While tech firms such as Meta are dismantling their DEI programs, our tech start-up, Daisy, a leader in the smart home installation and services industry, sees a huge opportunity to hire, train and retain more women employees. We view bringing more women into our business as such a huge competitive advantage, that we are now investing millions of dollars over the next five years to achieve gender parity for Daisy’s front-line workforce.
Launched only 17 months ago, Daisy now has over 20 locations across the country. It has achieved “eruptive growth” (as one investor said) by acquiring and franchising many of the top existing players in the space and by providing breakthrough services for our branches, including operations, finance, call center, marketing, and supply chain. Our team provides operational support to branches so that our front lines can provide optimal customer technology service.
Smart home installation and services are part of an attractive, $30 billion market, growing at 13%. Our customers include high end custom builders, architects and interior designers, and the top 1% of the population. Women make up at least half of the buying decisions and user base.
Over 20,000 existing dealers installing these clients are run by men. Additionally, 95% of the technicians and salespeople installing and selling these products are men.
The top inhibitor to keeping up with industry growth is finding experienced technicians to support demand. Experienced techs are hard to find.
At Daisy, we believe that bringing women into the field and into our technician workforce will improve our competitive advantage by more than doubling our talent pool. Women make up more than half of the college educated workforce and are killing it in math and coding in school. As some top technology companies like Meta and Amazon have publicly shed their diversity programs and cut staff, I see a great opportunity for Daisy to scoop up top women tech talent. Meta’s CEO, for example, said they were “embracing masculinity” and cut 5% of its workforce.
Daisy offers incredible support for its employees that we believe will attract top women talent into the company, including free benefits for employees and their families, stock options, and maternity leave. We offer training and career development for our technicians, with clear career paths and mobility by having attractive nationwide opportunities.
We also look out for our teammates. As a woman who knows all too well how dangerous after hours events can be at a technology conference, our codes of conduct encourage employees to support one another at industry events.
We highly value our technicians given their proximity to our clients. More women working in clients’ homes and in Daisy leadership roles ensures that we improve our connection to women users, influencers and decision makers.
While researching and building Daisy, I visited hundreds of experience centers and saw more man caves than I care to count. While entertaining is important, the design elements, as well as day to day functionality, are equally important to women clients. Having women on our team ensures that Daisy can speak to women clients and women interior designers and meet their needs.
Daisy’s early results indicate that women in leadership positions in this industry, and in the field, lead to success. Daisy is the fastest-growing national brand in the industry with the most solid financial backing of any industry player. Our woman led branch is our top performing branch. Women at Daisy have built out an end-to-end technology solution and a financial system, legal, HR, and recruiting support, and marketing programs driving incredible performance and improving morale by making life easier for our teams. It is no wonder that we have 100% tech retention at our 13 acquired operations.
Our goal at Daisy is to have 50% women technicians by 2030.
With no trade schools for industry technicians, Daisy started an apprentice program just a few months ago. We now have two talented women with expertise in customer experience and technology who have already started and are adding value in our branches.
Only 500 more to go.
Hagan Kappler is the co-founder and CEO of Daisy, a national home technology integration company. Hagan is experienced in home services, consumer brands, as well as in strategy and M&A. She led Threshold Brands, ServiceMaster, and Merry Maids. She launched Blonde Roast at Starbucks and worked for McKinsey as well as Goldman Sachs. She holds a BA from Williams College and an MBA from Darden at UVA.
