Building Culture in a Remote, Mission-Driven Organisation: Lessons from American College of Education

What does it take to build a thriving culture when you’re scaling fast, working fully remote and driven by a mission bigger than yourself?

In a recent episode of Culture in Action, Luke Fisher, CEO of Mo, sat down with Dan Kessler, President of Energage, and KK Byland, Chief Human Resources Officer at American College of Education (ACE).

ACE is a trailblazing institution delivering affordable, accessible, and high-quality higher education across the US. With over 40 states represented in its workforce and more than 86% of its students graduating debt-free, ACE is proof that you can build a mission-led organisation without compromising on culture.

At the heart of that success is KK’s remarkable journey. Over ten years, she’s scaled the HR function from a one-woman department into a culture-driving powerhouse. Along the way, ACE has learned powerful lessons about embedding values, designing connection in a remote-first environment, and ensuring culture shows up in everyday moments, not just company statements.

Starting from Scratch: HR as a People Function

When KK joined ACE, she was the sole HR professional. The function was being outsourced and HR was viewed as transactional. From the start, she wanted to change that perception.

Her early focus wasn’t just on sorting files and building processes. It was on getting to know people. She learned their names, their families, even their pets. She made it clear HR wasn’t here just to enforce policies – it was here to serve people.

That human approach quickly became the foundation for trust and set the stage for a culture that put people at the centre.

Culture Through Inflection Points

Every organisation faces moments that reshape how work gets done. For ACE, two major inflection points stand out:

• Scaling HR beyond a team of one
  KK hired an intern in 2016 to help ease the admin load. That intern is still with ACE today, having grown into multiple roles. It marked the moment HR could shift from firefighting to strategy.
• Going fully remote
  With employees across 40 states, proximity was no longer a given. ACE had to ask: how do we make people feel connected when we’re not in the same room?

For ACE, the answer lay in clarity. Every major decision came back to two questions:

1. Are we staying true to our values and culture?
2. Are we delivering on our mission to serve students?

That clarity has acted as a compass through rapid growth and transformation.

Designing Connection in a Remote Workforce

Remote work risks isolation. ACE tackled this by being intentional about connection.

• Onboarding with purpose: New hires join quarterly mixers with executives, creating early visibility and belonging.
• Mentorship at scale: A formal mentoring programme pairs employees with leaders, helping people grow and feel supported.
• Playfulness and celebration: From March Madness tournaments to holiday parties, ACE uses fun rituals to keep the human side alive.
• Recognition built into flow: Employees can send kudos in the HRIS, while the annual “ACElebrity” awards celebrate those going above and beyond.

The result is a culture that blends consistency with personalisation. Employees can engage in ways that suit them, but always feel seen and valued.

Recognition and Ownership

ACE has been recognised nationally as a Top Workplace for several years running. But for KK, the real value of that recognition is what it represents internally.

• Retention rates: Regrettable turnover sits at just 2.7% – far lower than industry norms.
• Values alignment: 92% of employees agree ACE operates with strong values.
• Pride in work: 92% of employees are proud to work at ACE and say their work is meaningful.

This sense of shared ownership has helped ACE sustain culture not just as an HR initiative, but as a collective effort.

Mission as a Cultural Engine

ACE’s mission is simple but powerful: to provide affordable, accessible higher education for those who serve others – teachers, nurses, and leaders.

• 86% of students graduate debt-free
• Tuition hasn’t increased since 2016
• For every $1 invested, students see a $19 return

Employees connect deeply to that mission, which in turn fuels engagement and commitment.

One of the most moving cultural moments of the year is commencement. Watching students cross the stage – many as first-generation graduates – reminds employees exactly why their work matters.

What HR Leaders Can Learn from ACE

ACE’s story offers practical lessons for any HR or culture leader navigating growth, remote transformation, or purpose-led change.

• Start human: Don’t just build processes; build relationships.
• Anchor decisions in values and mission: Use them as a compass when things get complex.
• Design for connection in remote environments: Mix formal programmes with playful rituals.
• Make recognition everyday: Ensure people feel seen in big and small moments.
• Shift ownership of culture: HR facilitates, but every employee is a steward.
• Let mission drive meaning: When people believe in the ‘why’, performance follows.

Final Thought

Culture isn’t built by policies or perks. It’s built by people who feel connected to each other and to a shared mission. ACE’s journey shows that even in a fully remote, fast-growing environment, culture can thrive if it’s nurtured with intention.

As KK puts it: