What happens when you bring more than 200 ‘Stackers together in Florida for a week?
A whole lot of laughing, dancing, and bonding.
After a very long two years, the Formstack team finally got back together in person for our annual all-hands meeting in April of 2022. Converge is our once-a-year event meant to give employees an opportunity to connect, discuss our product roadmap, and align on our vision.
Why is this important? Because as a remote-first company, Formstack has more than 300 employees who live and work across the world!
This year’s Converge was all about getting to know each other better, learning how to unleash our creativity, and discovering new opportunities for helping our customers be practically genius in their everyday work.
From April 25 through 28, Formstack employees from 12 different countries enjoyed staying at the Loews Royal Pacific Resort. Here’s a quick look at how the week went:
Fun fact: Formstack has been remote-first for more than a decade, which means our employees know a thing or two about virtual team building activities.
Opening Night Fun
Employees were given some time to unwind, relax, and unpack Monday before jumping into the festivities. But once the clock struck 3:00 p.m., the event officially began with a welcome reception.
“Due to Covid, Converge had been canceled previously, but after two amazing years at Formstack, waiting in anticipation, it finally happened. And it was all I hoped for and more,” said Sue Lynn Withrow, Scrum Master. “It was brilliant meeting all my co-workers in real life, so many hugs, conversations, and laughs. I appreciate that our company values team bonding and arranges such special trips like this for us.”
There were hugs.
There were games.
There were even t-shirts screen-printed on site!
After the welcome reception, ‘Stackers enjoyed a delicious meal together as some of our senior leaders set the stage for the week ahead. Following the presentations and dinner, employees had the opportunity to grab a drink and sit around a fire pit to catch up with coworkers before heading in for the night.
“After only four weeks on the job, I'm so glad that I met my team and others in person,” said Lukas Buller, Partner Enablement Manager. “While being fully remote is by far the best thing to happen to my family and me, I still need occasional face-to-face interaction to get energized about our work. Plus, we get to have a bit of fun.”
Curious about what it’s like to work at Formstack? Read these stories to find out.
Becoming a 'Stacker: Lukas's Story
Working at Formstack: Shakil’s Story
Day Two: It’s All About Teams!
Tuesday began with an all-team meeting full of information about our product, people, and future. To get us kicked off, SVP of Brand and Communications Ryan Greives hosted a panel Q&A with our executive leadership.
The panel opened with each leader telling us about their past experiences, current role, and vision for the future. But then we got to the good stuff, like what they like to do outside of work and what super power they wish they had.
Formstack’s Senior Leadership in the photo above includes:
- Tammy Polk, Chief Human Resources Officer
- Rich Smith, Chief Financial Officer
- Liza Smyth, SVP, Customer Experience
- Kristine Camron, SVP & General Counsel
- Richard Yu, Chief Product Officer
- Chris Byers, CEO
Our Chief Operating Officer Rob Lawrence unfortunately had to miss the panel discussion, but we were lucky enough to hear from him later on.
After the leadership panel, VP of Product Aaron White gave some product updates, which led up to a presentation by Lauren Wade, Manager of Product Marketing and Ennis Al-Asaaed, Group Product Manager. We then got to hear from our Sales team about how our products are used to create innovative workflows across a variety of organizations.
The all-team presentations concluded with a panel conversation hosted by our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Council (DEIB). Council President and CX Enablement Specialist Alyssa Truszkowski led a thoughtful, open, and impactful discussion with Business Development Manager Abigail Stearns, Account Executive Emerson Demaree, Salesforce Growth Manager Shakil Kamran, and CX Support Manager Ugo Okolo. This was the favorite presentation of many ‘Stackers.
Once the presentations were over, teams enjoyed an afternoon of fun activities. Each department headed out together to enjoy hours of bonding, laughing, and even some lighthearted competition. Here’s a look at what a few of the teams did for their activity time:
Marketing headed out to Epcot to enjoy the flavors of the world along with some fun rides.
Sales held their own Olympics, with some dressing up in headbands for the occasion.
The Partner team managed to beat the clock at an escape room.
Did you know? Instagram is a great place to see Formstack’s culture play out. From how employees use their half-day Fridays to pics of ‘Stacker’s pets, it’s a great way to get a feel of our culture in a simple snapshot.
Day Three: Choose Your Own Adventure
The final day of Converge was all about fun. Employees got to choose their activity of the day, which included golf, Universal Studios, or a chill day at the hotel.
After returning from their chosen adventure, everyone had time to decompress and get ready for an authentic Luau. Before heading into dinner, employees had the opportunity to grab a free headshot and team photos, which our BDR and SDR teams took full advantage of.
The evening included Hula dancers, a photo booth, authentic Hawaiian music, delicious food, and a celebration of employee Stackiversaries. We honored ‘Stackers who celebrated, one, three, five, and even 10+ year work anniversaries!
There’s Nothing Like Time Together
It’s safe to say that Formstack employees were incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to meet up in person for a week. The time spent together solidified our bonds as coworkers, team members, and even friends.
We think Talent Acquisition Specialist Ellyana Maynard wrapped it up best by saying, “as if I didn’t love Formstack enough already, last week truly showed me even more how many wonderful, kind, fun, and brilliant individuals make up this organization I so proudly call my work home.
The laughs we shared, the hugs we exchanged, the conversations we all had… I’ll cherish forever!”
Do you want to attend Converge 2023? See all of our open roles here to start your journey to becoming a ‘Stacker now.
