Sometimes, innovation is born in the midst of a crisis. Unexpected challenges and a sense of urgency force companies to look for new ways of keeping the business going, even as the odds stack up against them. This was the case for one of our biggest customers Matalan, a major fashion and homeware retailer in the U.K. The company operates 230 brick and mortar stores across the country, and 30 international franchise stores within Europe and the Middle East. It also maintains a thriving online channel that runs on the SHIFT platform.

Moving shipping containers is heavy work. Moving a traditional industry into the digital age is a different kind of heavy job. Software development agency GNAR took on the challenge and built an ops management platform for RMS Intermodal, one of the largest rail yard operators in the U.S. Their IoT solution gave RMS a data-driven view of their operations for the first time, resulting in a whole new definition of “efficiency” for the company.

Serendipity manifests a new idea

It all started at a wedding. GNAR Founder Brandon Stewart found himself chatting with Adam Gray, the son of RMS Intermodal’s President, and the conversation turned to RFID tracking. Brandon had done some work on an...

In today's global economy, English proficiency unlocks opportunity. People all over the world are motivated to improve their English skills in order to make a better life for themselves and their families. Cambly is a language education platform that helps millions of learners advance their careers by connecting them with English-speaking tutors from a similar professional background.

For many language learners, speaking is often the hardest skill to improve in a classroom setting. Conversation time is limited, and students tend to practice with each other rather than with a teacher. Some students may not have a fluent speaker available in their location. Cambly offers one-on-one...

It is never easy to know how to react, communicate, or at times, even feel, during something as heartbreaking and real as the struggles that our fellow humans face through no fault of their own. As Herokai, we stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and want to share some of our thoughts on the struggle, as well as some actions and resources that we find helpful.

We will be keeping this post updated and would love to include your voice. Please send us any thoughts that you’d like to share at: feedback@heroku.com.

“Many, if not all, of us are watching the civil rights movement taking place around the world. We are hurting, we are angry, and many of us are asking, “How...

Some say that the only constant in life is change. That may be true, but often what’s more important than the change itself is how we react. We all go through life trying to manage change (albeit with varying degrees of success), so we can better cope with it, learn from it, and adapt. Like individuals, organizations can learn the same “life skill,” so that change is not only less disruptive, but it also becomes a measure of organizational health that can lead to success.

Sometimes, it takes a pandemic

Times of sudden change, like during the COVID-19 crisis, are especially tough on everyone. Most companies are scrambling to figure out their “new normal;” employees and teams are...