Saratoga.com logo
Saratoga.com logo
  • Places to Stay
  • Things To Do
  • Food & Drink
  • Events
  • Businesses
  • Travel Guides
Saratoga Business Journal
  • Home
  • New Businesses
  • Business News
  • Business Reports
  • Business Briefs
  • Business Registrations
  • Personnel Briefs
  • Contact Us
Home  »  Entrepreneurial Women  »  CultureTalk Corporate Assessment Tools Take Difficult Subjects And Make Them Easy To Explain
Entrepreneurial Women

CultureTalk Corporate Assessment Tools Take Difficult Subjects And Make Them Easy To Explain

Posted onOctober 12, 2023
Theresa Agresta is one of the leaders at CultureTalk in Saratoga.

By Christine Graf

When leaders of the Veterinary Services division of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) were tasked with improving the agency’s internal culture, they turned to CultureTalk for help.

CultureTalk, a Saratoga Springs-based company, was founded by sisters Theresa Agresta and Cynthia Forstmann. The USDA is among a long list of companies and agencies from around the world that have utilized the CultureTalk Platform to measure and define workplace culture.

Organizational culture refers to the values, beliefs, attitudes, systems, and rules that outline and influence employee behavior within an organization. 

“It’s common for people to talk about culture, but a lot of people don’t fully understand it,” said Agresta. “It is more often found in the ‘unwritten rules’ than the things that have been spelled out. CultureTalk can take something that is difficult to define and make it easy to talk about.”

The sisters came up with the idea for CultureTalk while working together on their first joint venture, brand development company Allegory Studios.

“Cynthia and I developed a niche and expertise in brand development,” said Agresta. “Very early on, we discovered the impact that measuring culture had on the development of an authentic brand. When we were working with a business to differentiate and brand them, the culture was the piece that really stood out to us.”

“If you are selling services, a lot of what you offer is similar to your competitors. It’s your people and your culture that really differentiate you, and that can be why a prospective client might choose your business.”

Agresta said that she and Forstmann recognized that many companies struggled to make their culture tangible, meaningful, and actionable.

“They can’t connect the dots between the culture they want to cultivate and the specific leadership and team behaviors that will get them there. They struggle to get employees engaged and connected around the culture in a way that employees can rally behind.”

In 2015, the sisters began developing an assessment tool to measure an organization’s culture by using an archetypal framework that draws on the work of Carl Jung. Jung identified universal archetypes, symbols or patterns that are present in the collective unconscious of all humans. By developing an understanding of these archetypes, Jung believed it would be possible for individuals to gain insight into the human psyche and better understand themselves and others.

“It’s a storytelling framework,” said Agresta. “The framework provides a common language to define the desired culture and allow leaders and teams to identify necessary shifts. It also connects the behaviors of leaders and individual contributors with strategic initiatives.”

CultureTalk developed two validated assessments, one that measures the personality of individuals and another that measures organizational culture. Companies can utilize one or both of the assessments.

“Certified practitioners conduct a culture audit,” said Agresta. “It includes the organizational assessment and a series of one-to-one interviews. One or more workshops are run to validate the outcomes of the survey and to create a culture profile. The process generates a lot of authentic, honest conversation.”

While that may sound intimidating, Agresta assures employees and company leaders that they have nothing to fear. Employee feedback is entirely anonymous, and the purpose of the culture profile is not to criticize the leadership team.

“CultureTalk answers the questions ‘Where are we today, and how is that moving us forward or holding us back?’” she said. “Now that we can see where we are, we can identify where we want to go and design an action plan to get there.”

That is what Agresta refers to the “So what? Now what?” aspect of the platform. She said that is what differentiates CultureTalk from its competitors.

“There are other tools that measure culture and personality, but what differentiates us is the ‘So what? Now what?’ part that is very actionable. There’s a lot you can do to make the outcomes sustainable and shareable– there’s a sticky factor to it.”

More than 160 people in 22 countries have completed the CultureTalk certification program which enables consultants and practitioners to validate assessments and implement solutions. The company also trains internal HR and talent management teams.

The platform has received rave reviews including from Queensbury-based IT company StoredTech. In 2022, Stored Tech was recognized by the Times Union as one of the best places to work in the Capital Region.

“They were one of the first clients locally to embed the system,” said Agresta. “They began by measuring and defining their culture. They also use the individual assessment for every hire and they put each person’s archetype profile icons on their name plates. They are an example of a company that is using the system to the fullest.”

Certified CultureTalk consultant Michael Cruz worked to implement the program at the tech company, and Kristina Mobilia, StoredTech’s director of people, completed the Culture Talk certification program. 

Within the Veterinary Services division of the USDA, CultureTalk trained 13 individuals. The division’s leadership team has been extremely pleased with the engagement and results.

“The USDA is extremely appreciative of the outcomes they’ve achieved with CultureTalk. They share that this is actively moving them forward,” said Agresta.

CultureTalk has a number of certified consultants in the Capital Region. For more information, visit www.culturetalk.com.

Previous Article Amanda Triolo Sees Tremendous Growth At Her Grasshopper Heating & Cooling Business
Next Article Business Report: Cybersecurity Awareness Month
Subscribe to Our Newsletter View the Latest Virtual Edition

Categories

  • 50-Plus
  • Banking
  • Banking / Asset Managment
  • Building Trades
  • Business Briefs
  • Business News
  • Business Registrations
  • Business Reports
  • Commercial / Residential Real Estate
  • Community Services
  • Construction
  • Construction Planning
  • Corporate Tax / Business Planning
  • Cyber / Tech
  • Dining Guide
  • Economic Development
  • Economic Outlook 2016
  • Economic Outlook 2017
  • Economic Outlook 2018
  • Economic Outlook 2019
  • Economic Outlook 2020
  • Economic Outlook 2022
  • Economic Outlook 2023
  • Economic Outlook 2024
  • Economic Outlook 2025
  • Education/ Training/ Personal Development
  • Entrepreneurial Women
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Environment / Development
  • Financial Planning / Investments
  • Fitness / Nutrition
  • Health / Community Services
  • Health & Fitness
  • Health & Wellness
  • Healthcare
  • Holiday Guide
  • Holiday Shopping
  • Home / Energy
  • Home / Insurance
  • Home & Real Esate
  • Insurance / Employee Benefits
  • Insurance / Medical Services
  • Leadership Development
  • Legal / Accounting
  • Meet The Chef
  • New Businesses
  • Non-Profit
  • Office / Computer / New Media
  • Office / HR / Employment
  • Office/ Technology/ E-Commerce
  • Outlook 2021
  • Personnel Briefs
  • Retirement Planning
  • Senior Living / Retirement
  • Summer Construction
  • Uncategorized
  • Wellness
  • Women In Business
  • Workplace / Security / Legal
  • Year-End Tax Planning

Archives

  • May 2025
  • April 2025
  • March 2025
  • February 2025
  • January 2025
  • December 2024
  • November 2024
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • June 2024
  • May 2024
  • April 2024
  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
Connect With Us

Follow, like and subscribe to Saratoga.com on social media

Account Sign In Submit An Event
Saratoga.com logo
  • Home
  • Places To Stay
  • Things To Do
  • Food & Drink
  • Events
  • Real Estate
  • Businesses
  • Guides
  • Contact Us
  • Blogs
  • Sweepstakes
  • Advertising
Visit Saratoga.com For Everything Saratoga
Full-Service Internet Marketing: Search Engine Optimization, Website Design and Development by Mannix Marketing, Inc.
Mannix Marketing, Inc. is headquartered near Saratoga Springs in Glens Falls, New York
Saratoga.com All Rights Reserved © 2025
Disclaimer & Privacy Policy / Terms of Use / Copyright Policies
[uc-privacysettings]

We strive to insure accuracy on Saratoga.com however accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Information is subject to change.
Please alert us if there is any inaccurate information here.

Having trouble using this site? Accessibility is our goal, please contact us with site improvements.