Plaid added a charitable twist to the second day of its San Francisco offsite with a Build-A-Bike® team building event at the LUMA Hotel. Sixty-five employees stepped away from the meeting agenda and into a fast-moving challenge that combined teamwork, creativity, and a little healthy competition. Throughout the event, teams worked together to solve challenges, earn bike parts, and complete ten bicycles for children in the local community. The activity gave everyone a chance to connect in a different setting while making a meaningful contribution close to home.
Plaid is a data network that powers financial tools used by millions of people. The company helps consumers connect their financial accounts tothe apps and services they use every day. Plaid works with thousands of companies, including Venmo, SoFi, Betterment, many Fortune 500 organizations, and some of the largest banks in North America and Europe. Founded in 2013 by Zach Perret and William Hockey, Plaid is headquartered in San Francisco and connects more than 12,000 financial institutions across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Europe.
Plaid Team Members Mix Competition and Community Impact at Build-A-Bike® Event in San Francisco
By the second day of an offsite, many groups are ready for a change of pace. That’s exactly what happened when the Plaid team traded conference sessions for a hands-on challenge. Once the event began, the room quickly filled with conversation, strategy, and friendly rivalry. Teams huddled together to solve clues, complete activities, and figure out the fastest path to earning the bike parts they needed.
The atmosphere felt energetic without becoming overly serious. Some teams focused on speed, while others relied on creative problem-solving and teamwork. Along the way, participants celebrated small wins, shared plenty of laughs, and found new ways to connect with coworkers outside of their normal work responsibilities. The activity gave people a chance to work with different colleagues and create shared memories that extended beyond the offsite itself.
As the final bicycles came together, the focus shifted from competition to community impact. The ten completed bikes were donated to Safe & Sound, located just a few minutes from the event venue. The day ran so smoothly that the group finished ahead of schedule, allowing Chris Miller from the organization to arrive early and personally accept the donation. Seeing the completed bicycles lined up and ready for delivery gave participants a tangible reminder of what they had accomplished together. Those bikes will help support children and families served by Safe & Sound while creating opportunities for recreation, independence, and fun.
We give a big thank you to Plaid for supporting local children and families through this Build-A-Bike® event. We’d also like to thank Safe & Sound for the important work they do to strengthen families and support the San Francisco community.