Author: Ellis Harper
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Why HX5 CEO Margarita Howard Still Prizes Experience
Much of the conversation about Generation Z in the workplace centers on what employers must change. Margarita Howard has made plenty of changes at HX5, from hybrid schedules to new messaging platforms. On one point, though, she holds firm: experience matters. “We prefer to hire experienced individuals, so we look for people that have worked… Read more
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Inside the Fellowship Model HX5 Uses to Hire Veterans
Transitioning out of the military rarely happens overnight, and the Department of Defense’s SkillBridge initiative was built to soften that shift. HX5 taps into this framework through the Hiring Our Heroes Corporate Fellowship Program, giving active duty service members a structured runway into civilian work before their final discharge date. The program runs 12 weeks.… Read more
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Margarita Howard’s Infrastructure Philosophy Powers HX5’s Rise
Every startup faces decisions about where limited capital should go first. Margarita Howard made hers early, and the choice she made in 2004 still shapes how HX5 operates today. Margarita Howard has since become an example other founders in the industry point to when discussing early-stage priorities. Rather than leasing prominent office space or investing… Read more
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Margarita Howard Guides HX5 Through Gen Z Hiring Shift
Defense contractors are running into a hiring puzzle that didn’t exist a decade ago. Generation Z is entering the workforce with different expectations around growth, technology, and purpose, and firms that support the Pentagon and NASA cannot simply out-pay commercial tech companies for the same talent. Margarita Howard, sole owner, CEO, and president of HX5,… Read more
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Choice Home Warranty’s Five-Star Streak on Trustpilot
Roughly 60% of the nearly 60,000 people who reviewed Choice Home Warranty on Trustpilot gave the company five stars, a verdict from customers grading their own experience after the fact. A separate measurement system, built by editorial teams comparing plans before anyone files a claim, keeps landing in a similar place. CNBC Select named Choice… Read more
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Margarita Howard Links HX5 Contracts to Veteran Skills
A transitioning Air Force engineer might spend a career working on systems that look strikingly similar once they join HX5, just approached now from the contractor side of the table rather than the uniformed one. CEO Margarita Howard has pointed to this kind of continuity as a central reason veterans fit well into HX5’s work… Read more
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Margarita Howard on Gen Z, HX5, and Defense Sector Values
Generation Z has a reputation for holding employers to high standards. Research from Deloitte found that 77% of Gen Z respondents consider it essential to work for a company whose values align with their own. For defense contractors, that finding creates both a problem and an opportunity. Margarita Howard, sole owner, CEO, and president of… Read more
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Supporting the Next Generation: Tanner Winterhof on Youth in Ag
Agriculture has an inheritance problem that is different from the one most people assume. The challenge is not that young people are uninterested in farming. It is that the industry has not built the infrastructure to translate that interest into durable careers. Tanner Winterhof, who grew up on a swine and row-crop farm in Aurelia,… Read more
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How to Build Inclusive Leadership: Practical, Measurable Strategies for Sustainable Performance, Retention, and Innovation
Inclusive leadership is more than a buzzword; it’s a strategic advantage that unlocks performance, creativity, and retention. Leaders who practice inclusion create environments where diverse perspectives are heard, psychological safety is prioritized, and decisions reflect the needs of a broad range of stakeholders. Here’s how to make inclusive leadership practical, measurable, and sustainable across any… Read more
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How to Build a Purpose-Driven Culture That Powers Performance
Purpose-Driven Culture: How to Build Meaning That Powers Performance A purpose-driven culture aligns what your organization stands for with how people feel, behave, and make decisions. When employees see how their work connects to a clear, authentic purpose, engagement rises, innovation accelerates, and retention improves. Purpose isn’t a slogan — it’s an operational compass that… Read more