Pros
- Mission-Driven: Forage truly is a mission-driven organization, and all of its team-mates care deeply about democratizing access to government benefits and feeding families. Whether they have intimate experience growing up on SNAP or not, Foragers are equally committed to the cause. It's rare to be a part of a team that is fueled by purpose, and a true treat to know the work you're doing will have a profoundly positive impact on those who need it most.
- Exceptional People: Having run the gauntlet of work experiences (ex: finance, big tech, startup), I continue to be stunned by the quality, and most importantly empathy, of those who work at Forage. Foragers are genuinely kind and caring, and are driven by the mission and by each other. It's rare to find a group of people that will cheer harder for you than at Forage. And it's even rarer to get to work with them side-by-side on things you all truly believe in.
- Extreme Bias for Ownership: Foragers are given ownership, visibility, and influence, no matter their juniority or years of experience. The potential to run your own projects, tell the leaders they're wrong (and why), and execute are limitless, and that starts as early as Day 1. If you're looking to have impact and be impactful, this is most certainly the place for you.
- Velocity of Execution: Startups move fast, and Foragers move even faster. Every day teams are executing initiatives that will have a foundational impact on the organization's future trajectory. You really are building the plane while flying it (terrifying at times, but mostly exhilarating!), and you will do so with team-mates who share that infectious energy, excitement, and expertise.
- Culture of Transparency: It's easy to tip toe around sensitive topics. I've done it countless times in other work environments. At Forage, however, I've gotten very comfortable at 'being uncomfortable', and challenging leadership to think in new, different ways. I was inspired by how every Forager takes an active role shaping the future of the company, and it doesn't take long for new-joiners to also provide their input on everything from product strategy to offsite planning. Forage does a great job creating psychological safety, and spaces, for team-mates to be authentic and genuine with one another.
- Work-Life Balance: Coming into an early stage startup, I honestly did not expect the WLB to be as good as it is with Forage. I've since been blown away by the flexibility and accommodations provided to team-mates. Whether it's the big things - like our remote-first policy - or the small things (i..e, team lunches and happy hours, having your PTO approved whenever you request it, etc.), the people at Forage take mental and emotional well-being very, very seriously. This is just a small list of things that come to my mind when I think about Forage, but don't take this review's words for it: if you're interested in joining Forage, feel free to reach out to any of us over LinkedIn! We'd be happy to share more.
Cons
Forage is an early stage startup, and things move very, very quickly. For those who have not operated in similar environments or are more junior, Forage could become overwhelming.
Perhaps surprisingly, however, Foragers come from all walks of life. We have everyone from new grads to working parents, SNAP experts to those who've never even heard of the term before joining, proudly join as our team-mates. Despite our diverse array of backgrounds, everybody is attuned with the mission, culture, and team, and that makes the learning process - especially from and with each other - all the more rewarding, fast-paced, and fun.