Plasticity Labs

Plasticity Labs, officially founded in 2012, emerged from a deeply personal journey of its co-founder, Jim Moss. A former professional lacrosse player, Moss was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome in 2009, a condition that left him having to relearn how to walk. This life-altering event led him to explore positive psychology and the science of gratitude and resilience as tools for his recovery. Recognizing the applicability of these principles to organizational health, he, along with Jennifer Moss and Lance Mohring, established the company to translate these insights into the corporate world. The venture was initially born from a non-profit movement called "The Smile Epidemic".

The firm operated in the human resources technology market, providing a software platform for businesses to measure, analyze, and improve employee engagement and workplace culture. Its core service was centered around an analytics engine that collected and interpreted employee sentiment data through frequent, brief surveys. This data provided organizations with insights into the well-being and happiness of their workforce, correlating these metrics with key performance indicators. The platform was designed to help companies, particularly small- to medium-sized businesses, foster a more positive and productive environment by understanding what inspires their employees. The business model was based on selling its platform to enterprise customers, which included notable clients like Lululemon, TD Bank, and Manulife.

The platform itself integrated daily training modules, social support tools, and a survey engine grounded in neuroscience and positive psychology. It aimed to provide actionable data for management and tools for employees to improve their own well-being. Over its active years, Plasticity Labs secured approximately $3.1 million in funding through several seed rounds, with investors including Fibernetics Ventures, BDC, and Communitech. According to a former designer's portfolio, the company ceased operations in 2020.

Keywords: employee engagement, workplace culture, positive psychology, HR technology, sentiment analysis, employee happiness, Jim Moss, Jennifer Moss, corporate wellness, employee feedback, people analytics, human capital management, organizational health, workforce analytics, employee retention, neuroplasticity, performance management, culture platform, employee survey, Canadian tech