Ollon

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder & CEO of VESTA Social Innovation Technologies, Inc

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

VESTA builds survivor-led, trauma-informed digital tools that help transform lives impacted by gender-based violence.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Ollon to accomplish?

• Web Development,
• Software Development
• Cybersecurity

SOLUTION

How did you find Ollon?

Referral

Why did you select Ollon over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Ollon were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Ollon collaborated from the earliest stages, helping prepare grant applications and becoming VESTA’s full technology team after funding was awarded. They designed and developed two secure web applications, a shared API, and a managed database environment. Their work included user experience design, architecture, development, testing, deployment, and ongoing maintenance. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The Vesta platform successfully passed third-party security audits and met the privacy and cybersecurity requirements of both police services and higher education institutions. It has been piloted with these organizations, enabling centralized data management for crisis support centers and law enforcement while lowering barriers to reporting for survivors. Ollon continues to support and maintain the platform as it evolves. 

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Ollon followed an agile approach and consistently delivered on time through multiple phases. The team was proactive, communicative, and responsive to every new challenge. They acted as an extension of our internal team and maintained transparency throughout the six-year partnership. 

What was your primary form of communication with Ollon?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Their dedication and sense of partnership stood out from the beginning. The team went far beyond development, helping us secure funding, participate in critical security meetings, and even hire technical staff. Their reliability and care made them feel like part of our core team. 

Are there any areas for improvement or something Ollon could have done differently?

N/A

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Partner of Aprilage Inc

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Software development

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Ollon to accomplish?

• Commercialize app

SOLUTION

How did you find Ollon?

Other

Why did you select Ollon over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Ollon were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

I hired Chris in 2004 to commercialize a prototype health app that my company had developed as a ‘side gig’.  The prototype kind of worked but needed a full rebuild from concept up to be useful.  However, first he needed to build a team to do the work. Once Chris started up Ollon, we continued to work together on a number of related projects and one patent. His grasp of software architecture and processes was instrumental and critical to the projects we worked on together.  I have no hesitation in recommending Chris and his team at Ollon.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The success of his effort was clearly evident as the app and subsequent variations were sold in some 30 countries. It was further subject of numerous health studies that demonstrated its effectiveness. 

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Chris was fully responsible for all aspects of project from initial design to final delivery as well as additonal variations and maintenence.

What was your primary form of communication with Ollon?

In-Person Meeting

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Ollon provided sensible, effective consulting and competent software design and execution.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Ollon could have done differently?

No - all good

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the VP of Engineering of Xello

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Xello is engaging college and career readiness software that unlocks every student’s potential by opening their eyes to future possibilities and equipping them with the self-knowledge, skills and confidence to build actionable plans for future success.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Ollon to accomplish?

• Software Development (new projects)
• On-Prem to Cloud Migration
• Backfill Parental Leave

SOLUTION

How did you find Ollon?

Slack Group

Why did you select Ollon over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Ollon were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

When we first connected with Ollon, I was skeptical. Wed had bad experiences withcontractors overseas: time zone issues, communication breakdowns, and mismatchedpriorities. I posted in a Toronto CTO Slack group looking for Canadian developers, andthree firms responded. Two were your typical hard-sell agencies with zerounderstanding of what we needed. 
The third was Chris from Ollon. Just Chris. No fluff,no sales pitch, just the right questions about the project, the stack, the team, and thedesired outcomes. I knew instantly I was talking to an engineer, not a salesperson. Three years later, we've completed six projects with Ollon, and they've become aninvaluable partner. Their team members, including Leah, Alessio, and Steven, have feltlike embedded extensions of our internal teams.
 Id hire any of them full-time in asecond. They're technically strong, fast, communicative, and genuinely accountable. One standout project involved migrating the on-premises infrastructure of an acquiredUK company, which included over 40 servers and legacy systems, into cloud storageusing Azure. Steven handled the whole thing solo, with minimal oversight, reducing ourmonthly spend from $10K to $2K. That's an $8,000 per month ROI, achieved in just overthree months. 
Beyond technical work, Ollons team has filled critical parental leave gaps, onboardedquickly, and adapted seamlessly to our workflows. They're not just contractors; they areteam members who happen to work externally. Chris has built something rare at Ollon:a low-ego, high-trust team that scales without sacrificing quality or service. I couldn'trecommend them more highly.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

When I needed reliable, embedded contractors in the same time zone, Ollon stood out immediately. Chris didn’t pitch to me; he listened, asked thoughtful questions, and sent exactly the kind of people we needed. Three years later, we've completed six projects together. Every developer has been fast, communicative, and technically excellent.
One project alone saved us $8,000 per month by consolidating legacy servers into Azure. Another had their team spinning up an MVP that’s now launching internationally. Ollon doesn’t just deliver; they embed like full-time team members and care about quality. That’s rare.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The contractors were embedded directly onto our development teams at Xello. All were professional, accountable, and delivered high quality work on time.

What was your primary form of communication with Ollon?

Virtual Meeting

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Ollon is straight and to the point -- I fill them in on our resourcing requirements and they come through with some top notch tallent, usually in record time. The quality of their staff has been world-class and they've helped us deliver on some impossibly tight deadlines.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Ollon could have done differently?

Ollon has been great -- I wouldn't change a thing!