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In 2020, the survival of a business (and its talent pool) hinges on the ability to ‘do it all.’ A daunting expectation, sure, but not with the experts at Levvel to guide your team.
Built upon a rock-solid credo of “business in balance,” the Calgary outfit—led by the harmonious husband-and-wife team of Chantal and Brian Milloy—offers a synergistic, four-pronged suite of practices (staffing solutions, software QA testing, and management and change consulting) for enterprises in all industries looking to keep pace with evolving market expectations.
Now a fast-growing, multi-million-dollar, world-class operation, the Milloys started Levvel with two humble ambitions: build a competitive, “people first” organization, and create jobs within Western Canada’s beleaguered economy.
Levvel’s first practice was IT staffing, followed by a strategic partnership with US-based LaMarsh Global to provide a bedrock methodology for what would become its change consulting vertical. “Companies don’t always think of the impact that technology change is going to have on their people,” says Chantal, whose CV boasts more than 20 years of management experience in areas of business transformation. “Our passion is to fill that part of the equation and put Canadians to work.”
Brian, who cut his teeth as a software developer, solutions architect, project manager and executive, recognized the opportunity to bridge the gap between highly talented individuals and big business, at a greater value to both.
But, like many startups, they experienced growing pains. In a struggling economy, and heavily leveraged, it was decision time. Chantal says, “this is really when we turn to our own company values and beliefs of being, as our name states, level. Asking, is this a balanced decision? Are we balanced as an organization? Are our hiring practices diverse and inclusive? If so, people will take the ride with us.” Their perseverance paid off.
There’s perhaps no better example of Levvel’s commitment to diversity and inclusion than its software QA testing arm, which operates out of Rwanda, at Levvel’s Kigali-based sister company, Muraho Technology. Why Rwanda? “We saw that the Rwandan women’s inquisitive nature and collaborative approach, and ease of doing business in Rwanda, was a perfect fit for software testing. Plus, we knew Canadian companies would get exceptional quality for great value,” says Brian.
For the last four years, the two firms have provided Rwandan women with a globally recognized ISTQB® software-testing certification, with the intent of, yes, “levelling” the playing field for gender balance in tech. “Intelligence is distributed globally, but opportunity is not,” Brian says. He points to the ICT strategy of Rwanda’s Vision 2020, and their focus on technology, gender equality, and the widespread access to 4G networks as key reasons for the country’s rapidly evolving tech scene.
Closer to home (literally), Brian suggests Levvel’s own pre-COVID work-from-home model keeps costs low, which in turn passes savings to clients. “Whether it’s a small technology roll-out, or the massive changes we’re going through now, our operational business model is poised to support the shifting challenges of today.” Those challenges haven’t deterred the Milloys from expanding eastward to Toronto and Ottawa, and striking new international partnerships with tech leaders in India, Africa and the UK, intent on bringing new, state-of-the-art technology to Canada.
What hasn’t changed, says Chantal, “is our commitment to a balanced approach to business, ensuring we focus on the people-side of any organization, from our own employees, to our clients and partners—keeping it all level.”
For more information, please visit levvel.ca
