Inside SwellSpace: Cody Riddar, Chief Architect

Inside SwellSpace: Cody Riddar, Chief Architect

Meet Cody Riddar, SwellSpace's Chief Architect and employee #1. As our first team member, Cody has been instrumental in building SwellSpace from the ground up, bringing his passion for startup environments and broad technical expertise to help shape our innovative benefits platform. Get to know the person behind the code who's helping revolutionize how employees interact with their benefits.

Tell us a little about yourself. What drew you to join the SwellSpace team?
Cody: Most importantly, I enjoy working at smaller companies and startups. I have done so my entire career. You tend to learn and acquire a broader set of skills in more areas, and then get to use those skills to make a bigger impact than if you were just a number at a large corporation. It keeps the job rewarding, and I keep growing. Both of those are important to enjoying your career.

As for SwellSpace specifically, I'll be honest: joining as employee #1 to help build the first product with a small team is about as risky as startup ventures get. But when I looked at Jessica (Jessica Brewer, CEO and Co-Founder), Greg (Greg Monn, CTO and Co-Founder), and Shawn (Shawn Jenkins, Chairman of the Board and Co-Founder), I saw decades of combined experience and proven success in this exact industry. They weren't pivoting into unknown territory; they were doubling down on their expertise. My thought process was simple: if I were an investor, I'd bet on this team, so why wouldn't I take that same chance as an employee? It was a no-brainer.

What’s your role at SwellSpace, and what does a typical day look like?
Cody: My current role is Chief Architect, which is kind of like a Sr. Software Engineer who helps with the design and/or approach to new products and features. My days are largely spent in two interconnected worlds of AI: I leverage AI tools extensively in my daily development work to build features more efficiently, while simultaneously building AI capabilities into our SwellSpace platform.

What’s something interesting you’re seeing in the HR, benefits, or software space right now?
Cody: Well, AI, of course. AI is transforming everything, and we're right in the middle of building that transformation. I experience this firsthand as both a developer and a SwellSpace user. When I first joined, finding information about my own benefits meant navigating between multiple websites, HR systems, or digging through Google Drive folders. Now I simply go to our SwellSpace platform.

But here's where it gets exciting: soon, instead of manually searching through our corporate benefits site, I'll be able to ask Benny, our AI assistant, any benefits question and get instant, accurate answers. We're not just building this technology; we're living it every day as our own customers, which gives us incredible insight into what truly works.

What’s your favorite part of working at SwellSpace?
Cody: The culture, for sure. We embrace remote work and flexibility, and we measure success not by hours in a chair but by performance. As long as I deliver on my goals, attend and contribute to meetings, and act accountably, I have the trust of my team and supervisors. This allows me to attend all of my children’s important moments, handle errands, and get in workouts while adapting work around life each day. If I’m willing to work a little later, I can put in those extra miles on my lunch run.

Plus, the teamwork is awesome. Respect and positivity are highly valued, and leaders lead by example. Everyone’s ideas are given consideration regardless of your role. 

Just for fun, what’s your favorite movie, and what do you love about it?
Cody: I’m sure my team is expecting me to name a Star Wars movie, but I’m not. It’s Goonies.

I moved around a lot as a kid, so I identify with the kids wanting to stay at the Goondocks with their close friends. Plus, my childhood self could relate to many of the colorful characters. At one time, I wanted to become an inventor (Data), and I never really hung out with the popular kids (Mikey), yet I did play a lot of sports (Brandon) and eat my fair share of ice cream (Chunk). 

Most importantly, though, I love an adventure and a good treasure hunt. My family and I have participated in a couple of the book-based ones over the last decade or so, which have taken us to fun new places and on many amazing hikes. No luck finding a hidden treasure yet, but we’ve created so many memories I don’t really care if we do.

Ready to Connect?
Want to learn more about SwellSpace's innovative approach to benefits technology, or curious about our remote-first culture? Cody and the entire SwellSpace team are always excited to connect with like-minded professionals who share our passion for transforming the employee benefits experience. Reach out to us; we'd love to hear from you and explore how we might work together to build something amazing.