Over the past seven years, CloudHealth Technologies has grown from one to nearly 400 employees, been acquired by VMware and established itself as a leader in the cloud management space, helping more than 3,000 customers automate their cloud environments, and control the cost, security and performance of their computing environments in native public clouds like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft’s Azure and Google Cloud.
Though the company has gone global — with offices in England, Germany and Australia — CloudHealth has never lost sight of its Boston roots and the community that contributed to its rich success. (Go Sox!) That’s why a culture of giving back is ingrained in employees from the ground up: charity drives around the holidays are the norm, as well as the ongoing support of programs committed to fostering entrepreneurship among underprivileged youth. Director of Human Resources Kristen Tronsky shared more with us about how CloudHealth’s mission to uplift the local community reflects the company’s core values.
Tell us about CloudHealth’s Boston roots.
CloudHealth is a global company with its roots firmly in Boston. Our founder and CTO, Joe Kinsella, has said that he couldn’t imagine starting a company anywhere else and even created a Boston Nerd Tour last year that shows how passionate he is about this city. CloudHealth has offices around the world — and with our recent acquisition by VMware, we’ve grown even more — but we will always be deeply connected to Boston, the site of our global headquarters and the city that saw the organization skyrocket from one to nearly 400 employees in just four short years. Boston is a hotbed of talent and innovation and home to one of the world’s leading entrepreneurial communities; we’re honored to be a part of it.
We strive to ensure that today’s youth grow up to be producers, rather than mere consumers, of technology.”
What are a few ways CloudHealth gives back to the community?
We believe we have a duty to improve the lives of others in the community through volunteerism and charitable giving. CloudHealth employees have volunteered at Boston Rescue Mission, coached underprivileged youth and partnered with local charter schools for internship program placement.
One nonprofit we support in particular is BUILD.org. CloudHealth is a strong supporter of BUILD Boston — an organization that teaches entrepreneurship to high school students and serves more than 400 students across Boston, equipping them in 21st century skills and teaching them how to launch their own businesses. CloudHealth employees have participated in the annual Entrepreneur Games and mentored high school students throughout the school year. Most recently, Tom Axbey, CEO of CloudHealth, joined BUILD Boston’s Board of Advisors. We also support children receiving services from the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families through an annual charity gift drive and ongoing involvement throughout the year.
CloudHealth plays a big role in educating future entrepreneurs. Can you elaborate?
Boston is home to one of the world’s richest, fastest-growing economies — yet even in this city, there are children who aren’t getting access to the education they deserve. As a member of Boston’s vibrant tech sector, CloudHealth believes it has an obligation to give back to the communities we serve by mentoring and partnering with local programs that ensure youth enjoy a brighter future.
Alongside our support of programs like BUILD Boston and The Wonderfund, CloudHealth is committed to investing in programs like FIRST — a 28-year-old nonprofit organization founded with the goal of sparking an interest in science and technology in the minds of young people, which helps nourish a passion for innovation in young adults. We strive to ensure that today’s youth grow up to be producers, rather than mere consumers, of technology.
How do the company’s philanthropic efforts reflect CloudHealth’s internal culture?
CloudHealth’s philanthropic efforts are in direct alignment with our culture code, which stipulates that you should “care about everything you do.” Values like mentorship, participation, transparency, ownership and customer focus apply not just to the business but also to the way we interact with the local community.
How has CloudHealth become a pillar in the Boston tech community?
We’ve already mentioned Joe Kinsella, and the rest of the CloudHealth leadership team also has a deep affinity for all things Boston. Their careers span decades at many local business hallmarks, including Veracode, Boston Consulting Group, LogMeIn, Smartbear, and Rave Mobile Safety. Upper management frequently refers to Boston as an entrepreneurial hub and underscores CloudHealth’s responsibility to continue to feed into the lifeblood of its technology community, support the next generation of entrepreneurs and nurture innovation.
That’s why we chose to host our first user conference here in Boston, to reinforce the perception of the city as an innovation hub. It was a truly global event that attracted customers and partners from 13 countries — so of course we had to take them to a Red Sox game.
What do you look for in prospective CloudHealth employees?
When seeking candidates to grow our team, we look for individuals that reflect our six key tenets: Focus on the customer. Care about everything you do. Go for game-changing innovation. Make a business impact. Communicate transparently. Share and set expectations. And naturally, have a sense of humor. These tenets emphasize why we’re here and chart our course for success.
