When Alison Milioto and Toni Runci started their HR consulting company, BlueLion, in 2018, their five-year plan anticipated it would be just the two of them. But demand for their services quickly ramped up during the pandemic and the firm now has 16 employees with more than 190 years of combined experience.
COVID forced businesses to focus more on their employees and many struggled with suddenly managing a remote workforce or, for those essential companies that needed workers onsite, to keep them safe. “We offered free services to help small business,” Runci says.
That may sound like a risky strategy for a fledgling firm, but the duo wanted to support businesses during a frightening time. “I’m a strong believer in what goes around comes around,” Milioto says. “If everyone was a little bit kinder [the world] would be a fantastic place.”
The strategy worked. The the referrals began rolling in and the company grew. And the partners plan to keep growing. “Our goal by 2030 is to be the largest HR consulting company in New England,” Milioto says.
Milioto and Runci decided from the beginning that they wanted to be a firm that shares its success. BlueLion donates 1% of annual profits, time, and services to the community. Every team member has paid time off to volunteer and many serve on boards of directors for nonprofits.
Milioto donates her time as a consultant to the Hannah Grimes Center and serves on the board for Make-A-Wish NH for which BlueLion has raised more than $121,000. The partners are also members of 100 Women Who Care Southern NH, which brings women together to donate to philanthropic causes quarterly.
BlueLion adopts a charity to support annually during the holidays, which has included Hope for NH Recovery Center, The Front Door Agency, and, in 2023, Harbor Care, where the firm helped 15 homeless women and their children celebrate Christmas by stuffing stockings, purchasing presents and providing two free hair salon treatments to each woman.
BlueLion offers one hour of free HR support to a nonprofit each month and Milioto also runs a women’s entrepreneur group that helps women who are solopreneurs or in partnerships.
“Alison Milioto and Toni Runci are representative of a newer generation of business owners that are women, believe in the power of community, building organically and helping others to grow and prosper,” says Chuck Nuskey, board chair of the Greater Derry Londonderry Chamber of Commerce.
Current Issue - June 2024