Five Years at dymaptic – Where We’ve Been + Where We’re Heading

This week marks five years since I joined dymaptic. This milestone has had me reflecting on how far we’ve come as a company, as well as envisioning our future. 

When I started, we were a team of just three people. Today, we have fourteen employees, with a few more onboarding in the coming weeks. Our company revenue has increased tenfold. We have expanded our capabilities by hiring team members with great experience and also narrowed our scope to better focus on doing the kind of work we do best – developing custom apps and tools that help our clients better utilize their GIS. We’ve worked with a huge variety of clients, public and private, in varied industries – and more than 90% of them have come back for additional work.   

How did that happen? I think there are a few key components to our success.  

First, dymaptic was built on a foundation of strong values. Christopher started this company in order to be a different kind of consulting firm – one that focused on doing good work and building the apps the clients needed. He saw what wasn’t working in the industry and sought to change that.  

Next up, we find great people. Over the years, we have hired some amazing people who truly care about our clients, and without whom we wouldn't be here today. In fact, even though I'm at the helm of this company, it's all the people who work here that have made our tremendous success possible. All credit goes to our top-notch team. I am filled with gratitude every time I hear from a client about how happy they are about something our team delivered. I get those messages a lot, and I will never tire of them! 

Mara with the dymaptic Software Development team after breaking out of an escape room in Seatle, WA

Third, we have worked to build a culture at dymaptic that is collaborative, curious, and obsessed with getting things right for our clients. As a leader, I always strive to empower our team to take initiative, learn new things, and never settle for “good enough.” By continuing to hire passionate, caring, and talented team members, we’re able to sustain and reinforce these values. One critical component is making sure we take time for our teams to connect as humans. From monthly virtual socials to offsite team retreats, we know that a team that can unlock an escape room or navigate roaring rapids together can work together through the complex problem-solving required in our line of work.   

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention our partnership with Esri as another factor in our business growth. I was lucky to discover Esri and the possibilities of GIS technology early in my career. I got hooked on all the applications of GIS and have never looked back! As a company, Esri has been with us through those early days with just a handful of staff, to our achievement as a Gold Partner in the Esri Partner Network (EPN) earlier this year. I’m proud of the way we were able to rise from Startup Partner, to Silver, then Gold in just a few years, and I’m grateful for the many great connections we have with colleagues at Esri that help ensure we have the latest information and resources to support our clients. I also do not take lightly my role on the Esri Partner Advisory Committee, where I have the opportunity to engage in conversations with the Esri team and a select group of other partners about decisions that will impact over 3,000 partners in the EPN.  Esri is the global market leader in GIS software, and, as a partner, we’re able to support companies and organizations that use Esri technology – from Fortune 500 companies to small nonprofits.

From left to right: Mara on stage, with CTO Christopher Moravec, at the 2024 Esri Partner Conference; the dymaptic team at the 2023 Esri Developer Summit; Mara and Christopher receiving the Esri GIS for Good award from Esri CEO Jack Dangermond at the 2023 Esri Partner Conference

As for what’s next – the future looks bright at dymaptic! We are looking to continue growing the company, with purpose. We know that there are more companies, nonprofits, and government agencies out there that are struggling with messy workflows and outdated apps, and we want to serve them! As word about our services spreads in the industry, we know we’ll have more work coming in, and we’ll need to continue growing our team to support that work. With our strong foundation and values though, we will always focus on our quality and integrity, and not on growth for growth’s sake.  

For me personally, I never imagined that I would one day be the CEO of a tech company. I simply fell in love with coding and the way technology could improve people’s lives. However, the path to advance as a woman in computer science was not easy, but I am glad I persevered. I love seeing more and more doors open for women in technology these days, even though the stats are still low, and challenges still exist. It’s important to me to continue mentoring and supporting women in tech, and I’m proud that at dymaptic we are well above industry averages for women in technical and leadership roles.  

What about the downsides in the past five years? For one, I have learned way more than I ever wanted to learn about how government contracting works, and getting through the red tape can be a real hurdle for small businesses. The main downside though, is that as CEO I don’t have time to write code anymore and I truly miss it. (Maybe I need to put that back in my job description!) 

It’s impossible to sum up everything about these five years: Dozens of conferences and industry events. Hundreds of successful projects. Exponential growth. Hours upon hours of planning, executing, and delivering. I joined dymaptic because I wanted to lead a company that stood out in a crowded landscape and did things differently. That's what Christopher started, and it truly resonated with me. I’m proud to report that today, we continue to build on those same foundational values and priorities, and I can’t wait to see where we’ll be in another five years.