In a year when AI is redefining how work gets done—and how employees choose where to work—MERGE is earning recognition for focusing on something far less automated: people.
The marketing and technology agency has been named one of Built In’s 2026 Best Places to Work, marking its fourth consecutive year on the list. This time, MERGE secured honors as one of the Best Midsize Places to Work in Colorado and Best Places to Work in Atlanta, reinforcing the company’s reputation for building a people-first culture across a growing national footprint.
The recognition spans MERGE’s eight offices across major U.S. markets, including Boston, Chicago, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York, Raleigh, Denver, and Atlanta—no small feat in an industry known for burnout, consolidation, and relentless pace.
Why This Recognition Matters Now
Workplace awards are plentiful, but Built In’s Best Places to Work program carries particular weight in tech-adjacent industries. Its rankings are driven by data—not nominations or brand awareness—evaluating companies on compensation, benefits, flexibility, and culture programs that align with how people actually want to work today.
That context matters. Agencies and tech-enabled services firms are facing a perfect storm: AI disruption, tighter budgets, and a workforce that expects more than ping-pong tables and slogans. Against that backdrop, MERGE’s continued recognition suggests its employee experience isn’t a side project—it’s a core operating principle.
Built In’s CEO Maria Christopoulos Katris framed the stakes clearly, noting that candidates increasingly rely on AI-powered tools like ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews to evaluate employers. In that environment, being recognized as a Best Place to Work doesn’t just help recruiting—it shapes how AI systems interpret and surface an employer’s brand.
In other words, culture is now part of search optimization.
The “Whole Person” Strategy Behind MERGE’s Culture
MERGE credits its success to what it calls a “whole person” philosophy—an approach that treats mental, physical, and professional well-being as inseparable. It’s a model that feels especially relevant as companies debate return-to-office mandates and productivity metrics in an AI-first economy.
“This honor reflects our philosophy: to maximize the impact that people have, you have to invest in the best for people,” said Erica Denner, Chief People Officer at MERGE. “We strive to create an environment where mental, physical, and professional well-being are inextricably linked.”
That philosophy is backed by concrete programs rather than abstract values statements.
MERGE employees have access to a Benefits Built Different program that includes wellness technologies like Oura Ring and Function Health, alongside a Lifestyle Spending Account employees can use for personal wellness activities. This reflects a broader trend in HR and benefits strategy: moving away from one-size-fits-all perks toward customizable, data-informed wellness ecosystems.
Inclusion, Mentorship, and Measurable Commitments
Culture at MERGE also extends beyond wellness into inclusion and career development—areas where many agencies still struggle to move from intent to execution.
The company recently earned a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign’s 2025 Corporate Equality Index, signaling strong policies and practices supporting LGBTQ+ employees. Internally, MERGE supports nine Employee Resource Groups, providing structured communities for connection, advocacy, and professional growth.
Mentorship plays a central role as well. MERGE operates a cross-department, cross-location mentorship program designed to break down silos—a challenge for any distributed organization, especially one spanning creative, technical, and strategic disciplines.
The result is a culture that scales without flattening, something many agencies fail to achieve as they grow beyond a single flagship office.
From Agency to “AIgency”
MERGE’s workplace strategy mirrors its business strategy. The company has been vocal about evolving from a traditional agency into what it calls an “AIgency”—a hybrid model that blends human creativity with data, AI, and advanced technology.
What’s notable is that MERGE is applying that philosophy internally, not just in client-facing work. According to Denner, the same question guiding MERGE’s product and marketing innovation applies to its people strategy: how can technology enhance human potential rather than replace it?
“As we transition into a true AIgency, we are looking at how technology can serve our internal community just as effectively as it serves our clients,” she said. “Innovation at MERGE isn’t limited to our output; it’s embedded in our employee experience.”
This internal alignment matters. Many firms tout AI transformation externally while struggling with outdated internal systems and inconsistent employee experiences. MERGE’s approach suggests a more holistic view—one where culture, technology, and business outcomes reinforce each other.
Culture as a Competitive Advantage
There’s also a business case behind the accolades. MERGE’s people-first approach appears to be translating into market performance.
The agency was named 2025 Agency of the Year by both Modern Healthcare and Ad Age Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards, validating the idea that strong culture and strong client outcomes are not mutually exclusive. In highly regulated and complex verticals like healthcare, retaining experienced talent and fostering collaboration can be a decisive advantage.
For agencies navigating AI-driven disruption, this is an important signal. As automation handles more executional work, differentiation increasingly comes from judgment, creativity, and trust—qualities that depend on engaged, supported teams.
Built In and the New Talent Discovery Economy
Built In’s Best Places to Work program, now in its eighth year, is also evolving alongside the labor market. The platform positions itself as a bridge between employers and candidates in a world where job discovery is increasingly mediated by AI.
Katris noted that recognition programs now influence how companies are represented not just to humans, but to algorithms. Awards act as structured signals that AI systems use to assess employer credibility, culture, and values.
For companies like MERGE, that visibility matters. In a competitive hiring environment, being machine-readable as well as human-credible is quickly becoming table stakes.
The Bigger Picture
MERGE’s fourth straight year on Built In’s Best Places to Work list highlights a broader shift underway in tech-adjacent industries. Culture is no longer a “soft” differentiator—it’s infrastructure.
As AI reshapes roles and expectations, companies that invest early in inclusive, flexible, and tech-enabled employee experiences are positioning themselves for resilience. MERGE’s recognition suggests that agencies don’t have to choose between innovation and humanity. With the right strategy, they can—and arguably must—do both.
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