000 as one of the fastest-growing, privately held companies in the Mid-Atlantic region three years in a row,” said Tanya Brennan, Managing Partner, and CEO of PhoenixTeam. “We are humbled. We are grateful. We are excited for what we have planned to help even more federal housing agencies and commercial sector clients deliver their mission and business goals resulting in better outcomes for veterans, farmers, and homeowners.”

PhoenixTeam’s Additional Inc. Recognitions:
Inc. Regionals Mid-Atlantic
Inc. Magazine’s Regionals List is an extension of Inc. 5000, which lists the fastest-growing private companies in a particular region. PhoenixTeam’s ranked #41 of 131 in 2022 with an annual growth rate of 242% and #51 of 250 with a growth rate of 210% in 2021.

Inc. 5000
Inc. Magazine’s Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies has featured PhoenixTeam three times, ranking #2450 with a 236% revenue increase over a three-year period in 2022, #911 with a 532% growth rate in 2021, and #1160 with a growth rate of 389% in 2020.

Inc. Best Workplaces
Inc. Magazine’s Best Workplaces List honors company cultures that foster employee growth and advancement at all levels. PhoenixTeam has been recognized twice with a 94% overall employee satisfaction score and 100% of team members agree that they “see career development opportunities in this organization.”

View all PhoenixTeam’s Inc. Recognitions at https://www.inc.com/profile/phoenixteam.

Contact
PhoenixTeam
Melanie Lewis, Partner
904-868-5828
melanie.lewis@phoenixoutcomes.com

About PhoenixTeam
PhoenixTeam is a technology company that specializes exclusively in the design, delivery, and care of mortgage technology solution in the federal and commercial spaces. Our dream is to enable affordable and accessible homeownership for all Americans through customer-centric technology solutions. We believe that by bringing joy and purpose back to software development, while bridging the gap between technology and business teams, we can really make a difference in the lives of clients and homeowners everywhere. PhoenixTeam is a woman and minority-owned small business headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.

PhoenixTeam continues to set industry standards for enabling homeownership through technology. We partner with federal and commercial clients to bring innovative, meaningful, and efficient mortgage technology products to customers and our success is directly attributed to the incredible Phoenicians committed to bringing joy and purpose to software development. PhoenixTeam’s Annual Awards recognize the team members who exemplify the qualities of top-tier tech talent. Read on to learn more about our awards and winners!  

Phoenix’s awards are categorized as follows:  

  • Company-Wide Awards recognize the leaders who had profound impact on their team members, community, and industry. 
  • Account Awards celebrate the team members who created immeasurable value for their clients. 
  • Value Awards recognize the team members who best exemplify PhoenixTeam values: service, lifetime learning, diversity, impact, wellness, and entrepreneurialism. 
  • Continuous Service Awards honor team members who have committed to providing joy and purpose in software for over five years. 

Join PhoenixTeam in celebrating the following winners! 

Company-Wide Awards 

Peter Read, Managing Practitioner and SAFe Agilist and Scrum Master, is PhoenixTeam’s 2022 Leader of the Year. Peter joined PhoenixTeam in October 2018 and has since redefined what it means to lead the Phoenix Way through coaching, facilitation, and driving unparalleled results to our clients. “Peter leads flawlessly and always comes with positive energy. He always looks out for his team and continuously fights and works for their growth. Most importantly, he is a transparent, empathetic, and trustworthy leader to rely on.” 

Saugat Kandel, Senior Practitioner and SAFe savant, is Buddy of the Year. Saugat is the Phoenician who reminds us to just keep swimming and how to keep our heads above water. Since joining the company in the fall of 2019, he has proven to be an authentic and trustworthy team member who finds new ways to support and deliver value to team members and clients alike. “Saugat promotes teamwork by consistently encouraging teammates to speak up during all meetings. He is always available when I need to talk, even when it is not project related. I know without a doubt Saugat has my back in any meeting.” 

Becky Griswold, Managing Director and Certified MISMO Standards Professional (CMSP), is PhoenixTeam’s 2022 Most Valuable Phoenician (MVP). She is the model Phoenician who does it all. When asked of her superpower, the 2022 MVP answered simply, “Execute.” Becky supports and drives organizational growth while motivating her team and making every day as a Phoenician count. “Becky is a multi-tasking wizard with a photographic memory that manages to be empathetic yet quirky. She pushes you outside of your comfort zone with her unwavering confidence in your abilities and jumps in to help whenever she feels like you need it most because she ALWAYS has your back.” 

Account Awards 

Account Most Valuable Phoenician (AMVP) recognizes the Most Valuable Phoenician by team. These individuals bring positivity and energy to challenging days, showcase resiliency and leadership, and jump into action like it is second nature. They are recognized by their client and/or team as having the greatest impact on the desired outcomes. 

Rebecca Campbell, marketing and design master, is a creative genius who loves to ideate and collaboratively brainstorm on brand awareness. An incredible asset to the Phoenix Village and one of 2022’s AMVPs, Rebecca specializes in the efficient and excellent delivery of visual materials for PhoenixTeam. “Rebecca has singlehandedly set a new standard for PhoenixTeam. She ensures we deliver the highest-quality media and content to our clients, socials, and internal channels.” 

Robert Smith joined PhoenixTeam in the fall of 2020 and is recognized as a 2022 AMVP. Rob, a Senior Practitioner, Agile Coach and Certified LeSS Practitioner, is the founder and leader of PhoenixTeam’s Agile Community of Practice (CoP). He elicits results and proves that agile coaching done right and well, can deliver lasting impact for clients and team members. “Starting from Day 1, Rob improved the discovery and delivery processes of the client. The CEO said that they are finally able to get back to the “fun” part of building the product because Rob was able to get the team to deliver on the basic stuff they had been struggling with for many months.” 

Josh Bell joined PhoenixTeam two years ago and serves as Managing Practitioner. He has shown unwavering resiliency, innovation, and leadership as a 2022 AMVP. “Josh checks all the boxes of what we want for [client] team members. He is productive, client-focused, and a great teammate. He is always looking for ways to improve the product and is constantly doing research to learn new services and explore new technologies.” 

Gary Klein, Senior Practitioner and PhoenixTeam’s first CMSP, is a problem-solver by nature and trade. As a SAFe specialist, Gary has provided a strategy to every industry obstacle, earning recognition as one of this year’s AMVPs. “Gary does his homework, is a master at eliciting requirements, delivers with the utmost quality and on time (often early).  He typically knows the client’s product or technology better than the client and, in turn, gains their implicit trust.” 

Chase Carpenter, Managing Practitioner and SAFe Product Owner and Manager, is one of our earliest Phoenicians, joining us in 2017. A solutioning superstar, we recognize Chase as a 2022 AMVP for his ability to connect with our clients, uncover core problems, and create meaningful solutions that drive greater efficiency and joy for end users. “Every day, Chase negotiates win-win solutions for business and technology, overcomes objections, and does it all with the respect and admiration of his teammates.”  

Sara Ciffa joined PhoenixTeam one year ago and has made every day as a PhoenixTeam Senior Practitioner count. A Certified LeSS Practitioner and SAFe Product Owner and Manager, Sara is a 2022 AMVP for her ability to influence her team and client, and expert handling of products and disciplines. “Working with Sara is a pleasure, as is she as a person. I rely on her greatly, both to inspire the team and to carry a major and complex load herself.” 

Kamsala Baskaradoss, Senior Practitioner and analytics and solutioning superstar, has mastered the ability to connect humanity to technology and understand specific think patterns, strengths, and opportunities. Her industry experience has made her a valued and trusted ally for the client, well deserving of her recognition as a 2022 AMVP. “Kamsala has won over everyone on the team with her invaluable work to the client and team.” 

Customer Centric Awards 

Customer Centric Awards recognize the Phoenicians who ensure the value delivered to our clients is top quality, with a specific focus on end-user efficiency and delight. These individuals build strategic relationships, think on their feet, and are methodical in their approach to solving the most challenging customer problems. 

Caroline Qureshi, Salesforce superstar, builds strong personal and work relationships with everyone she meets across business, product, and technology, from executive to end-user to junior engineer, she is a Customer Centric award-winner. She is especially a favorite of the client, getting to know them beyond superficial levels and taking time to understand and empathize with their needs and struggles on the job. Caroline is incredibly passionate about her work and when the need arises, she will fight to ensure we are building products that bring joy to our users.” 

Pamela Beck-Janssen is a solution-seeker who transcends restrictive boundaries and silos, establishes rapport with experts as a trusted and experienced advisor, and bridges gaps between technologists, product managers, and end users. Beck-Janssen is recognized as a 2022 Customer Centric award winner. “Pam is the embodiment of every trait Phoenicians hold dear. She always puts the customer first and is a huge asset to the project and deserves to be recognized.” 

Kelli Deinarowicz, Senior Practitioner, is a pro at juggling multiple projects and utilizing her skillset in integrations and project management to deliver lightning-fast results to clients. A requirements mastermind, Kelli makes the hardest efforts seem achievable and brings solutions to life. “The hard work and dedication Kelli has given to mastering the world of the client is inspiring. They praise her work and opinions because she is a true superstar and does a fantastic job of influencing and persuading the client.” 

Value Awards 

Value Awards recognize the team members who best exemplify PhoenixTeam values: service, lifetime learning, diversity, impact, wellness, and entrepreneurialism.  

Donna Fell is recognized as the Phoenician who gives back to our clients, team, and community. Donna, Senior Analyst and SAFe Agilist, is the 2022 Value award winner for Service. “Donna always participates in PhoenixTeam philanthropic efforts and goes beyond her community by serving our team members through servant leadership.” 

Rhea Edwards, Senior Practitioner and Salesforce wiz, is the Lifetime Learning honoree. Rhea seeks to improve mentally, physically, emotionally, and professionally. She puts learnings into practice and shares what she learns with others. “Rhea’s hunger to learn is inspiring. She is constantly sharing her new findings in the spirit of growth, as individuals and as a village.” 

Haleigh Pannell is PhoenixTeam’s Diversity award winner for her commitment to celebrating every person and their uniqueness. Haleigh, a Senior Analyst, leads and drives our I.D.E.A. vision, promotes vulnerability and encourages difficult conversations. “Haleigh makes PhoenixTeam a workplace that exemplifies inclusion, diversity, equity, and access. Her work as an ally and advocate ensures team members not only understand, but apply the value of diversity.” 

Nate Pierce, Senior Practitioner, is recognized as the Phoenician who operates with an impact-oriented mindset. As PhoenixTeam’s 2022 Impact award winner, Nate consistently impacts the outcomes, positively impacts team members, and imparts long-lasting value to our organization and clients. “I don’t know how he does it – but Nate always delivers and leaves his mark. And he does it all with a great attitude and a laugh, which makes working with him an absolute pleasure.” 

Amanda Weakley is the founder and lead of Phoenix’s Mental Health ERG and demonstrates the behaviors necessary to take wellness beyond physical health—as without a good mind, body, and spirit, you are only part of your best self. Amanda, Operations Analyst, is PhoenixTeam’s 2022 Wellness award winner. “The day that Amanda joined our team I could see her mission to make PhoenixTeam a space where all feel safe and supported in their mental health and overall wellness.” 

Daniel Dennis, Senior Practitioner and Salesforce genius, is recognized as the Phoenician who unequivocally contributes to the growth and development of the Phoenix Village as the 2022 Entrepreneurialism award winner. Whether bringing in new business, expanding our footprint with existing clients, or delivering creative ideas to grow our internal practices, Daniel is always thinking ten miles down the road to ensure that Phoenix is the premier place to work and a technology partner. “Daniel stands out as an entrepreneurialism superstar. He has independently fostered relationships with account executives and as a result has identified a high odds opportunity for an engagement with a federal government agency. 

Five Years of Service 

PhoenixTeam thanks the following team members for their continued commitment to delivering value, the Phoenix Way.  

Chase Carpenter, Managing Practitioner 

Jacki Frazer, Managing Practitioner 

Nate Pierce, Senior Practitioner 

Cindy Larsen, Internal Operations 

About PhoenixTeam 

PhoenixTeam is a technology company that specializes exclusively in the design, delivery, and care of mortgage technology solution in the federal and commercial spaces. Our dream is to enable affordable and accessible homeownership for all Americans through customer-centric technology solutions. We believe that by bringing joy and purpose back to software development, while bridging the gap between technology and business teams, we can really make a difference in the lives of clients and homeowners everywhere. PhoenixTeam is a woman and minority-owned small business headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. 

ARLINGTON, VA, October 21, 2022 – PhoenixTeam is ranked #15 on the Washington Business Journal’s 2022 Fastest Growing Companies list! This list recognizes the top 50 privately-owned companies in the Washington, D.C. area that exhibited continued growth throughout the past three years and COVID-19 pandemic. PhoenixTeam saw a 93.68% average change. 

“PhoenixTeam’s continued growth is reflective of our talented team and our incredible clients,” says Tanya Brennan, managing partner and CEO. “We are honored to be recognized by the Washington Business Journal as a fastest growing company in the greater Washington, D.C. area. Our focus is on delighting our clients and delivering value through technology design, delivery, and implementation excellence resulting in better outcomes for veterans, farmers, and homeowners.” 

This honor is the fifth recognition PhoenixTeam receives from the Washington Business Journal. PhoenixTeam has ranked #30 on the list of Largest Women-Owned Businesses in Greater Washington, D.C., #20 in the Top-Performing Small Technology Companies in Greater D.C. list, #10 on the Best Places to Work in Greater Washington list, and received the Corporate Pride Award for Business of Pride.  

View the complete list of Fastest Growing Companies and more information regarding the honorees here: https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/subscriber-only/2022/10/21/fastest-growing-companies-in-greater-dc.html 

Contact

PhoenixTeam
Melanie Lewis, Partner
904-868-5828
melanie.lewis@phoenixoutcomes.com

About PhoenixTeam:

PhoenixTeam is a technology company that specializes exclusively in the design, delivery, and care of mortgage technology solution in the federal and commercial spaces. Our dream is to enable affordable and accessible homeownership for all Americans through customer-centric technology solutions. We believe that by bringing joy and purpose back to software development, while bridging the gap between technology and business teams, we can really make a difference in the lives of clients and homeowners everywhere. PhoenixTeam is a woman and minority-owned small business headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. For more information, visit us at www.phoenixoutcomes.com.

ARLINGTON, VA, September 7, 2022— Great Place to Work and Fortune magazine rank PhoenixTeam as a 2022 Best Small and Medium Workplaces in Technology. PhoenixTeam is ranked 29 out of 50 Small and Medium companies on its first time named to this prestigious list.  

“Our first-time recognition on the 2022 Best Workplaces in Technology list reflects our continued focus on our team and our clients,” says Tanya Brennan, managing partner and CEO. “Our team members are instrumental in driving change within mortgage technology, allowing PhoenixTeam to bring joy and purpose to software development and the technology industry.” 

PhoenixTeam received its first Great Place to Work Certification in February 2022, ranked #29 on the Fortune and Great Place to Work Best Workplaces for Millennials™ list in July 2022, #53 on the 2022 Best Medium Workplaces™ list in August, and now holds additional recognition as an honoree on the Fortune magazine Best Workplaces in Technology list. Great Place to Work measured the differences in over 151,000 employee survey responses from companies in technology through the Trust Index™ survey using rigorous analytics and confidential feedback. 

100% of PhoenixTeam employees that participated in the Trust Index survey agreed that: 

  • We celebrate people who try new and better ways of doing things, regardless of the outcome. 
  • Management trusts people to do a good job without watching over their shoulders. 
  • When I look at what we accomplish, I feel a sense of pride. 
  • PhoenixTeam is a great place to work. 

View PhoenixTeam’s full Great Place to Work profile and recognitions at https://www.greatplacetowork.com/certified-company/7039913.

Contact
PhoenixTeam
Melanie Lewis, Partner
904-868-5828
melanie.lewis@phoenixoutcomes.com

About PhoenixTeam:  

PhoenixTeam is a technology company that specializes exclusively in the design, delivery, and care of mortgage technology solution in the federal and commercial spaces. Our dream is to enable affordable and accessible homeownership for all Americans through customer-centric technology solutions. We believe that by bringing joy and purpose back to software development, while bridging the gap between technology and business teams, we can really make a difference in the lives of clients and homeowners everywhere. PhoenixTeam is a woman and minority-owned small business headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. For more information, visit us at www.phoenixoutcomes.com. 

About the Best Workplaces in Technology 

Great Place to Work selected the Best Workplaces in Technology by gathering and analyzing over 1 million confidential survey responses and data from companies representing more than 6.1 million U.S. employees at Great Place to Work-Certified organizations. Responses from 151,000 employees in technology were analyzed for this list. Company rankings are derived from 60 employee experience questions within the Great Place to Work Trust Index™ survey.  

About Great Place to Work® 

Great Place to Work is the global authority on workplace culture. Since 1992, it has surveyed more than 100 million employees worldwide and used those deep insights to define what makes a great workplace: trust. Its employee survey platform empowers leaders with the feedback, real-time reporting and insights they need to make data-driven people decisions. Everything it does is driven by the mission to build a better world by helping every organization become a great place to work For All.   

Learn more at greatplacetowork.com and on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. 

 

ARLINGTON, VA, August 16, 2022 –  PhoenixTeam ranks in the top half of Inc. magazine’s 2022 Inc. 5000 List of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies for the third year in a row! The Inc. 5000 List is determined by percentage revenue growth from 2018 to 2021 in U.S.-based, private companies. PhoenixTeam saw a 236% three-year growth and ranked #2450 on the list. 

“It is an honor to be recognized by Inc. as one of the fastest growing, privately held companies in the nation for the third year in a row,” said Tanya Brennan, managing partner and CEO of PhoenixTeam. “Our continued growth is a testament to our talented team that continues to delight our clients and deliver value by finding innovative ways to address their most difficult challenges in the mortgage technology and software development spaces. PhoenixTeam is fortunate to continue to help federal housing agencies and commercial sector clients deliver better business solutions through technology design, delivery and implementation excellence resulting in better outcomes for veterans, farmers and homeowners.” 

View the full list of honorees at  https://www.inc.com/inc5000/2022. 

Contact  

PhoenixTeam
Melanie Lewis
904-868-5828
melanie.lewis@phoenixoutcomes.com 

About PhoenixTeam
PhoenixTeam is a woman-owned small business that specializes in the consumer lending and financial services space. Partnering with government agencies, financial institutions and technology providers, PhoenixTeam brings top-tier talent and expertise to deliver the best mortgage loan experience for our clients and those seeking homeownership. As a full-stack product company that emphasizes a continuous learning culture, PhoenixTeam leverages unique and creative methods to develop and deliver on our client’s strategy and vision. For more information, visit us www.phoenixoutcomes.com. 

ARLINGTON, VA, August 8, 2022 — Minority and woman-owned mortgage software development company PhoenixTeam is an honoree on Great Place to Work and Fortune magazine’s 2022 Best Medium Workplaces. PhoenixTeam is ranked #53 on its first time named to this prestigious list.  

“Our first-time recognition on the 2022 Best Medium Workplaces list reflects our continued focus on our people,” says Tanya Brennan, Managing Partner and CEO. “We are dedicated to helping our team members become the best versions of themselves inside and outside of the workplace. Our company growth echos the growth of the individuals who drive change within the mortgage technology industry and allows PhoenixTeam to bring joy and purpose to software development.” 

PhoenixTeam received its first Great Place to Work Certification in February of 2022 and was ranked #29 on the Fortune and Great Place to Work Best Workplace for Millennials in July 2022. The company now holds additional recognition on the 2022 Best Medium Workplace List. 

Great Place to Work measured over 200,000 employees survey responses in companies with 100 to 999 team members in America’s largest ongoing annual workforce study from companies that represent more than 6.1 million U.S. employees in the Trust Index™ survey. The survey allows team members to share anonymous quantitative and qualitative feedback on company culture through 60 statements measured on a five-point scale and two open-ended questions. These statements assess “employee experience, defined by high levels of trust, respect, credibility, fairness, pride, and camaraderie” as stated by Great Place to Work.  

100% of PhoenixTeam employees who participated in the Trust Index survey agree that: 

  • The company celebrates people who try new and better ways of doing things, regardless of the outcome. 
  • People here are treated fairly regardless of their sexual orientation, race, or age. 
  • Management trusts people to do a good job without watching over their shoulders. 
  • When I look at what we accomplish, I feel a sense of pride. 
  • PhoenixTeam is a great place to work. 

Great Place to Work selected the Best Medium Workplaces list using rigorous analytics and confidential employee feedback. Companies are assessed on how well they are creating a great employee experience that cuts across race, gender, age, disability status, or any aspect of who employees are or what their role is. 

View PhoenixTeam’s full Great Place to Work profile and recognitions at https://www.greatplacetowork.com/certified-company/7039913.

Contact
PhoenixTeam
Melanie Lewis, Partner
904-868-5828
melanie.lewis@phoenixoutcomes.com  

About PhoenixTeam:  

PhoenixTeam is a woman-owned small business that specializes in the consumer lending and financial services space. Partnering with government agencies, financial institutions and technology providers, PhoenixTeam brings top-tier talent and expertise to deliver the best mortgage loan experience for our clients and those seeking homeownership. As a full-stack product company that emphasizes a continuous learning culture, PhoenixTeam leverages unique and creative methods to develop and deliver on our client’s strategy and vision. For more information, visit us at www.phoenixoutcomes.com. 

About the Best Medium Workplaces™ 

Great Place to Work selected the Best Medium Workplaces by analyzing the survey responses of over 200,000 employees from Great Place to Work-Certified™ companies with 100 to 999 U.S. employees. Company rankings are derived from 60 employee experience questions within the Great Place to Work Trust Index™ survey. Great Place to Work determines its lists using its proprietary For All methodology to evaluate and certify thousands of organizations in America’s largest ongoing annual workforce study, based on over 1 million survey responses and data from companies representing more than 6.1 million employees, this year alone.  

 

ARLINGTON, VA, July 18, 2022— PhoenixTeam is an honoree for Great Place to Work and Fortune magazine’s 2022 Best Workplaces for Millennials. PhoenixTeam is ranked 29th place out of 100 Small and Medium companies on its first time named to this prestigious list.  

“Our first-time recognition on the 2022 Best Workplace for Millennials list reflects our continued focus on our people,” says Tanya Brennan, Managing Partner and CEO. “Our millennial team members are instrumental in driving change within the mortgage technology industry, allowing PhoenixTeam to bring joy and purpose to software development.” 

PhoenixTeam received its first Great Place to Work Certification in February of 2022, and now holds additional recognition as an honoree on the Fortune magazine Best Workplace for Millennials list. Great Place to Work measured the differences in over 413,000 Millennials’ survey responses to those of other generations taken from America’s largest ongoing annual workforce study of over 1 million employee survey responses and data from companies that represent more than 6.1 million U.S. employees in the Trust Index™ survey.  

100% of PhoenixTeam employees that participated in the Trust Index survey agreed that: 

  • We celebrate people who try new and better ways of doing things, regardless of the outcome.
  • Management trusts people to do a good job without watching over their shoulders. 
  • When I look at what we accomplish, I feel a sense of pride. 
  • PhoenixTeam is a great place to work. 

Great Place to Work selected the Best Workplaces for Millennial list using rigorous analytics and confidential employee feedback. Companies are assessed on how well they are creating a great employee experience that cuts across race, gender, age, disability status, or any aspect of who employees are or what their role is. 

View PhoenixTeam’s full Great Place to Work profile and recognitions at https://www.greatplacetowork.com/certified-company/7039913.

Contact
PhoenixTeam
Melanie Lewis, Partner
904-868-5828
melanie.lewis@phoenixoutcomes.com  

About PhoenixTeam:  

PhoenixTeam is a woman-owned small business that specializes in the consumer lending and financial services space. Partnering with government agencies, financial institutions and technology providers, PhoenixTeam brings top-tier talent and expertise to deliver the best mortgage loan experience for our clients and those seeking homeownership. As a full-stack product company that emphasizes a continuous learning culture, PhoenixTeam leverages unique and creative methods to develop and deliver on our client’s strategy and vision. For more information, visit us at www.phoenixoutcomes.com. 

About the Best Workplaces for Millennials 

Great Place to Work selected the Best Workplaces for Millennials by gathering and analyzing over 1 million confidential survey responses and data from companies representing more than 6.1 million U.S. employees at Great Place to Work-Certified organizations. Company rankings are derived from 60 employee experience questions within the Great Place to Work Trust Index™ survey. Read the full methodology. 

About Great Place to Work® 

Great Place to Work is the global authority on workplace culture. Since 1992, it has surveyed more than 100 million employees worldwide and used those deep insights to define what makes a great workplace: trust. Its employee survey platform empowers leaders with the feedback, real-time reporting and insights they need to make data-driven people decisions. Everything it does is driven by the mission to build a better world by helping every organization become a great place to work For All.   

Learn more at greatplacetowork.com and on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. 

This article originally appeared on Washington Business Journal and was written by Tristan Navera. It has been given minor edits before re-posting.

For countless businesses in Greater Washington, 2020 was a chance to step back and reflect on what their mission was and how they were doing it.

PhoenixTeam’s leaders had time for soul-searching, too.

Arlington-based PhoenixTeam is still a relatively new business, having formed in 2015 so its culture remains malleable. At the same time, it has grown to 140 employees, so the systems put into place now have an outsized impact on how it continues to grow. So when it began thinking about diversity, the company found it wanted a more ingrained way to measure how it was doing.

“Financial technology and housing are some of the least diverse sectors, but we need to reflect the diversity of the customer base,” said Tela Mathias, managing partner and COO.

PhoenixTeam’s “IDEA” initiative — Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access — was its all-encompassing strategy. The program relies on a four-pronged approach that includes education, policies, open dialogue, support, and understanding to educate its workers and ensure the workplace is empathetic and inclusive.

And so, it’s a holistic approach, Mathias said, because it requires employees to understand the moral and business need to build a diverse workforce so that they can support the initiative. The ultimate goal is “a culture of support and understanding” as its employees are more aware of one another’s business and personal challenges and how to help. Three activities a month ranging from discussions of emotional intelligence, empathy, prejudice, discrimination and celebration of heritage and holidays across a diverse community, with a few focused on Pride, pronouns and stronger allyship with the LGBTQIA+ community.

Doubling down on that investment, the company built a relationship with Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation to hire a chief diversity officer, draft a $75,000 budget and continue training and implementation of its IDEA initiative. After an audit with JustUs Health, the company also removed gendered language from its employee handbook and restrooms, added conscious inclusion training and updated its website with information about the LGBTQIA+ community and substance abuse. This year, the company plans more workshops to target recruiting, bias, leadership and emotional intelligence, with a goal to work more with the HBFF to determine what other resources to offer the LGBTQIA+ community.

“These things don’t come into your understanding naturally,” Mathias said. “You have to make room for them.”

The company’s recruitment efforts had to fall in line too, as it posts open positions on diverse job sites and has a single recruiting, interviewing and hiring experience for all candidates. Once people are aboard, they’re now included in one of eight employee resource groups, including one for LGBTQIA+, each a private channel that allows them to connect with others of similar life experience and background.

That’s because the company’s customer base has had to contend with these struggles, too. PhoenixTeam has many customers in the federal government, for instance, including veterans working with the Department of Veteran Affairs to stay in their homes. It’s meaningful work, but it requires understanding people with a wide range of life experiences.

It’s not just that the woman-owned business benefits from a broader array of perspectives as it tries to go to market in a diverse world. But these kinds of teams are turning out to be more resilient in the long run, too. The company landed on Inc. Magazine’s “Best Places to Work” list for the second time this year after a survey put 99% of team members engaged with “high favorability, advocacy, intent to stay and discretionary effort” and 96% feeling leaders put people first.

Analyst Jaedri Wood, reflecting on the past two years, summed it up in her comments. “People want to work for a company that has a positive impact and prioritizes the quality of their work over the quantity,” she wrote. “Team members are more invested in delivering positive change than solely improving the company’s bottom line.”

Leaders and companies are recognized for programs, practices and policies that advance LGBTQIA+ equality and leadership in the workplace throughout the Greater Washington Area and beyond. 

ARLINGTON, VA, May 20, 2022 – PhoenixTeam is a Washington Business Journal Business of Pride in the Greater Washington area honoree! The award recognizes companies and business leaders for outstanding practices in advancing LGBTQIA+ leadership and equality, and blazing the trail for diversity and inclusion in the corporate world.  

“As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. so famously reminded us, ‘the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.’ This award reminds me that when we have power and privilege, it is our responsibility to use it to bend the arc towards justice,” says Tela Mathias, Managing Partner and COO. “To create access where it did not exist previously and invent a new way of doing business, one that realizes fairness and a commitment to the core values we practice at PhoenixTeam. It’s in our blood as a company and a community.” 

PhoenixTeam’s commitment to diversity and inclusion sits at the core of our company as a minority and woman-founded business in the overwhelmingly male and white-dominated financial technology and housing industries. In alignment with our dedication to representation, PhoenixTeam launched the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (I.D.E.A.) initiative in 2020 to empower our village members to reinforce the appreciation and acceptance of all through education and empathy. PhoenixTeam is also home to eight Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), including a LGBTQIA+ group, where team members may share, listen, and learn about and within their respective communities. In conjunction with I.D.E.A. and ERGs the Phoenix Way aims to educate Phoenicians and ensure a compassionate workspace where people of all identities feel safe and accepted.

PhoenixTeam has also led external diversity and inclusion efforts alongside the Hazeldon Betty Ford Foundation (HBFF) to make high-quality substance-use healthcare accessible to all, with an emphasis on the LGBTQIA+ community. Through the partnership, several initiatives were launched within the HBFF including continuous I.D.E.A. training and implementation, and an LGBTQIA+ audit alongside JustUs Health, a nonprofit by the Minnesota AIDS Project and Rainbow Health Initiative dedicated to health equity for the LGBTQIA+ community. 

To learn more about PhoenixTeam company culture and the values that lead the Phoenix Way, visit https://phoenixoutcomes.com/who-we-are/culture/. 

View the complete list of Business of Pride honorees and more information regarding the Awards Event here.


Contact

PhoenixTeam
Melanie Lewis, Partner
904-868-5828
melanie.lewis@phoenixoutcomes.com 

About PhoenixTeam: 

PhoenixTeam is a woman-owned small business that specializes in the consumer lending and financial services space. Partnering with government agencies, financial institutions and technology providers, PhoenixTeam brings top-tier talent and expertise to deliver the best mortgage loan experience for our clients and those seeking homeownership. As a full-stack product company that emphasizes a continuous learning culture, PhoenixTeam leverages unique and creative methods to develop and deliver on our client’s strategy and vision. For more information, visit us www.phoenixoutcomes.com. 

ARLINGTON, VA, May 10, 2022 – PhoenixTeam has been named to Inc. magazine’s 2022 Best Workplaces list for the second year in a row. The list is the result of a comprehensive measurement of American companies that have excelled in creating exceptional workplaces and company culture. From thousands of applicants, Inc. selected 475 honorees this year based on management effectiveness, benefits and perks, fostering employee growth, and overall company culture. These categories were assessed via an employee survey conducted by Quantum Workplace. 

“PhoenixTeam would like to thank Inc. for recognizing us as one of the best places to work two years in a row,” says Tanya Brennan, CEO and Managing Partner. “Our vision is to bring joy and purpose to software development within the mortgage industry. This means delighting our clients and giving our team members opportunities and tools to achieve their goals and make an impact on the world. Seven years later, having grown to almost 140 people, we continue our journey to inspire our team to be their very best.” 

What put PhoenixTeam on the Best Workplaces list:   

  • 99% of team members are engaged with “high favorability, advocacy, intent to stay, and discretionary effort” 
  • 96% of team members feel that “senior leaders of the organization value people as their most important resource” 
  • The top word that best describes the PhoenixTeam environment according to the survey respondents is “supportive”  

For additional information on what makes PhoenixTeam a Best Workplace, visit https://phoenixoutcomes.com/rise-with-us/benefits-and-perks/. The full Best Workplaces list is featured online at https://www.inc.com/best-workplaces/2022 and will be in the May/June 2022 issue hitting newsstands on Tuesday, May 17, 2022. 

Contact 
PhoenixTeam 
Melanie Lewis 
904-868-5828 
melanie.lewis@phoenixoutcomes.com 

About PhoenixTeam
PhoenixTeam is a woman-owned small business that specializes in the consumer lending and financial services space. Partnering with government agencies, financial institutions and technology providers, PhoenixTeam brings top-tier talent and expertise to deliver the best mortgage loan experience for our clients and those seeking homeownership. As a full-stack product company that emphasizes a continuous learning culture, PhoenixTeam leverages unique and creative methods to develop and deliver on our client’s strategy and vision. For more information, visit us www.phoenixoutcomes.com.