It’s no secret that 2020 posed significant challenges for entrepreneurs and business leaders across Texas and beyond. As businesses fought to survive, resiliency remained an underlying current that pushed businesses to pivot their traditional methods and implement new tactics to stay relevant in the new normal. Through all the change, one thing that endured was Work Shield’s steadfast commitment to preserving the “human element,” staying true to our core values of protecting employees’ voices by ensuring they are always heard. This resilient effort to protect and preserve the human element is why Work Shield is especially honored to be included in Dallas Innovates 2021 Resilience Issue, where our CEO Jared Pope and CLO Travis Foster were named among the top innovators that helped grow a community of disruptors and game-changers in North Texas.
Beginning his career as an HR attorney, Jared quickly realized the lack of solutions available to employers who wanted real, impactful change in order to protect their employees. Seeing these inadequacies, Jared was determined to create the first solution of its kind to provide employers with the ability to address the inappropriate behaviors that ultimately lead to a toxic workplace culture, while also offering employees a safe method of reporting. Jared jotted his ideas down on a napkin during a lunch with his longtime friend and fellow attorney, Travis, and the rest is history. Travis immediately signed on to be a part of Work Shield, having previously seen the impact of toxic work environments and the need for workplace cultures that are comprised of diversity, integrity and equity for all.
With Jared and Travis’s guidance, alongside the rest of the leadership team and board of advisors, Work Shield continues to innovate and flourish, despite a year where so many companies simply had to survive. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Work Shield not only adapted to the evolving needs of our existing clients, but expanded exponentially, growing our client base by over 250%. As we forge ahead into 2021, Work Shield will continue to keep innovation and human connection at our core, leaning on resilience to overcome whatever obstacles come our way because we know the Work Shield solution is vital to protect cultures, companies and employees – all at the same time.
You can read Jared and Travis’s full interview, along with why preserving the human element of Work Shield is essential to our mission in the digital edition of Dallas Innovates.
