A pair of local companies have been honored with spots in Entrepreneur’s Top Company Cultures list this year.
 
N2 Publishing ranked in the No. 5 spot, while nCino ranked 13.
 
The magazine does the ranking in partnership with CultureIQ, a culture-management software and service provider, and recognizes businesses that have successfully instilled a high-performance culture in their workplace.
 
Rankings were determined using CultureIQ's methodology for measuring high-performance cultures. Through a survey of multiple-choice questions, N2 and nCino employees gave feedback on company characteristics such as collaboration, innovation, agility, communication, support, wellness, work environment, responsibility, performance focus, as well as mission and value alignment.
 
The 2017 list consists of 153 companies categorized as small, medium or large enterprises. N2 Publishing and nCino were both in the large-company category, meaning firms with more than 100 employees.
 
“A high-performance culture leads not only to employee engagement but also to measurable business results,” said Greg Besner, founder and CEO of CultureIQ in a news release. “These organizations show us that great companies start with great culture.”
 
“Great company cultures don’t happen on their own,” added Jason Feifer, editor in chief of Entrepreneur. “They’re the result of great leadership and a conscious effort to make everyone on a team feel engaged and important. The honorees on our 2017 list are proof that strong cultures make even stronger companies. Entrepreneurs at all levels can draw inspiration from them.”
 
N2 Publishing, which also made the first Top Company Culture list in 2015, was founded in 2004 and publishes more than 900 community magazines across the country.
 
“Our purpose is greater than making money, and that is felt and picked up over time by the people you work alongside,” said Duane Hixon, co-founder and CEO of N2, in a news release.
 
nCino got started in 2012, as a spin off of Live Oak Bank, when a team of bankers and entrepreneurs decided to try and improve the commercial lending process.
 
"If we create the right culture and take care of our people they will be passionate about their jobs and committed to nCino's long term success,” said Pierre Naudé, nCino CEO, on the company website.
 
In Entrepreneur magazine’s Top Company Cultures list for 2015, N2 came in at No. 8, and nCino 13th.