OKTA FOR GOOD: PURSUING INNOVATION AND IMPACT IN CORPORATE

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Executive Summary

Okta, a leader in identity and access management (IAM) software based in San

Francisco, CA, has developed a unique and ambitious model for Corporate Social Responsibility

(CSR). Okta’s board of directors is highly committed with generating an impact on

society because they consider that nowadays people value these practices, especially when

making decisions about where to work, what to buy, and where to invest. That is why they

decided to implement Okta for Good, it is an initiative that executes the Pledge 1%

commitment, it is intended to show its compromise with the society by giving 1% of their

profit, product, and people to support programs designed to generate a social impact. The

main concerns that the B o a r d o f D i r e c t o r s h a v e a b o u t i m p l e m e n t i n g o f O k t a f o r

G o o d a r e r e l a t e d w i t h t h e sustainability of the program despite the business cycle of

the economy, the direction that Okta for Good must take to be able to adapt to its core

business as the company matures, and the unique value that Okta for Good will add to society.

Problem Statement

How to sustain its social impact during economic downturns?

SWOT Analysis

Strengths:

1. Accelerating Tech for Good

2. Expanding Economic Opportunity
3. Supporting Our Local Communities Empowering Employees to be Change makers

Weaknesses:

1. Price variability

Opportunities:

1. Globalization
2. Emerging markets
3. Better product experience
4. Going green/Eco-friendly

Threats:

1. Stiff Competition

Strategic Alternatives

In many cases, digital transformation starts with migrating on-premises applications to the

cloud. As technology leaders review their app portfolios, determine how to address myriad

demands, and work to reduce capital expenses (CapEx) along the way, there is no one-size-fits-

all approach. The best cloud strategy for each app depends on your business’ IT budget, timing,

and the individual app’s criticality. For workforce apps, this is driven by how well they support

remote, dynamic, and mobile work requirements with security that works everywhere (and not

only in the office network perimeter). With customer applications, most cloud migrations are
motivated by the need to deploy and scale personalized, relevant, cohesive omni-channel

experiences that help grow and retain revenue.

Analysis and Conclusion

These best practices developed from 10 years of working with forward-thinking security

leaders, our customers will not only improve their security posture to defend against today’s

threats, but be positioned to continually adapt in the face of a dynamic threat landscape with

agility and ease.

Recommendation to Management

Okta’s founders wanted to build a sustainable model for their new CSR program. They

observed that some Silicon Valley companies had “more sizzle than steak” in their social impact

programs. Instead, they built their model to last by writing CSR into Okta’s IPO registration

documents, hiring an experienced leader who could align social impact activities with the

company’s core business, and securing support from the Board of Directors. On the other hand,

our ability to do good is directly related to the health of our business.