Lauren Baideme

Marketing Campaign Coordinator

Why did you choose to work in education? What drew you to eChalk?

Ever since I fell in love with office supply stores during the annual “back-to-school sale’” season, I’ve known my future was in education. I had such a fantastic K-12 experience with truly inspired and fabulous teachers that I feel compelled to do my part to make sure all kids have access to an excellent education. Among the first things that drew me to eChalk were the “Meet an eChalker” profiles on the company website. I saw a handful of delightful, creative people; all passionate about improving education and I knew I wanted in.  

Describe the eChalk culture—how is it different from other places you’ve worked?

Like the exhilarating color of its office walls, the eChalk culture is invitingly bright.  Everyone looks genuinely happy to be at work because the “work” is fun, exciting, creative and meaningful. At eChalk all successes, large and small, are celebrated by the entire team. This encouraging ethos stands in stark contrast to my prior places of employment, where success was measured by individual accomplishment of seemingly unrelated (and uninspired) tasks.

What do you like most about working at eChalk?

Every day I am challenged by tasks that force me to push the envelope. I get to be creative and think outside the box, while also collaborating with extremely talented and inspirational people. There hasn’t been a dull moment yet! Also, the overflowing candy bucket is not too shabby.

Describe your fellow eChalkers.

eChalkers are an incredibly diverse set of interesting ingredients combined into a tantalizingly exotic dish. There are no two eChalkers exactly alike, yet everyone seems to be smothered in the same awesome sauce. eChalkers work hard, play hard and love what they do. After only a short time at eChalk, I felt accepted as part of the family…and now I could not feel more at home.  

Is there one event that stands out during the time you’ve worked at eChalk? 

On my third day at eChalk, the New York City team hosted its annual eChalkapalooza event for NYC educators. In addition to being stunned by the transformed office’s carnival-like atmosphere with games, prizes and refreshments, I was amazed to see so many eChalkers volunteer their time to stay after hours and help the NYC Team make it a great event. I witnessed eChalkers interacting with customers, guests and each other on such a personal level that I knew I was a part of something truly special.   

How do you describe eChalk to your friends and family?

When I describe eChalk to my friends and family, many of whom are educators, it’s with great pride and enthusiasm because I know they can appreciate its wonders. I depict eChalk as a suite of interactive web tools that provides online classroom and collaborative environments for teachers and students to engage in learning beyond school building walls and school day hours. As a former teacher, I mention how beneficial and timesaving it would have been to have had such a powerful platform for teaching. It feels great to be able to speak passionately about the work that I do…and mean it.  

What surprised you most about working at eChalk?

I was immediately surprised and impressed by the level of cooperation among departments. Everyone, including the senior management team, works in an open space where collaboration and questions are encouraged. Sales, marketing, client services and technology are constantly passing ideas and information among one another for feedback and suggestions. The open-door policy speaks volumes about how much eChalk values each team member. 

What excites you about the future of eChalk?

The field of education faces great challenges in keeping pace with rapidly changing technology and eChalk already provides educators with tools to support the classroom of tomorrow. As future technological capabilities unfold, I look forward with great excitement to seeing eChalk continually evolve to support educators in providing superb learning experiences for their students.