sweetriot -Human Resources & Leadership Best Practice

Company: sweetriot

Location: New York, NY

CEO: Sarah Endline

Established: 2005

Size: 5 employees 

What the company does: sweetriot is a “lifestyle candy company,” with the aim of reinventing the candy category—and starting a movement—with its healthy, whimsical, natural products sourced and produced in Latin America. They target consumers or, as they call them, “rioters”, who don’t accept the status quo, and they hope to build a community around their company and products.

The best practice: CEO Sarah Endline wants to make sure her employees know they are each unique and irreplaceable, like a thumbprint. So she created a “thumbprint committee,” which allows an open forum to discuss ideas and weigh in on issues. Those issues include healthcare, vacations, training, and other policies. The company’s floor plan is open. “We don’t have any walls or dividers to separate the team, which mimics our communications style,” says Endline.

Why it works: This empowering model has brought what Endline calls a “sweet democracy” to the organization, and has resulted in steady growth throughout the

company’s existence. Sweetriot was recognized in 2008, 2009 and 2010 on the WorldBlu List of Most Democratic Workplaces.