About Mutually Human

We help solve business challenges in a human way.

One of the reasons that many digital transformation initiatives aren’t fully adopted is that too much emphasis is put on technology. Here at Mutually Human, we focus on people, process, and technology. By taking this approach, we ensure that stakeholder needs are being met. We believe technology is a great tool that can be used to improve processes, make better decisions, and increase efficiency. In short, we are humans using technology to solve human challenges.

Our philosophy

Being Mutually Human

At Mutually Human, we have a founding philosophy that informs every project we do. We don’t believe in technology for its own sake; we believe in technology for the sake of humanity. We think that all custom software should change the lives of its users for the better

When we build your software, you can be sure that we aren’t focusing on low-impact features. We are creating a tool that will make interacting with your brand a positive experience for customers. We’re creating a resource that will allow your employees to focus on the true priorities of their positions. We’re designing a solution to make your organization more effective and more efficient, yes – but we also want to make your organization a better place.

A human-centered design process

How does our philosophy affect the way we work? Well, we spend a little less time lecturing and instead focus our efforts on understanding. We’re your strategic partners. With our human-centered approach, we’re ever-mindful of your organization and the target audience for your software. Through every step of our process, we’ll focus on your specific needs, building tools that drive constructive change.

HCDP

Come join our team

Looking for a job where you can really make a difference? We’re all about small and efficient teams that put user needs first – your voice will always be heard and your ideas will matter. We take pride in how we do things, not just what we do, and you’ll be encouraged to explore your curiosity and collaborate with others. We’re all about people, not profits, and we’re passionate about using technology to improve real people’s lives. So if you’re excited about solving tough problems and making a difference, we want you on our team!

Our leaders

Headshot of Jason Kuipers
Jason Kuipers

President

Jason’s responsibility is to ensure that we are all focused on delivering great client experiences. He is famous for the saying “Our client’s goals define our actions.”
Headshot of Mark Van Holstyn
Mark Van Holstyn

Chief Technology Officer

Mark’s job is to keep the company thinking about and developing cutting-edge technology solutions and ensure that those solutions properly align with our clients’ challenges.
Headshot of Amy Kensington
Amy Kensington

Chief Financial Officer

A healthy company is able to provide the best service to our clients. Amy brings over 20 years’ experience leading finance and shared services.
Headshot of Lori Mackson
Lori Mackson

VP of Custom Software

If you’ve talked with Lori, you’d know she is passionate with delivering great experiences for clients and their customers. She leads the Custom Software practice here at Mutually Human.
Jordan Poortenga

VP of Data Analytics

Jordan leads our Data & Analytics practice and brings many years of experience helping clients solve their most difficult data challenges.
Nick VanderLaan

VP of Data Engineering

As our head of Data Engineering, Nick’s role is to ensure that our clients have a solid technical foundation for their data analytics needs. His team comprises data engineers, business intelligence developers, and systems analysts.
Headshot of Joel Ippel
Joel Ippel

VP of Marketing

As a client-first marketer, Joel has over 20 years of experience helping companies simplify their messaging and engage some of the world’s leading brands.
Headshot of Alex Peschel
Alex Peschel

Director of Sales

Alex’s focus is on ensuring that we take a consultative approach with all client interactions. His team is highly skilled at connecting client challenges with our solutions.

Our values

At Mutually Human, we strive to be mindful not only of the importance of what we do, but why we do it. In order to be better partners to our clients, better colleagues to each other, and better citizens of the industry, our culture is guided by a set of values we all share. We call them the Six Be’s.

Everyone we work with — fellow Humans, our clients, and users of the software we build — are humans first. They are all whole people with hopes, dreams, and goals that extend far past “work”. We strive to be authentic and transparent in our interactions while recognizing everybody has both good and bad days. We are committed to treating each other the way we hope to be treated.

Some of the ways we show this value include:

  • We share openly and honestly, both the good and the bad.
  • We seek to understand the motivations and goals of those we interact with.
  • We celebrate accomplishments, and we provide support in times of need.

In an ever-evolving business, in a rapidly-changing industry, standing still is not an option. We don’t settle for the status quo, because we know there’s a better way just ahead. Every Human takes responsibility for their professional and personal growth. We help others grow by teaching and sharing our knowledge. We take risks, embrace failure, push ourselves outside of our comfort zones and support one another as we all reach forward.

Some of the ways we show this value include:

  • We are invested in the growth of our fellow humans, Mutually Human, and the clients we serve.
  • We are consistently seeking ways to improve the speed and the quality of the work that we do.
  • We don’t shy away from new challenges, and view them as opportunities to improve.
  • We seek out feedback and use it to fuel our growth.

We recognize that doing our best work often requires collaboration with others. We don’t let our pride prevent us from asking for help, and we jump at the chance to help someone else. As individuals we are confident. But as a team, we are unstoppable. Our diverse perspectives allow us to find a root cause, evaluate multiple options, and choose the best way forward.

Some of the ways we show this value include:

  • We seek to include other perspectives early and often.
  • We don’t let ourselves get stuck by recognizing it and reaching for help.
  • We recognize our unique contribution to the team and the unique contributions of those around us.
  • We seek input from the team and encourage everyone to share their perspective.
  • We encourage and invite everyone to share, especially those not typically comfortable grabbing the floor.

We are often faced with new challenges, and we approach them with a positive, can- do attitude. We aren’t blind to the obstacles that exist, but we choose to focus on how we can overcome them. In fact, difficult problems energize us. We trust that everyone we work with is motivated by noble intent, and we approach disagreements with the goal of sharing and understanding.

Some of the ways we show this value include:

  • We approach problems asking “How can we accomplish this?”
    We reject cynicism in favor of optimism.
  • We encourage teammates who are experiencing obstacles.

The number of good ideas far exceeds the time and budget available to execute on them. We owe it to ourselves and our clients to be good stewards of the resources available and spend our time wisely. We can’t make perfect the enemy of the good. The work we do must always be balanced against the value in provides.

Some of the ways we show this value include:

  • We find opportunities to deliver value as soon as possible.
  • We find ways to separate the “must have” from the “nice to have.”
  • We find ways to constrain before looking for ways to expand.
  • We double check our assumptions when our estimates and implementation begin to diverge.
  • We seek to understand the value, not just the effort.

Building complex software requires a team that trusts each other to get the job done. We are committed to doing our best for each other, our clients, and the people who use the software we create. We make our team strong by doing what we say. We prize the success of the team above the success of the individual.

Some of the ways we show this value include:

  • We bring the same amount of passion to the necessary as we do to the fun.
  • We show a willingness to “disagree and commit.”
  • We go above and beyond on the rare occasions when the team recognizes the need.
  • We celebrate team accomplishments.