Epoch’s rise to redefine employee engagement for clients like Reddit and Asana is rooted in their own company’s culture and values
For Global Entrepreneurship Week, we’re spotlighting some incredible University of Waterloo entrepreneurs making a difference for humanity and our world.
When Jade Choy (BAFM ’17) co-founded Epoch alongside her brother Keith Choy (BAFM ’16, MAcc ’16) and close friend Michael Miller, she hadn’t envisioned herself as an entrepreneur. Like many of her Accounting and Finance peers at Waterloo, Choy was on a more traditional career path — aiming for a future in management consulting. However, a side project related to non-profit work sparked a much larger idea, one that would eventually evolve into Epoch.
“We were working on internal programs at my brother’s previous job, and that got us thinking about how companies handle social impact and internal events,” Choy says. “It was a side project initially, and I thought I’d pursue it for a bit before starting my full-time job. But the more we worked on it, the more potential we saw. That’s how Epoch started.”
The company’s mission is to streamline and centralize internal event management, from planning to insights, boosting employee engagement through meaningful programs — essential for hybrid and remote work environments. Launched in late 2019, with support from Waterloo’s flagship incubator Velocity, Epoch quickly gained high-profile clients like Reddit and Asana.
Left to right: Jade Choy, Michael Miller and Keith Choy
“Reddit came to us with an idea — they wanted something not just for volunteering events but for all their internal programs,” Choy explains. “This included everything from trainings to all-hands meetings, anything that required a lot of internal communications. It made us realize how much of an employee’s experience is tied to the tools they use and how those tools reflect company culture.”
Like many startup founders, Choy faced challenges, particularly when managing her own time and priorities. “One of the biggest challenges was just understanding what to prioritize,” Choy says. “When you have a full-time job, someone else is telling you what to do, but when you’re the founder, that’s all on you.”
Choy also had to learn how to navigate a leadership role she had never experienced before. “I had never managed people before, so learning to conduct one-on-ones and grow a team was difficult at first,” she admits. “But I think a big part of entrepreneurship is knowing your weaknesses and turning to others who’ve done it before.”
Her co-operative education experiences at Waterloo helped her understand the professional world, but growing a startup required different skills. She credits her growth as a leader to being open to team feedback and continuously improving her management skills.
“It’s still something I’m working on — getting feedback from the team and adjusting accordingly,” Choy says. “But I think that’s part of the learning process.”
As Epoch continues to grow, Choy emphasizes the importance of values in shaping the company’s culture. “Values are what drive a company’s culture, and we look for people who align with those values. We want team members who are naturally curious and always willing to learn, as well as those who put customers first,” Choy shares.
For Epoch, customer satisfaction isn’t just a metric — it’s a reflection of the company’s ethos. “We have regular check-ins with our customers, and they’re constantly giving us feedback on how to improve,” Choy says. “That’s what helps us prioritize new features and continue to grow the product.”
“COVID-19 put employee experience front and centre. As companies adapt to hybrid and remote work, the challenge is keeping employees engaged,” Choy says. “Epoch supports every stage of the employee life cycle, from onboarding to training and off-site activities. Our tool automates workflows and communications for event teams, making it easier for organizers and ensuring employees can access and benefit from these programs.”
Epoch is still in its early stages but is already shaping the future of the employee engagement space. “There’s still a lot of room for growth,” Choy says. “But I think what has helped us the most is our team. We started with three co-founders who had worked together before, and that trust has been crucial in building the company.”
Epoch is now focused on expanding their reach starting with the “Epoch Eras Tour” — where they will visit cities like New York, Los Angeles and Seattle to meet with customers and continue building a community around their platform.
Epoch’s journey from a side project to a thriving business highlights the entrepreneurial spirit at the University of Waterloo. Choy’s journey shows the value of taking risks, facing challenges and learning along the way.
Following Global Entrepreneurship Week, the Tech Horizons Executive Forum will equip senior leaders with the insights and strategies needed to stay ahead in a tech-driven business world.
