Sky Factory Flat Management Model–Lessons in Financial Inclusion
On May 2nd, 2025, Drake University’s Zimpleman College of Business hosted its 2nd annual Business for GOOD Summit, inviting leaders from across the corporate spectrum. Among the speakers at this year’s event, Bill Witherspoon, Sky Factory founder, addressed both students and members of the community on the topic of financial inclusion, staff motivation, and recruitment.
“When I started Sky Factory 22 years ago, I had no financial backing or investors. Although I’d started several successful businesses, I built up Sky Factory from the ground up, earning business and building a reputation until I could afford to scale up the company,” said Bill.
“Hiring well is essential to build the type of internal relationships that create a successful business culture. However, I wanted Sky Factory to be different from my other businesses. Not only did I want to make a beautiful company—one that eschewed the traditional hierarchical model and empowered people to be more entrepreneurial, but I also wanted the company to be a place that enabled people to grow and learn.
“That may sound like a crazy idea but keep in mind that the early years of Sky Factory in the first decade of the new millennium was when the ENRON and WorldCom frauds scandal hit the news (2001-‘02) and there was a lot cynicism regarding the sheer greed in corporate culture. Therefore, the idea that a company could be beautiful was a non sequitur,” Bill noted.
“Over time though, the business grew and became financially sustainable, allowing us to develop the unique elements of our emerging culture—flat management, employee ownership, superior customer service, and consensus building.”
Inc. Magazine & Fast Company Featured Sky Factory’s Business Model
Bill’s vision coalesced eight years into the company’s trajectory when, in 2010, Inc. Magazine and Winning Workplaces, selected Sky Factory as one of the Top Best Small Company Workplaces. Sky Factory’s profile kept rising and both Fast Company and The Wall Street Journal featured the company’s unique model.
“However, with success people’s priorities change. Employees who were once comfortable with the highs and lows of shared profitability now preferred dependable paychecks. The company also underwent a leadership transition at the helm who saw the long-term potential of the company in a different light.
“These were among the factors that nudged the company to recalibrate its financial inclusion model and opted to provide more security for employees and less uncertainty. This is one of the reasons entrepreneurs are a rare breed—they thrive on risk, which is something that most people will shy away from,” Bill said.
“In any case, Sky Factory was set up to be an experimental model and there was no expectation that even its structure would remain the same. Today, the company is well into a sustaining phase, and so it has evolved to meet the needs of its stakeholders and staff.”
Bill concluded by noting that one statistic that speaks to the resilience of the culture is that over two-thirds of the staff have been with the company for over 15 years; that’s a testament to a workplace that inspires loyalty.
“It is not uncommon to see people change jobs frequently. They are always on the lookout for better offers, higher salaries. But when you can retain experienced people for the long-term, that means they have found a measure of value beyond a paycheck. They have found a culture that resonates with them and that’s when people really help the business earn a good place in the community.
Drake University’s Business for Good Summit, sponsored by SGS, brings together thought leaders and practitioners to explore how a business can simultaneously thrive while also generating a positive and lasting impact on society.
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