The Business Challenge: Scaling a Growing Software Team

Kanso Software provides a platform used by tribal and public housing authorities to manage funds from government block grants, including everything from tenant data to accounting and maintenance workflows. With its large customer base, its team relies heavily on technical employees to keep mission-critical systems running, including roles in software development, quality assurance, data operations, customer support, and sales.

As the company expanded from a team of five software developers to 35, spread across various departments, it reached a critical moment in its growth and sought a reliable and scalable way to build its technical workforce. Its cloud platform was rapidly expanding, but its talent pipeline wasn’t keeping up.

Addressing Junior and Mid-Level Developer Gaps During Rapid Growth

The team had long relied on senior developers hired through traditional recruiting channels and internal recommendations. However, these hires often came with preconceived notions and struggled to adapt to the company’s way of building software.

Several senior departures and an unexpected leadership loss created a sudden gap, forcing developers to move into higher positions and leaving mid-level developers stretched thin, punching above their weight.

At the same time, entry-level developers moved into the mid-level category and left vacancies in entry-level positions. In these entry-level roles, Kanso needed developers who were eager, hungry, and open to learning the company’s processes rather than replacing them.

They needed junior talent who could grow into the future of the organization.

Partnering With ActivateWork to Build a Local, Skills-Driven Talent Pipeline

Bonding over a shared purpose to invest in homegrown talent and address gaps in access to opportunity, Kanso’s CEO Doug Chapiewsky met ActivateWork’s CEO Helen Young Hayes as part of a business group connecting on this goal. From the very first introductions, ActivateWork felt different. ActivateWork came to the table with individuals who were humble, curious, and deeply motivated to build careers in tech. These candidates didn’t arrive with prior workflows and biases. They came ready to learn, ready to contribute, and ready to earn their place on the team.

Developers Who Asked Better Questions—and Built Better Solutions

Coming from varied backgrounds, some outside of tech, these new candidates provided a refreshing perspective that challenged the team through their genuine desire to understand the reasoning and improve their own thinking by asking questions like, “Why do we do it that way?”

Soft skills also stood out immediately to hiring managers: professionalism, communication, resilience, and a willingness to put in the extra work were front and center. And because many came from non-traditional backgrounds, they brought a wider range of perspectives that helped the team better understand customer challenges and build more intuitive solutions.

From Entry-Level to High-Impact Contributors

These two early hires from ActivateWork quickly became powerful examples of what the ActivateWork model could deliver.

One joined in a support-focused role but made it clear he dreamed of becoming a developer. He spent months self-studying outside of work, shadowing developers, and volunteering for technical tasks until he eventually earned a full-time spot on the development team, where he continues to excel today.

Another arrived recently as an immigrant with an entirely different career background, yet his intelligence, drive, and attention to customer pain points allowed him to grow into one of the team’s most capable full-stack developers.

Both stories became proof of concept in the power of ActivateWork’s talent pipeline possibilities: given opportunity and mentorship, ActivateWork graduates not only succeed—they have become standout contributors at Kanso.

“Not only has he delivered exceptional quality, but he also has a keen understanding of customer pain points and has effectively addressed them.”

From the Engineering Team: What Made These Developers Different

“Our very first ActivateWork hire has been exceptionally bright. He holds both a bachelor’s and master’s in non-technical fields, and has taught English in Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Palestine, Russia, and Slovakia,” said Josh Blair, Lead Development Engineer at Kanso Software. “Right before joining ActivateWork, he worked as a Math Fellow in Denver Public Schools. He brings a strong “customer-first” mentality to our team, consistently reminding us to prioritize the needs of those we serve.”

“I met our second ActivateWork hire while speaking to a cohort within the organization. Right away, I could see his determination to succeed—he was highly engaged and genuinely excited about our company and the opportunities for growth,” said Blair.

“I knew all he needed was a chance. Now, he is hands-down one of our best front-end developers. He’s also expanded his skills to become a full-stack developer and has taken the lead on our mobile apps—projects that others were hesitant to tackle. Not only has he delivered exceptional quality, but he also has a keen understanding of customer pain points and has effectively addressed them.”

How Nontraditional Career Paths Strengthened Kanso’s Engineering Culture

Over time, these hires helped shift the entire culture of the development organization. Instead of battling the tension that sometimes came with senior-level recruits, the company began building a team defined by openness, curiosity, and collaboration. Perhaps most importantly, the company established a dependable long-term talent pipeline with candidates who were genuinely interested in what they were doing and had the desire to keep learning.

“These candidates are adaptable, highly motivated, and fully open to learning how your company does its work. They come at technology from a different, refreshing perspective. They don’t just fill roles—they elevate teams.

Why Colorado Software Companies Are Rethinking How They Hire Technical Talent

Looking back, Blair describes the partnership with ActivateWork not as a transactional hiring channel but as a true investment in its future. “ActivateWork took the time to understand our organization, prepare candidates holistically, and stayed committed to each hire’s success long after they joined the team.”

“For any hiring manager that may be hesitant about bringing on talent from non-traditional pathways, I would challenge your thinking,” said Blair. “These candidates come without any previous work that might contradict the way you do things, are adaptable, highly motivated, and fully open to learning how your company does its work. They come at technology from a different, refreshing perspective. They don’t just fill roles—they elevate teams.”