ICYMI: A Memorable Camp Thumbtack
Thumbtack has always valued connection and collaboration, and we’ve made in-person events a pillar of our virtual-first, not virtual-only working model. September’s inaugural, company-wide Camp Thumbtack — along with regular offsites and local community gatherings — are all part of our Future of Work strategy to bring Thumbtackers together on a regular basis to connect… with Thumbtack’s mission, each other, and the road ahead.
Nearly 550 North American employees from 38 different states and Canada (plus a few special attendees from the Philippines!) attended the first-ever Camp Thumbtack outside of Denver, Colorado for three fun-filled & inspiring days. It was all about forming new bonds, building lasting connections, increasing trust and collaboration, and rallying around our shared purpose. We’re excited to share a recap of event highlights that showcase all the great things that happen when we come together as a team in real life.
Our Vision — Speeches from the Senior Leadership Team
On the first night of Camp, we kicked things off with an Opening Ceremony, where our VP of People Jelena Djordjevic spoke about Thumbtack’s company culture, how we’re consistently investing in our employees, and why this matters to our teams and our business. Day 2 presentations were centered around our future — where Thumbtack’s going and how we’re going to get there. Our co-founder and CEO Marco Zappacosta shared his vision about the future of Thumbtack, including his assessment of the “founding moment” the company finds itself in. Chief Product Officer P.J. Linnarduci and Head of Product Experience Alexis Baird followed with the “how,” detailing how Marco’s vision will come to life in our product.
Real-Life Applications — Imagine What We’ll Build Together
Chief Operating Officer Jeff Grant was joined by two of our amazing Denver-based home pros, Beth Blacker from It’s Just Stuff and Kevin Eddingfield from Mighty Plumbing and Heating, for an exciting panel discussion and Q&A. Employees got to hear firsthand how these two pros have grown their businesses using Thumbtack, what their experience with the product has been like, and what they need to be even more successful in the future.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work — Tack Mates Groups and Tack Mates Tournament
To encourage building bonds outside everyone’s core departments, Thumbtackers were organized into 24 cross-functional “Tack Mates” groups. Led by employee Camp Counselors, each group was marked by a different color bandana and their own creative team names. In addition to icebreakers and social activities — including a fierce rock, paper, scissors competition — groups got to know each other over dinner on night one and enjoyed an informal lunch together on day two. But the best part was our Tackmates Tournament, where teams competed in a contest to create the best camp song. Our panel of pros cast the deciding votes and announced the three winning teams.
Going for Gold — Thumbtack’s first-ever Values Awards Show
At Thumbtack, our values are everything. They drive what we do and have helped us create an incredible workplace culture. We celebrated this core tenet in full form with our first-ever Value Awards Show honoring employees who live our values every single day and are making a huge impact at the company. The dinner-and-a-show format included recognition awards, speeches, and live entertainment by some of our co-workers. We selected five North American winners — out of nearly 500 nominations and rewarded them with some pretty incredible prizes, including a paid vacation, a budget for home improvements, and a glam night out with our Senior Leadership Team. We hope the Value Awards Ceremony (which was live streamed for employees who couldn’t attend) becomes our most amazing Camp tradition year after year.
We hope everyone left feeling inspired and invigorated about Thumbtack’s shared purpose and a clear picture of what’s ahead, with some new friends and a deep sense of camaraderie too. We’re excited to keep developing in-person events that bring our incredible team together. Next up in mid-October is Camp Thumbtack for our employees in the Philippines. Stay tuned for updates on what’s in store for the rest of the year!
We’re hiring inspired folks who want to embrace the virtual-first, not virtual-only way of working. Check out our opportunities at www.thumbtack.com/careers.
