Pros
I have worked at Kiva in its early growth stages. I left the company for other opportunities, and then I rejoined Kiva inspired by the new growth phase. I feel excited and positive about new initiatives that help scale its mission of financial inclusiveness. The company has seen a fair share of tough times and good times. Kiva has held together through this by staying true to its mission. The success has been possible because of passionate and sincere people that Kiva manages to attract to this date. Kiva is a living example of the strength of collective good that spans diverge community. Amid San Francisco's hyper-growth companies where it is easy to lose your self, Kiva is where you can find yourself back again. There are a lot of opportunities and freedom to grow. There are a lot of areas to collaborate. There are a lot of areas to learn and thrive from diverse thoughts. Kiva has a strong alumni network - you build connections forever. We are in a phase of modernizing existing architecture, and our new initiatives are embracing new technology. The process of going through this change has been thoughtful, and it has naturally encouraged broader engagement and collaboration. The process has also inspired more engineers to step up with a sense of ownership. I excited about this new wave of energy.
Cons
Being a not for profit means there are resource constraints at every level. The management is sensitive and understanding of this, which makes it easier to digest. You are on your own to define how to grow and how you shape your contributions. For some, this may not be easy, and yet for some, this could be liberating.
