Adriana Basulto Cisneros. Photo by Marco Flores
By: Christina Fernández-Morrow
When Adriana Cisneros Basulto’s startup, Maxwell, won first place at a national pitch competition, she showed that Nebraska tech entrepreneurs can compete on any stage. But her path to that win began in an unlikely place: a human resources role she was reluctant to embrace. Little did she know it would spark an idea that helps businesses nurture their most important asset: their people.
Startup Inspiration from HR Insights
During her years in human resources management, Cisneros Basulto saw both the potential and the pitfalls of employee benefits.
“I saw how powerful it can be when an employer provides what employees need, and how that makes them more productive and loyal, creating a more effective workplace,” she says.
But she also learned firsthand how difficult it is to meet diverse workforce needs.
Simplifying Employee Benefits with Maxwell
Her solution? Maxwell: a software platform and app that simplifies benefits administration and boosts morale with instant rewards and personalized work-life solutions, putting benefits and rewards at employees’ fingertips. It addresses a critical gap in how companies support their people.
Maxwell helps companies deliver custom employee benefits and rewards. It serves as a marketplace of pre-vetted vendors and functions as a debit card. It removes barriers, allowing employers to meet needs they may not realize exist among their employees. The app offers 24-hour services to employees across industries, markets and other dimensions of diversity.
“Maxwell is a play on words,” Cisneros Basulto explains. It nods to maximizing ROI on people, recognizing employee well-being holistically while using a short, gender-neutral name for its AI assistant.
But building the company required more than a clever name and a good idea.
While the vision came from Cisneros Basulto, she knew it would take more than one person to reach its full potential.
“I’m a big believer that when you have different backgrounds, experiences, and skill sets, you’re that much stronger,” she says.
That’s why she brought on co-founder Stephen Enke to help elevate her vision. He reached out to her on LinkedIn after hearing her speak at a virtual event for startups and innovators.
Partnership and Techstars Accelerator Success
The partnership paid off quickly. Together, they pitched Maxwell to Techstars in 2023 and became only the third Nebraska company selected. Techstars is a global network of startup founders, funders, mentors, and corporate partners that supports early-stage entrepreneurs, with an acceptance rate of only 1% to 2%. The program not only heightened Maxwell’s visibility among tech leaders but also provided an intensive 13-week curriculum that helped the company hone its vision and create clear pathways to its potential.
Techstars set the stage for bigger wins. Two months after the program, Maxwell won first place in the SHRMLabs Better Workplaces Challenge Cup, a Society for Human Resource Management pitch competition for workplace-tech startups.
From Family Lessons to Workplace Innovation
For Cisneros Basulto, the win validated insights rooted in personal experience. Raised in a family of health care workers in Mexico, she understood the sacrifices workers often make. As a working mother, she recognizes the importance of balance and believes a company’s commitment to employee well-being is key to a fulfilling work life.
She learned this through years of addressing diverse employee needs, finding that employees across generations and backgrounds crave flexibility and feel undervalued when work-life balance is out of reach.
Through Maxwell, she provides employers with a solution that meets people where they are and addresses unique needs, from big purchases to daily essentials, such as gas and groceries. She believes companies that prioritize workforce well-being ultimately retain top talent and build more positive workplaces.
Diverse Leadership Reshapes Nebraska Tech
Cisneros Basulto’s success is more than another startup story. With insight from personal and professional experience, and a willingness to embrace tech-forward solutions, she’s helping reshape Nebraska’s startup landscape.
“I feel proud as a woman, immigrant, and Latina,” she said after winning one of several awards for innovation and entrepreneurial leadership.
Her journey from reluctant HR professional to award-winning tech entrepreneur shows that the best solutions often come from understanding problems firsthand. As Maxwell grows, Cisneros Basulto shows how diverse perspectives can reshape entire industries.
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