191: How This COO Systematized Scale Without Losing Culture | Gwen Tormey

Gwen Tormey, Chief Operating Officer at Corestream, has helped transform the company from a scrappy startup into an award-winning employer. In this episode, host Damon Lembi and Gwen explore how to scale a business without losing sight of what matters most: people, trust, and innovation. Gwen shares the practical frameworks, leadership mindsets, and hiring philosophies that have helped her build a resilient, people-first organization—while embracing cutting-edge tools like AI.

Read the full breakdown of Gwen Tormey’s episode on Learnit.

Key Leadership Lessons from Gwen Tormey’s Journey:

• Listen deeply before you lead boldly. Gwen emphasizes that great operations start with curiosity. By listening to teams before making changes, she built trust and identified what truly needed fixing.

• “Incubate, then delegate” for sustainable growth. Rather than rushing to scale, Gwen focuses on testing processes herself—then turning them into systems others can run. This mix of hands-on leadership and smart delegation creates lasting impact.

• Innovation thrives where people feel safe. Gwen believes that process optimization and AI adoption don’t replace people—they empower them. From hackathons to culture councils, she creates spaces where experimentation is encouraged and psychological safety is a top priority.

Connect with Gwen Tormey:

• Website: www.corestream.com

• LinkedIn: Gwen Tormey

Gwen’s leadership insights have been featured across startup communities, and she’s a go-to mentor for founders seeking the balance between business model rigor and human-centered design.

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