In commemoration of Juneteenth, DailyPay CEO, Jason Lee, penned the following letter to his staff:
DailyPayers,
Per my note, earlier this week, I hope all of you take the opportunity to observe and celebrate Juneteenth either this Friday or next. During the past week, I’ve been reflecting on our journey as a company, and how exceptionally proud I am of the inclusive culture we have been building at DailyPay since Day 1.
Importantly, as I’ve shared on our weekly check-ins, DailyPay is more than just a Great Place to Work, it is a place of action. We do what we say we’re going to do. We follow up. We are committed. I see that in how you drive our business every day, and I see that in every decision you make and initiatives you pursue.
In my job, I have the opportunity to tell our story to a variety of stakeholders — investors, business partners, new employees, and several others. One of the elements of that story that I love sharing is how, from Day 1, we have intentionally and methodically been building our company’s culture – a culture that not only prioritizes diversity, but one that understands and deeply internalizes that diversity is both a core value of how we work and one of our key competitive advantages. I once shared at a company meeting that “At DailyPay, diversity is not the ‘right’ thing to do. It is who we are, and it is how we win.” That will always be the case.
In reflecting on Juneteenth, I was struck by the leadership and support surrounding DailyNoire which began about a year ago. This progression will be a special part of our history. More broadly, I know our history is important to all of you. Within the first three months of operation, we were proud to have women and minorities among the first 10 employees of the company. When the company had 22 employees, we founded our first Employee Resource Group – DailyWomen – which kicked off the exciting start of several other Employee Resource Groups at DailyPay. Some of our proudest moments include welcoming Dr. Donna Hamlin to our Board of Directors back in 2017 and adding Jeanniey Walden to the three-person C-Suite in 2019, both extraordinary female leaders.
But with every success, I see so many areas for continued progress here at DailyPay. When a company triples in size over the course of one year, it is virtually impossible to get everything right. The important thing is making sure we are pointed in the right direction, and that we are putting action behind our words. I believe in all of you. I believe that every single person who chooses to work here believes in their own ability to create real change, both in the marketplace and here at DailyPay. I believe that each of you did not come to “join” a company, but rather to shape it, to challenge it, and to improve it. That’s who you are, and that’s who I am.
This time of reflection on the past has also given me profound hope for the future, with the appropriate amount of caution. Yes, we are absolutely on the right course DailyPayers, but we have to be vigilant to not let inertia and busyness drown out even the best of our intentions. This is why I am so focused on systems of accountability – creating the necessary mechanisms to ensure that real change continues here at DailyPay and that our culture remains intact as we scale to the next 200 people. Concrete actions such as the establishment of the Diversity Leadership Committee, building out our Employee Resource Groups (a new one to be announced shortly!) and establishing transparency in our policies and processes are natural next steps in our Day 1 Strategy to build a generational company.
As we get ready to observe Juneteeth over the next two Fridays, I hope all of you take the day and have an opportunity to reflect on the significance of this day and what it means for you and your role here at DailyPay.
Jason
