About Us | Barley

Our Story

The future of work will be shaped by better compensation practices. People want to work at companies that are investing in competitive rewards, increasing transparency, and closing pay gaps.

And Barley is on the cutting edge of this movement.

The Platform

Barley’s platform gives forward-thinking businesses the tools to make smart, consistent, and fair pay decisions and create an incredibly rewarding workplace.

The Founders

Co-founders Jafar Owainati and Billy Mainguy were drawn to the complex challenge of compensation by a shared passion for solving problems that impact people and their livelihoods every single day. They bring deep experience founding and scaling successful tech companies: Loopio and Reelhouse.

The Team

Barley is powered by a close-knit, talented, and ambitious team. We are passionate about shaping the culture, technology, and product that defines Barley - and pushing forward the mission of more rational and equitable pay for all.

The Name

Grains of barley were one of the first forms of currency in the world. If you worked in ancient Mesopotamia, getting paid with barley would ensure you were compensated fairly for your work - and that's a principle we carry forward today!