Episode Details
Back to EpisodesPittsburgh's Echelon Risk + Cyber Cracks the Inc. 5000 at 433! Learn How They Did it
Description
Want some amazing business-building insights to crack the Inc. 5000?
Jonathan Kersting of the Pittsburgh Technology Council and TechVibe sits down with Dan Desko, founder of Echelon Risk + Cyber, to talk about the company's rapid growth and Inc. 5000 ranking at #433. Desko explains Echelon as a full-service cybersecurity firm offering professional and managed services, including governance, risk and compliance, pen testing, defensive engineering, and security team-as-a-service led by virtual CISOs, with partners like CrowdStrike.
He credits their success to intentionally defined core values: being client-centric, prioritizing teamwork, hiring people with personality (not clones), facing issues head-on through trust and leader modeling, keeping culture fun with "more cowbell," and a sixth value, "turning pro," meaning continual improvement with no mountaintop. They also discuss "Echelon," the company's annual remote-first team gathering, including hikes in places like Asheville, to sustain culture and celebrate wins.
The Pittsburgh Technology Council, produces TechVibe to explore Pittsburgh's technology and Innovation ecosystem.