Female tech leaders are set to change the future of work with new app

Sama is a company on a mission to elevate and humanise employee engagement, tackling difficult issues that companies are facing in the modern age, with a soft touch. Matching employees to certified coaches, Sama is an app that puts in the hands of employees control over their ongoing development. Sama aims to promote leadership throughout an entire organisation, no longer limiting it to management teams or boards.

Once a company signs up with Sama, employees simply download the app, with no integration required. They are then matched with a professional coach and can book sessions to work through their goals at their own pace.

Through this process, individuals are able to work through challenges and professional roadblocks, unlocking potential and elevating confidence and skills. Teams perform at a higher level when all team members are supported, and no two employees are the same. Sama recognises that and matches employees with the right coach for them.

The app is available to download by employers on Apple and Play store.

Sama has been developed by an all-female team, with a unique insight into leadership development, D&I and corporate culture. The team is headed up by Myra Khanna, who has a background in investing and business building, and who believes that people should be given the tools to be happy and fulfilled.

Head Coach Caitlin Foley has over 20 years of international experience in executive coaching, leadership development, HR, and business consultancy. Caitlin works with individuals to enhance their leadership capabilities and performance.

Sama coaches go through a rigorous selection process, so employees and businesses know they are receiving high quality coaching from highly experienced individuals.  The criteria for becoming a Sama coach includes:

– 10+ year of professional experience, including senior roles [in a variety of industries]

– professional background with a demonstrated track record of success

– minimum credential equivalent to ACC with the International Coach Federation

– years of coaching in business contexts

Once the criteria have been met, coaches go through multiple interviews including live coaching cases, followed by background and reference checks.

“Each of our team members is getting precious help in their professional development and can build a program that suits their needs and ambitions.” Nicolas Tonnard, COO CFTE

The pandemic has affected the way we relate to our work in myriad ways and the team at Sama are acutely aware that ‘the new normal’ must make provisions for employee wellbeing and development if businesses are to succeed and thrive.

Sama’s Co-Founder, Myra Khanna is passionate about the future of work and the need for coaching support. She believes that tech-led interventions that will make this possible to all businesses will enrich the lives of employees, making it easier for people from all walks of life to navigate corporate spaces.

“Employee engagement is vital during these times, especially with everyone working from home. Businesses are experiencing an entirely new set of challenges that they need to address. I have developed Sama to help businesses understand these new challenges, as well as how to tackle existing ones – but from the perspective of their employees – the most essential part of their business, who are very rarely considered this way.

We tend to focus on processes, data and technology including AI in solving key business problems. Sama aims to bring the essential human touch into employee engagement, and put your team at the center of your business.” – Myra Khanna, Co-Founder Sama.

“When Myra shared her vision for Sama, I was interested right away.  As a former HR professional, I could see that this would save companies time and error when sourcing and vetting coaches for their employees.  Sama’s matching algorithm is designed to optimise fit, which is crucial to the coaching relationship, while minimising bias.  The business model allows for companies to easily turbo-charge their coaching spend by offering bespoke development support at scale.

As a coach, it is exciting to work with a wider variety of coaching clients, at all different levels in an organisation and with a diverse set of backgrounds and experiences.” – Caitlin Foley, Head Coach

For more information on Sama, or to become a coach, please visit Sama.io.

About Myra Khanna

Myra has excelled in the fields of project building, investing, and law and now, as an entrepreneur, has invested over $4bn and returned over 270% on her mature direct investments to her investors.

Myra believes that people should be given the tools to be happy, to grow. She was born in a family that believed in her, that challenged but supported her in every step that she decided to take, because they knew that it was important for her. She believes that everyone should have access to the support they need.

She wants to contribute to making the world a more conscious and caring place, starting with where people spend most of their waking hours, at work. Sama is helping people find solutions to move forward, have a positive impact and continuously develop themselves .

About Caitlin Foley

Caitlin has over 20 years of experience working in Private Equity and Management Consulting firms. Prior to joining Sama, she had her own consultancy, where she was an executive coach and leadership development advisor to Private Equity and Venture Capital firms.  Before starting her own business, she held roles in Leadership Development and HR at The Boston Consulting Group, A.T. Kearney, Bain & Company and Bain Capital based in Boston, Chicago and London.

In 2005 she completed her coaching training which sparked a passion for supporting individuals in their ongoing development.  Her clients describe her style as challenging, engaging and supportive, with a pragmatic approach that delivers results.

In 2020 Caitlin joined Sama as Head Coach, inspired by the mission to elevate engagement by making coaching accessible to people at all levels within organisations.  She now enjoys coaching a broad range of clients, and working with the great team they have assembled at Sama.