And I am Amar.
Our vision
Human-centered communities where everyone has a voice, listens to one another,
and feels inspired to
drive change.
Our belief
We believe that inviting people to share their stories is the best way to build community and trust.
Our mission
To bring people together and help organizations build stronger communities through the power of storytelling.
Five years ago, my boss did something that blew me away…
My team had been working tirelessly on building the brand positioning for the company.
After a lot of research and hard work, we were ready to boil it down to five priorities. But the company President felt differently:
“Amar, if we, the corporate office, provide a list of priorities, a list is all this will ever be.”
Then she asked everyone in the organization to discuss what customers might want and give their feedback on our strategy.
She empowered the entire organization to speak up and share what they really thought.
By the end, the office was buzzing with ideas. Instead of being told what to think, every employee felt heard and emotionally invested in the future of the company.
I took to heart what I witnessed that day. A masterclass in the value of listening and involving everyone in a company, no matter their role.
Shyam’s story:
When the internet first went public, anything felt possible…
Growing up in a small town in India, access to the web opened up doors I never imagined.
As I began working in the tech industry, I saw the potential it had to do so much good - connecting people and information across the globe.
But in the last decade, it’s morphed into a one-sided relationship that demands our constant attention. Algorithms corral us into buckets that maximize engagement and profits at all costs.
Now, what can potentially go viral is what’s seen as important. Countless important, perspective-shifting stories go untold and unheard every day.
I felt a responsibility to push back against this. Omgiva is one way to do that.
We created this platform to help organizations build kinder, more supportive communities. To encourage giving voice and representation to all members of a community, not just its leaders.
People aren’t just engagement fodder. They’re human beings whose stories can help their organizations thrive.
Chrissy’s story
At a conference I helped put on six years ago, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house…
A manager read a letter from a 12-year-old girl. She wrote about the adventures she had thanks to a pair of hiking boots one of our employees so lovingly helped her pick out. Her father shared what a blessing those memories were throughout her cancer treatments, and especially now since she has passed…
This seemingly small act of a store employee’s kindness left such an imprint on this little girl’s life and her family’s too.
This story stuck with me. I wanted everyone at every level of the organization to hear its touching message: what you do and how you do it matters.
In my experience as an internal communicator, personal stories were always the most effective and lasting way to share a message. But you had to dig to find them. We didn’t have systems in place to easily source stories because so much of my job was top-down.
But there’s so much more to a company than what comes from leadership. The people on the ground are the ones driving the business. And the impact.
The missing link in most communications lies in listening. That’s why I was drawn to Omgiva... I saw the potential to close that gap and use what I learned to shape its development and design.
Because good communication goes both ways.
Belonging
We believe the way to foster belonging is
by practicing empathy and building
psychological safety.
We’re always asking ourselves how our actions impact our employees, our clients and their people. No matter their role, we believe everyone has the right to feel safe, seen, and heard.
Passion
We care deeply about what we create and how it aligns with our purpose—and we know you do, too.
Passion comes in lots of forms. Whether it’s an energetic, shout-from-the-rooftops kind, one that’s quietly woven in through work, or anywhere in between, we value it all.
Community
To us, community is being part of a group where you feel united through a shared sense of purpose.
It’s built from bonds both big and small.
As a virtual team, it’s important for us to spend time learning about each other. Our likes and dislikes… our cultures… what lights us up…. Great things happen when we feel connected and seen.
Candor
We value real, honest conversations. With a foundation of kindness and respect, of course.
We don’t shy away from uncomfortable conversations because that’s where we grow. Listening to different points of view is what spurs trust, innovation, and so much more. This is why the participation of all voices is core to our business.
Pragmatism
We don’t want perfection to become the enemy of good. This philosophy helps keep us grounded.
We are humans first, and respect that we–and what we create–have limitations. What matters is that we do what we can to meet our clients where they are, take care of ourselves and our people, and give a voice to those who need it most.
Simplicity
We believe technology is only as useful as it is approachable. So much is possible with the information that’s available to us, but when we’re overwhelmed with dozens of platforms and confusing interfaces, it does us no good.
Smart, simple and clear. We design everything with human beings in mind. The less complicated, the better.