Toward a Better World

A few small steps toward a better world.

First things first: we have to admit, the idea of posting this brought us some hesitation. As our team has spent the last few months discussing the social and economic implications of this transitional time in American history, we’ve learned that many of us share a cynical view of the wave of company statements and platitudes on these issues during a moment that calls for much more.

Performative allyship and empty statements of support for recovery and social justice are under scrutiny. This is a time of growth for every organization, ours included. Growth of this kind is a good thing.

Although we’ve been mostly quiet on these issues, we also understand the value of transparency and stating our values publicly as the world mobilizes for meaningful change. In that spirit, here are a few beliefs that are top of mind for our company and the actions we are taking in support of them.

1. Restaurants are the backbone of American hospitality and need our support. We are contributing $200,000 directly toward restaurant recovery.

Simply put, the restaurant industry sits at the core of the social and economic foundation of our society. Chefs, delivery drivers, front and back-of-house staff, and the operational pillars and brands supporting them — these are the people who show up tirelessly for us day in and day out and we must show up for them, too. Beyond our day-to-day mission of keeping restaurants “open” by powering their digital ordering and delivery programs, here is how we are contributing:

We are contributing $100,000 to support the NRAEF Restaurant Employee Relief Fund to support those experiencing hardship in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.
We allocated $100,000 to support our customers with takeout and delivery allowances for the Olo team back in March as restaurants struggled to keep their doors open.

While this is just a start, our business model contains built-in support for the long-term health of brands by not charging untenable commissions and is one of the ways we remain committed to serve.

“Every morning since March 6th, the first thing I do when I wake up is review the previous day’s data and market analyst reports with an aim to fully understand the effect the pandemic is having on our industry. The news has not always been comforting. Despite the headwinds, tailwinds, and uncertainty we have felt both directly, and on behalf of the industry, the thing I was most anxious to do was help. I’m proud that we’ve taken these actions and contributed directly to this industry that we love so much.”
- Marty Hahnfeld, Chief Customer Officer

2. Our broader society must work together to fix the structures that stand in the way of true equality. We are contributing $100,000 toward racial justice in America.

Together we continue to grieve the tragic loss of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor…and a far-too-long list of others.

The fight for racial justice is a problem of massive scale, offering many ways for individuals and organizations to get involved. Here is one way we will support a core foundational problem in our country:

We are contributing $100,000 in support of the Equal Justice Initiative in their fight to end mass incarceration, excessive punishment, and racial inequality.

Our team has spoken out with sobering stories about first-hand racism and the daily fears that exist as part of everyday life for Black Americans. We know we must play an active role in fighting the injustice that exists in our society.

“We mourn with our community as we reckon with and reconcile the history of this country and the path we must take for the future.”
- Noah Glass, Founder & CEO

3. Being good corporate citizens — and allies to our employees and communities — is an ongoing effort. We will take direct action to continue building a company we are all proud to work for.

Whether it is for the customers we serve or the communities we live in, the demand for support and action goes far beyond any statement or charitable contribution. We hear the frustrations of marginalized people as years of social justice work is steamrolled by corporate voices getting “into the conversation” as support for social justice issues hits a critical mass. This is why we will remain action-oriented.

Here are a few ways we have supported our team:

Invested in fully-paid healthcare for our employees, including access to mental health professionals
Encouraged employees to prioritize rest + recovery
Hosted open forums on national events for employees to share experiences and ways to get involved in the fight for racial justice (special thank you to our General Counsel Nithya Das for moderating these sessions!)
Implemented ongoing measurement of team sentiment on Diversity & Inclusion (D&I)
Maintained an open door policy, where all employees can reach all executives on these issues

Starting today, we are:

Matching employee donations of up to $250 to eligible charitable organizations
Building on existing D&I initiatives and working carefully to design a lasting plan with progress reports in our all hands meetings
Expanding Olo Affinity and our active Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)

"The most important thing we can do in this time is to pause and truly listen to what others have to say. I was moved by colleagues during our open forums, where several employees shared real struggles. ‘We're in this together’ is one of our core values and keeps us moving forward."
- Deanne Rhynard, SVP of People + Culture

We know that there is always work to be done and we are committed to “Excelsior: Ever Upward” — New York’s state motto and our company mantra.