Vertex Engineering recently kicked off their new hire event with a Build-A-Bike® charity team building activity in Oxon Hill, Maryland. The event took place at MGM National Harbor and brought together sixty-five employees for an interactive kickoff designed to help coworkers connect right away. Instead of a traditional onboarding session filled with introductions and presentations, the group jumped into a fast-moving team challenge that mixed collaboration, competition, and community impact. By the end of the program, participants had assembled bicycles that would benefit children and families through The Y of Maryland.
The Vertex Companies, LLC is a global consulting firm that provides strategic advisory, project management, and dispute resolution services for organizations facing complex challenges. The company combines multidisciplinary expertise with a fast-moving, results-driven approach that helps businesses navigate risk and achieve measurable outcomes. Vertex also embraces what it calls the “POWER OF AND,” blending urgency with quality, boutique expertise with multidisciplined solutions, and customer focus with strong colleague relationships. The organization values both industry expertise and continuous learning while remaining deeply committed to clients, coworkers, and communities.
Vertex Engineering Build-A-Bike® Breaks the Ice at New Hire Team Event in Oxon Hill, Maryland
From the moment the activity started, the room felt more like a game show than a corporate meeting. Teams quickly spread out, tackled challenges, and raced to collect the bike parts needed for their builds. Since many employees were meeting for the first time, the event gave people an easy way to start conversations without the awkwardness that sometimes comes with new hire events. Some groups focused on strategy while others leaned into pure speed, but every team stayed fully engaged throughout the activity.
The event naturally pulled people together as the competition continued. Coworkers who started the afternoon as complete strangers were suddenly solving problems side by side, cheering each other on, and celebrating every completed section of the bikes. The atmosphere stayed upbeat and relaxed while still giving participants opportunities to practice communication and teamwork under pressure. The format worked especially well for a group made up of employees from different backgrounds and experiences.
The final donation presentation brought the event full circle. Erica and another representative from The Y of Maryland arrived early and spent time connecting with participants before accepting the completed bicycles. Their presentation helped the group better understand how the donated bikes will support children and families throughout the local community. The bicycles will provide recreation, transportation, and memorable experiences for kids who otherwise may not have access to them. Seeing the finished bikes lined up and ready for donation gave the entire group a shared sense of accomplishment to close the event.
We give a big thank you to Vertex Engineering for supporting children and families through this Build-A-Bike® event. We’d also like to thank The Y of Maryland for the incredible work they continue to do throughout the community.