Joining Microsoft, T-Mobile, Adobe, PayPal, and many others
St. Louis, MO, August 4, 2022 — Balto, the leader in uniting contact center agents with AI for better conversations, today announced its inclusion in the Fast Company fourth annual Best Workplaces for Innovators list, honoring organizations and businesses that demonstrate a steadfast commitment to encouraging innovation at all levels. Balto was selected for creating an infrastructure for innovation that leads to breakthroughs.
Developed in collaboration with Accenture, the 2022 Best Workplaces for Innovators ranks winners from a variety of industries, including computer science, biotech, consumer packaged goods, nonprofit, education, financial services, cybersecurity, engineering, diversity, sustainability, B2B, and consumer products and services. Fast Company editors and Accenture researchers worked together to score nearly 1,500 applications, and a panel of eight eminent judges reviewed and endorsed the top companies. The 2022 awards feature workplaces from around the world.
“Frankly, without incredible people, nothing else matters,” said COO and co-founder Chris Kontes. “Our job is to attract fantastic people, provide them with resources and trust, and let them be themselves. A self-sustaining innovation culture naturally follows.”
Balto operates with an innovate-first philosophy, with several recent notable examples, among others:
- In 2021, Balto’s engineering team created the “Hack-Pack,” a program open to any employee interested in expanding their coding and software-developing skills.
- In early 2022, Balto’s standalone academic research entity that provides market analysis for industry decision-makers, The Conversation Excellence Lab, was formed by a coalition of passionate Baltonians.
- In July 2022, Balto’s engineering and product teams collaborated to expand Balto’s core product for the Spanish-speaking market — a first in the real-time guidance market.
“This year’s list of the Best Workplaces for Innovators recognizes organizations that have demonstrated a deep commitment to cultivating creativity across the board,” says Brendan Vaughan, editor-in-chief of Fast Company. “In the face of powerful headwinds, these leaders and teams continue to spur innovation.”
To see the complete list of winners in the U.S. category, go to: https://www.fastcompany.com/90770105/9-outstanding-u-s-based-best-workplaces-for-innovators
Fast Company‘s Best Workplaces for Innovators issue (September 2022) is available online now, and the print issue will be on newsstands beginning August 16, 2022. Join the Best Workplaces for Innovators conversation using #FCBestWorkplaces.
About Balto
Balto unites agents with AI to enable better conversations that deliver results. Top-performing contact centers trust Balto’s real-time guidance enterprise solution to prevent missed sales opportunities, costly compliance mistakes, and negative customer experiences. Today, Balto has guided over 140 million calls, provided over 185 million real-time recommendations, and driven millions in increased revenue. Balto.ai
About Fast Company
Fast Company is the only media brand fully dedicated to the vital intersection of business, innovation, and design, engaging the most influential leaders, companies, and thinkers on the future of business. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with our sister publication Inc., and can be found online at www.fastcompany.com.
About AccentureAccenture is a global professional services company with leading capabilities in digital, cloud and security. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries, we offer Strategy and Consulting, Technology and Operations services and Accenture Song — all powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. Our 710,000 people deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity every day, serving clients in more than 120 countries. We embrace the power of change to create value and shared success for our clients, people, shareholders, partners and communities. Visit us at accenture.com.
Maria Edington
Maria Edington is the Vice President of Marketing at Balto, where she works closely with contact center leaders to improve how teams function day-to-day and plan for what’s ahead. Over the past five years, she’s led initiatives focused on performance, quality, compliance, and the practical use of AI across the contact center floor. Her experience spans complex, high-volume industries including Medicare, P&C insurance, financial services, collections, home improvement, and banking—sectors where conversations are tightly regulated, high-stakes, and often the last mile of the customer experience. Maria has contributed to research on Medicare Advantage trends, MedPAC policy, and eBroker financial performance, and regularly works with operators navigating shifting compliance requirements and productivity demands. With a background in engineering, Maria brings a systems-level mindset to how contact centers work—and how they can work better. Her focus: helping contact centers modernize—adopting smarter tools, better habits, and a stronger foundation for what’s ahead.
