On the TechTO stage ×1
First seen on the TechTO stage in 2022. Every talk is searchable — ask the archive about Shawna ↗
In their words
It's the ability to give equitable opportunities to people outside of North America — that's something I'm really passionate about. And not just to bring them in to save a buck. You see a lot of organizations that are like, oh, we can get someone in Brazil on the cheap. That's not how we operate.
Feedback is a gift. We have a lot of different feedback mechanisms in place — anonymous surveys, pointed feedback, 360-degree feedback. We've got a culture committee as well, a bottom-up focus group that tells us, hey, we're really messing up at the leadership level and we need to change.
Around the web ×2
Quick answers
Who is Shawna Stewart?
A people and operations leader who has taken two companies through acquisition. She was interim COO and VP of people and operations at PostBeyond, then VP of people and operations at Railz through its acquisition by FIS. She now runs SS Collective, her own advisory and coaching practice, and advises founders through the DMZ.
What did she discuss on the TechTO Talent stage?
Running a fully distributed team at Railz in April 2022: why the company hired outside North America for the diversity of thought rather than to cut cost, the tooling and rituals it used to keep people connected, and the feedback mechanisms — surveys, 360s, a bottom-up culture committee — she used to find out what leadership was getting wrong.
What is Shawna Stewart doing now?
Founder of SS Collective, which she describes on her own site as advisory, coaching, facilitation and speaking taken on selectively, alongside advising founders and leadership teams through the DMZ. Checked 2026-08-29.