Built on Values: Overlay

Some of the best business ideas are born after seeing a problem and knowing how to solve it. Having had careers in global management consulting, the founding team at Overlay was familiar with the pain points finance executives face over and over again when it comes to reporting. Building on their backgrounds in financial advising at Big Four accounting firms, Overlay was developed to support modern finance executives and their teams to achieve near real-time reporting on their business. By using advanced technology, Overlay enables users to analyze near real-time data to conduct critical decision-making. The unique approach of transforming data to standardized business logic gives its clients a head start on their competitors, and ensures every team member is using the same metrics. This enhanced financial reporting structure ensures reliable and relevant decision-making. With a focus on continuous and consistent improvement to the platform, the team at Overlay takes a lot of pride in their work and are always working to proactively do and be better, while making sure they instill a workplace culture that acknowledges their successes.

“As a startup, it's important that we take a moment to celebrate all of our wins, no matter how small.” - Hallie Million, Director of Engineering

Curious, collaborative, proactive, and ambitious are a few words to describe Overlay's work culture. When it comes to the driving force that motivates the Overlay team, the company’s values play a large role. Within their walls, confidence and curiosity are essential. As such, management promotes an open dialogue for team members to make suggestions and consult with one another throughout the decision-making process. This approach allows Overlay to provide specialized reporting and analyses for their clients, while promoting a sense of community within the organization.

“What really lights my fire working at Overlay is solving problems, talking through open-ended solutions and taking definitive action on areas of pain for both clients and the company. I love collaborating with people from different disciplines - I come away each day with a new appreciation for the diversity of skillsets here and the depth of knowledge across those broad skillsets.” -Brett Frazee, Product Manager

At Overlay, cross-functionality is an invaluable strategy. A prime example of this is the collaboration between Overlay’s development team and deployment strategists, who work together to produce advanced solutions to reporting and monitoring issues clients are facing. The Overlay brand itself was founded on the collaboration between the CEO, sales, operations, and marketing teams. Free thinking and horizontal communication has proven to be extremely beneficial to the organization and all its departments. Prioritizing the well-being of employees is something that Overlay takes great pride in, which is why they emphasize building a fun and inclusive workplace culture and give a wellness stipend to every employee. Through its culture, the team is able to instill benefits such as flexibility and efficiency through collaborative work, while staying motivated by working towards a shared goal. Every time we get to sit and learn a little more about one of our businesses here in Nova Scotia, we get more pride - if that’s even possible. It’s clear in both the Overlay team’s work ethic and their results that there is no length they won’t go to support their team and clients.