Rising Team

Don't miss this episode of the Speak In Flow podcast, hosted by Melinda Lee, where our Chief Technology Officer Jeffrey Yang opens up about his journey from a “tell me what to do” mindset to becoming a leader who drives purpose, ownership, and alignment within his teams. Tune in to hear actionable insights and leadership lessons that can transform your team dynamics.

When Meta and Microsoft announced layoffs this week of their “lowest performers,” it struck a nerve for me—this label doesn’t just end roles; it can damage careers. Take Meta as an example. Their hiring bar is among the highest in the world. The so-called “lowest performers” at Meta are likely to be top performers elsewhere. I know this because I worked there for almost two years and saw firsthand the incredible talent they attract. Those employees weren’t hired by chance. They cleared rigorous hiring standards. People who are truly poor performers are let go sooner, so the people who remain are often rated only slightly lower than others by the slimmest of margins. I’ve been in leadership roles where layoffs were necessary, so I understand the difficulty of making those decisions. I also absolutely agree that it is reasonable to let people go for lower performance than others on the team, and to share that reasoning with them. However, publicly branding employees as low performers serves no one—not the individuals, not the remaining team, and not the company’s reputation. Leadership is about more than making tough decisions; it’s about *how* we make them. If your “bottom 5%” could be someone else’s top talent, why create unnecessary barriers to their next opportunity? Layoffs are hard enough. We should lead with empathy and ensure we choose dignity over labels.

We’re excited to welcome three phenomenal new teammates to Rising Team. Each of them brings incredible expertise, creativity, and passion to our mission of helping leaders build stronger, more connected, and high-performing teams. Meet our newest team members: Laura Fleury, Customer Success Manager Laura is a seasoned customer success leader with a gift for creative problem-solving, data-driven insights, and building authentic, lasting relationships. She has a proven track record of driving results at companies like Built In, Seesaw Learning, Glassdoor, and Lyft, where she developed innovative strategies to deliver exceptional customer experiences. Vince Stinson, Senior Product Designer Vince is a skilled designer with deep expertise in creating user-centered experiences that drive growth. Most recently at Rebuy Engine and other software companies, he’s led cross-functional teams to design end-to-end solutions that enhance scalability and efficiency. Rui Wang, Staff Software Engineer Rui brings 20+ years of software development experience and was an early employee at LinkedIn, where she she helped build the company's first-generation distributed graph and first applied AI pipeline. Later transitioning to a manager and career coach, she is passionate about harnessing LLM technology to help teams and individuals work more effectively and thrive. Please join us in giving a warm welcome to Laura, Vince, and Rui. We’re thrilled to have them on board and can’t wait to see all the amazing contributions they’ll bring to Rising Team! 🚀 #WelcomeToTheTeam #CustomerSuccess #ProductDesign #RisingTeam

2024 was a transformative year for Rising Team—one that’s left me feeling incredibly grateful and inspired entering into 2025. 🚀 It was especially easy to feel this way during our recent leadership team offsite. We had the time and space to reflect on the milestones that defined our year—and dream big about the future. Ryan Starks articulated this beautifully in a recent post he made reflecting on the year, and I’m going to pull from his words here. This year, we’ve been focused on one clear mission: helping leaders make their teams more effective by combining deep human connection with the power of AI. It’s a theme that ran through every discussion at our offsite and shapes everything we do. Looking back on 2024, we accomplished so much together: ✨We secured $8M in Series A funding, led by Zeal Capital Partners. ✨We welcomed incredible new customers and deepened our work with premier organizations including Airbnb, Bank of Hawaii, Cisco, DXC Technology, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, Google, The Hershey Company, Indeed, Meta, Relativity, The Walt Disney Company, Yahoo, and more. ✨We brought on exceptional talent, including Jami (Lichtman) Zakem, Austin Ngau, Jim Xu, and Loise Bertulfo, plus a few more exciting hires we’ll announce in January. ✨We saw proof of our impact in the data: teams that do Rising Team sessions report a 90% increase in feelings of trust and connection, up to 25% boost in employee retention, and a 60-200% increase in employee NPS. ✨We launched aRTi, a ground-breaking AI leadership coach that combines leadership best practices with insights from Rising Team sessions, making research-backed, personalized coaching more accessible to leaders and team members everywhere. We believe that mastering the intersection of human connection and AI will be the defining feature for the most successful companies and teams of the future. That’s why it’s so exciting to see our vision in this space taking shape with the combination of aRTi and our software-guided, leader-led team workshops. To our leadership team—Austin Ngau, Jami (Lichtman) Zakem, Jeffrey Yang, Romi Elan, Ryan Starks, and Tanya Herrgott—you are the best. I have tremendous faith in you and in our ability to support our customers in the bold visions they have for their own organizations. To our broader team of Risers,  thank you. Your passion, creativity, and willingness to push boundaries inspire me every day. You make our vision seem within reach, and I couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve accomplished—or more excited about what’s to come. Lots to do in 2025 and beyond. Here’s to a big and bright year ahead and to more connected, engaged, and successful teams everywhere! #Leadership #FutureOfWork #TeamBuilding #AI #Connection

As we approach 2025, HR leaders face a pivotal moment to redefine the future of work. In a compelling Forbes article by Bryan Robinson, Ph.D, bold predictions reveal how performance management, AI, and evolving workplace strategies will shape the year ahead. Here are a few key takeaways: ✅ The end of outdated performance reviews: Annual reviews are being replaced by continuous, forward-looking performance management systems that drive skill development, talent retention, and agility. Betterworks CEO Doug Dennerline notes that companies sticking to “business-as-usual” risk being left behind. ✅ AI as a game-changer in HR: Rising Team CEO Jennifer Dulski predicts AI will reshape HR roles and beyond, automating tasks and creating demand for hybrid skillsets that blend AI proficiency with emotional intelligence. Her advice? "Learn how to leverage AI to work faster, better, and combine it with EQ and soft skills. These hybrid abilities will be in high demand." ✅ Flexible, personalized benefits: AI will help HR teams design tailored benefit plans, from childcare subsidies to curated healthcare options, meeting the evolving needs of today’s workforce and improving retention. ✅ Global talent strategies and DEI: With shifts in policies and a continued reliance on hybrid models, leaders must prioritize flexibility, workforce mobility, and diversity to stay competitive, according to Rick Hammell, SPHR of Helios HR leaders have a unique opportunity to redefine the workplace in 2025. 📖 Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gaiGU2QR What trends do you see shaping HR in 2025? #HRTrends #FutureOfWork #Leadership #AIinHR #PerformanceManagement

As 2024 comes to a close, it’s a great time to reflect on the key trends that shaped the year for HR leaders. This roundup of the 10 best HR lessons of 2024 by Mary Ellen Egan in Employee Benefit News highlights actionable insights that can help organizations thrive in an ever-evolving workplace. Here are a few standouts: ✅ Flexibility is a must-have: As RTO mandates continue, flexibility remains a top priority for employees. As Jennifer Dulski, CEO of Rising Team, wisely puts it: "The companies that land on the side of flexible work will be the winning companies." ✅ Wellness is about more than benefits: GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy are changing the wellness landscape, but employees rank lifestyle guidance as the most important factor for long-term success. ✅ Hiring goes beyond resumes: Crunch Fitness CEO Jim Rowley emphasizes looking at a candidate’s ideology, how they think, and what they value—not just their work history. ✅ Tailored benefits matter: Adoption support, caregiver benefits, and mental health resources are critical for attracting and retaining top talent in today’s competitive market. This is just the beginning. Read the full article to explore these insights and more: https://lnkd.in/eBbAwesN #HRTrends #Leadership #Flexibility #EmployeeWellness #FutureOfWork

This year has been a turning point for women in leadership, and we’re thrilled to see Rising Team’s CEO & founder, Jennifer Dulski, featured in The Wall Street Journal, sharing her insights on the journey ahead. The article highlights that, despite a lack of "headline-grabbing milestones" for women in business this year, there have been meaningful signs of progress. Here are some highlights: Rising Representation: Female CEOs in the Russell 3000 increased from 6.8% to 9%, driven by appointments like Joanna Geraghty (JetBlue), Ariane Gorin (Expedia Group), and Martina Cheung (S&P Global). Entrepreneurial Boom: Women leading private billion-dollar companies more than doubled, while female entrepreneurship surged by 41%, according to the Women Business Collaborative. Shifting Preferences: Younger workers, especially those under 50, are increasingly opting for female bosses. The tide is turning, with more people recognizing diverse leadership as a strength. *** But progress isn’t just about numbers; it’s about changing perceptions. Research consistently shows women excel as leaders, often rated higher for engagement, empathy, and effectiveness. Yet biases persist, and as Jen reminds us, “We know we’ll be done with this when there are no more women-in-tech conferences or panels—when it’s just not a big deal for women to be in charge.” At Rising Team, we’re committed to fostering inclusive leadership. Through our tools and workshops, we empower managers to lead with authenticity, build psychological safety, and unlock their teams’ full potential. As we celebrate these strides, let’s also take a moment to acknowledge the incredible women who’ve made an impact this year—whether in your workplace, community, or personal life. Who are the women you’d like to celebrate today? Share their names and stories in the comments so we can all be inspired by their achievements. https://lnkd.in/ger6n6SH #Leadership #Diversity #WomenInBusiness #TeamDevelopment #FutureOfWork

We’re thrilled to welcome Austin Ngau as our new Chief of Staff at Rising Team! 🎉 Austin brings extensive experience in AI product management and enterprise customer success, honed at Archipelago, where he led the Product org, driving automation and improved customer workflows, and at Meta, where he oversaw large-scale machine learning programs and managed global vendor teams of 650+ employees. He also spent over a decade in hospitality and restaurant management, which laid the groundwork for his commitment to creating environments where people feel supported, connected, and empowered. In addition to scaling technology ventures, Austin is the co-founder of Love The Kids, a nonprofit supporting education and essential resources for over 160 at-risk children in Cambodia. As Chief of Staff, Austin will support our CEO & founder Jennifer Dulski and work closely with our customers to help them build stronger, more successful teams that get results. Welcome to the team, Austin—we’re so excited to have you on board! 🌟

Our Founder & CEO, Jennifer Dulski, recently shared with Fortune how the intense emotions surrounding this election impact employee mental health and focus. With nearly half of Americans feeling distressed by the results, Jennifer emphasizes that leaders have a powerful role in supporting their teams. She points out that “half of the people in our workplaces are very upset today,” underscoring that this reaction would have been likely regardless of the outcome due to the polarized climate. Leaders can respond by fostering a psychologically safe workplace—one that offers empathy, flexibility, and clear mental health resources. Strategies like allowing remote work, easing workloads, and reminding employees of mental health benefits can help ease anxieties during this emotionally charged time. Taking these proactive steps isn’t just considerate; it strengthens team morale and resilience, allowing employees to feel genuinely supported. For a deeper dive into actionable tips for leaders navigating post-election challenges, read the full article on Fortune: https://lnkd.in/gF3xd5_4

Have you ever tried a "Talent Mash-Up" to see how your team’s natural talents overlap and amplify each other? Imagine kicking off a new project, onboarding a new hire, or tackling a big challenge, knowing exactly where your team’s strengths converge. With Rising Team’s Natural Talents Kit, you can visualize how everyone’s unique skills fit together, giving you insights you can put to use right away for smarter collaboration and more focused productivity. When teams understand each other's natural talents, they can align on roles, work more fluidly, and tackle challenges with confidence. Ready to see your team’s full potential in action? Explore the Natual Talents Kit along with dozens of other research-backed sessions in our kit catalog: https://lnkd.in/gkqZWVUZ #TeamDevelopment #Leadership #RisingTeam