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Elite Expert Lena McDearmid

Building Billion-Dollar Cultures with Lena McDearmid

May 27, 2026

Elite Expert Insider Podcast

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Melanie Johnson, co-owner of Elite Online Publishing, interviews Lena McDearmid, a powerhouse executive and culture advisor who has helped build multiple companies to billion-dollar valuations, including Green Sky and Moment

Listen Below:

Watch Below:


Click here to access all of Elite Expert Insider podcasts.

What You’ll Learn In This Episode:

  • Deep Dive into Elements Shaping Workplace Culture

  • The Importance of Language in Shaping Culture

  • The Impact of AI on Work and Culture

Quotes:

“If you can swipe it with a credit card, that’s not culture, that’s a perk.”

“So when the truth tellers go quiet because they’re not able to truly raise risk and be safe in telling the truth, then we’re now not living in an organization or a team where we can align and we can truly be like, this is what’s going on, this is what is true, and this is how we need to operate.”

“And so when employees are in fear, then they are less likely to expand, to investigate, to try to raise their hand. They’re just wanting to stay protected. And it’s not that the AI was the problem or the tool or the system that may have been brought in.”

About Lena McDearmid

Lena McDearmid is the founder and CEO of Wryver, an organizational consultancy helping companies strengthen culture, leadership, and sustainable growth. With more than 20 years of experience across corporate leadership, consulting, talent strategy, fintech, and technology, Lena specializes in helping organizations build the trust, systems, and leadership alignment needed for people and performance to thrive together.

Before founding Wryver, Lena served as co-founder, COO, and Chief Culture Officer of Momnt, where she helped scale the embedded lending fintech company from inception into a national leader. Earlier in her career, she was part of the leadership team at GreenSky, contributing to its growth from startup to unicorn valuation and IPO exit.

Known for combining empathy with strategic clarity, Lena advises leaders on scaling without losing their culture, building psychological safety, strengthening collaboration, and navigating the evolving role of AI in the workplace. Through her work, she challenges outdated leadership models and champions a future where trust, curiosity, and humanity are powerful drivers of business success.

Learn More Here

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Video URL: https://youtu.be/dc0TphlaeFo

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