Our Culture

We think trust is the most powerful currency we have – both outside the Tala walls and within.
We are engineers, data scientists, customer experience designers, marketers, people operations professionals and finance geeks all passionate about extending financial freedom to the billions of underserved people across the globe. 
We believe in people from every type of background — around the world, and within our company. We call this #RadicalTrust.

Get to Know Our Team!

Get to Know our Team!
Adam, Data Science Intern
Adam, Data Science Intern

“I got to work at a rapid growth startup where big data meets finance, which influences people’s lives across different countries.” Full blog here.

Bonnie, Global Director of Diversity, Equity & Workplace Culture
Bonnie, Global Director of Diversity, Equity & Workplace Culture

“As Tala’s first Global Director of Diversity, Equity & Workplace Culture, I’m thrilled to step into a role that proactively makes space for all of the identities at Tala to continue to thrive, and create space for new ones.” Full blog here.

Anay, VP of Country Growth
Anay, VP of Country Growth

“I have always been attracted to companies with audacious goals, and Tala truly has the potential to disrupt financial markets around the world.” Full blog here.

Florian, Data Scientist
Florian, Data Scientist

“It’s great to be part of a team where data science is core to the mission. Data enables our product, and it’s important to me to be in a role that uses data for good.” Full blog here.

Joanna, Engineering Manager
Joanna, Engineering Manager

“Every day, we use technology to build alternative credit products for our customers, which enables them to access financial services they may normally be denied. It’s a big deal!” Full blog here.

Kevin, Chief Data Officer
Kevin, Chief Data Officer

“Tala is working with one of the most exciting data sets imaginable, and with the goal of building financial services that include more of the world’s people. I’m blown away by the team’s passion and commitment and by the great work already underway.” Full blog here.

Rose, East Africa Regional Manager
Rose, East Africa Regional Manager

“Kenya is the pioneer and largest market for Tala. The opportunity was appealing to me because where Tala is positioned is the future of financial services, and I am happy to be a part of this exciting journey.” Full blog here.

Swekenyi, Quality Assurance Engineer
Swekenyi, Quality Assurance Engineer

“In my role, I try to become one person that will satisfy the business, make sure the developer delivers the right thing, and — most importantly — act as the customer. The customer perspective is most important because that’s where the impact is.” Full blog here.

Our Founding Principles

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PUT POWER IN PEOPLE’S HANDS

Learn from everyone. Lead by serving. Enable the growth of others and empower them to shine. Set destinations, not paths. Give credit where it’s due.

PROVE POTENTIAL BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY

Cultivate curiosity. Ask questions relentlessly and thoughtfully experiment. Look for new and better evidence. Make rigorous, data-driven decisions that optimize for our people's’ needs.

TAKE THE FIRST RISK

Stand up for what you believe in. Challenge the status quo. Embrace what you don’t know and ask for help. Act on what you learn as a team.

BELIEVE IN PEOPLE

Understand and dismantle bias. Uphold your commitments; have confidence in others’ ability to uphold theirs. Give and seek feedback that is direct, honest, and actionable. Help each other grow.

LISTEN & LEARN

Start with an open mind. Engage with other points of view. Find out why. Share what you learn. Turn learnings into action.

CHALLENGE OUR LIMITS

Be honest. Embrace mistakes as opportunities for learning. Change what isn’t working. Adapt with positivity. Power through adversity. Celebrate progress, big and small. We’re all in this together.

Diversity, Equity and the Tala Mission

We serve a global customer base with complex and unique needs, and fulfilling our mission requires a diverse team of equals working together across borders and boundaries. It is our firmly held belief that our company culture should reflect the kind of world we want to build: one where all people are seen, understood, and trusted and have an equal opportunity to fulfill their potential.

Tala's founder and CEO, Shivani Siroya, presents our vision and mission at TED2016.

#TeamTala Perks

Perks
Getting Close to Our Customers
Getting Close to Our Customers

We offer Santa Monica-based team members opportunities to travel to our markets and get to know our customers.

Professional Development
Professional Development

Every Tuesday at lunch, a resident expert teaches a master class on everything from SQL queries to growth hacking, while digging into delicious eats from nearby hotspots. We also sponsor employee visits to professional conferences.

Adventure
Adventure

We take fun seriously: food adventures throughout downtown, ping pong, intramural leagues, go-karting, workout classes, and weekend outings into the great outdoors.

Happier Hours
Happier Hours

Every week, we celebrate Wine Down Wednesday, enjoying food, drinks, games and each others’ company. Every month, we invite our community to join in on the fun.

Health Benefits
Health Benefits

We offer full coverage health, dental and vision insurance for our team and their families.

Retirement
Retirement

We offer traditional and Roth 401(k) plans, so employees can start saving for their futures from day one.

Open Positions

Are you curious, adaptable, and motivated? Are you looking for an opportunity with science and soul? Check out our open positions to find where you could thrive. Don’t see an exact match? Reach out to us directly - we’d love to chat.

    “Gates and Siroya share a belief that technology, paired with resources and creativity, can help generate wealth everywhere.” So thrilled that @melindafrenchgates has nominated our founder & CEO @shivsiroya as a @wired icon for helping transform the lives of millions! Link in bio.
    Happy Friday! Some great innovations after 24 hours of hard work from #TeamTala during our HACCATHON! Congrats to our winning team!
    The end of summer is bittersweet for #TeamTala as some of our exceptionally talented interns return to their studies! Before heading out, data science intern Adam Badawy discusses his unconventional path to computer science and work protecting Tala’s customers! Go to medium.com/tala to read!
    Huge thanks to everyone who came out last night to #BuiltinBrews at Tala’s HQ! It was great meeting you all and sharing what we do here at Tala. Be sure to follow up on our career page if you’re interesting in joining #TeamTala! tala.co/careers #builtinla
    Tala data scientists Florian Hartl and Peter Sugimura present on building a reproducible machine learning pipeline at #kdd2018, the world’s largest data science conference!
    Kicking off the weekend with a casual “Ask Me Anything” session with our CEO & Founder @shivsiroya!
    Happy Monday from #TeamTala! Hope you had an active weekend like our team in Manila at the 42nd #milomarathon, the Philippines’ largest running event!
    Huge thanks to all who attended the #MakeAnImpactLA event last night at Tala’s HQ! It was inspiring to hear from so many organizations working to make an impact in LA. Special shout out to our speakers from @thelakitchen, @chrysalisla, @plasticoceans, @siliconvalleybank and the American Digital Diversity Initiative!
    “Serving our global customer base starts with serving each other, and co-building an environment that reflects a simple truth: whether we’re making decisions around a kitchen table, or charting strategy in the boardroom during a global conference call, there’s a seat for every Talaite, their identity and their story.” - @bonnielizzette, Tala’s new Global Director of Diversity, Equity & Workplace Culture, shares her story and vision to continue making Tala a place for all to thrive! Click the link in our bio to read.
    Join us Tuesday July 24 to hear from innovative local leaders addressing key challenges in LA! Hosted by Tala’s Founder & CEO @shivsiroya, the event will feature intimate fireside chats with @thelakitchen’s @robertegger, @plasticoceans’ Julie Andersen, @chrysalisla’s Bianca Smith and the American Digital Diversity Initiative’s Peter Rojas. Register at https://bit.ly/2NiqZDY
    Jambo (hello!) from Kenya! Check out Tala’s Customer Care team in Nairobi showing off personality & heritage in style. #TeamTala
    As a team working to unlock access and opportunity for billions around the world, Tala believes that having equitable representation and opportunities within our workforce is critical to fulfilling our mission. After more than doubling in size last year, we undertook a study on the state of our company’s diversity. We are now proud to share what diversity and equity mean to us in this inaugural open letter. Click the link in our bio to read! Though we still have a ways to go, we’re excited to open a dialogue on these issues. Tell us how your organization is making diversity a priority!

    Want to unlock growth potential in emerging markets?