In addition to accessibility and sustainability, transparency plays a crucial role in RentCheck’s mission. Lydia Winkler says it is all about practicing what you preach. The team works hard to embed this value across their business, whether it is the actual rental process, internal team conversations, or fundraising updates. Beyond these practices, RentCheck delivers on this commitment through its partnership with Green Places. “It’s important to publicly put it out there that we’re going carbon neutral, to explain why we’re going carbon neutral, and to educate other founders as to why they should care about this,” Winkler stresses that we are all on this planet, and we each have a role in protecting it. 

Winkler sees this stake in the ground as a way to raise the bar for other software startups. “There’s an impact of if RentCheck is doing it, other companies in the area will also want to do it to be on par. It’s also enlightening them that this is an easy way to attract the best talent.” 

As Winkler and her co-founder Marco Nelson interviewed candidates, they asked themselves the same question; what is essential to the best talent out there? The same themes keep coming up: Impact, purpose, and a company that cares about issues in today’s society. “One of the things they say, at the top of the list, is the mission of the company. Candidates care about adding value to someone else besides themselves.” With this in mind, Winkler understands that if her company does not take the time and effort to invest in programs like Green Places, the team will suffer. Partnering with Green Places is vital to employee engagement and satisfaction.