From people to the planet: explore our strides in social and environmental impact in 2023
🌟 Read Our Impact Report 🌟
Our team loves a friendly competition. And when we kicked off our annual sustainability challenge four years ago, that’s exactly how it started. Two teams of trash-talking colleagues went head-to-head, earning points for everyday green actions like bypassing plastic bottles, composting food scraps, and taking 4-minute showers. The stakes? Bragging rights for an entire year—and a gift card to a local eco-friendly business. But what seemed like a simple little contest initially sparked nothing short of a full-blown green revolution in our office.
That’s because meticulously tracking single-use plastic consumption or local farmer’s market visits was like ripping off a blindfold. Suddenly, we could see the impact of our daily decisions, and once that screen of blissful ignorance was removed, there was no going back. The month-long event left us hungry for more when August arrived. So we got scrappy. We started incorporating sustainable practices into everything we did. Composting bins for food waste? You got it.
Meeting up at Rochester’s iconic Public Market, a massive green market right next to our office, instead of corporate coffee chains? Why the heck not! Before we knew it, being green had seamlessly woven itself into our everyday rituals and routines.
These days, environmental stewardship is simply hard-wired into our company DNA. Whether we’re sourcing catering from plant-based local businesses for company events or bonding over mouth-watering veggie dishes at team potlucks (sharing recipes is highly encouraged!), sustainability guides our decisions.
Our commitment to sustainability extends far beyond the office walls. Our virtual “buy nothing” group lets employees pass along gently used items to others in our community instead of trashing them. We also regularly host clothing exchanges, creating a fun environment for colleagues to swap wardrobes. Not only does it keep clothes out of landfills, but it’s a total blast bonding with colleagues over new-to-us pieces.
Even our employee thank-you gifts reflect our shared values, often a gift card to a local business we think they will love. For example, when we wanted to recognize our rock star teammate recently, we hooked her up with a gift card to her favorite local plant nursery.
This year, we took it to the next level and gave Helen + Gertrude swag for our rebrand the eco-friendly treatment. We decked ourselves out in branded merch that reflects our shared values—from lilac-colored reusable totes (a subtle nod to our city’s legendary Lilac Festival) to slick notebooks we can’t get enough of for unplugged meetings and IRL brainstorms.
As we see it, being a sustainable business isn’t just something we reserve for special committees; it’s who we are. We’re proud to be that “green voice” unafraid to speak up and have honest conversations about making this planet better. And it resonates. Like-minded clients who share our environmental passion are naturally drawn to our vibe.
$2,575: The number of matched employee donations to BIPOC, LGBTQ+, animal, and women-centric non-profits
738: High-five messages of praise and admiration
155: Volunteer hours and in-kind marketing services for Pencils and Paper, United Day of Caring, Edison Career and Technology High School, Grupo Cultural Latinos En Rochester, Ibero-American Action League, and Walking for Rochester
32: Birthdays celebrated
Tip 1: Build equity
Have open and non-judgmental dialogues to uncover and address systemic prejudices or blind spots.
Tip 2: Celebrate each other
Validate contributions from others and express gratitude.
Tip 3: Get to know one another beyond the tactical
We love the DISC assessment as well as coffee or lunch 1:1s to get to know each other better.
Tip 4: Make space
Consciously pause, ask for other perspectives, and actively listen.
Tip 5: Admit mistakes
Being vulnerable is key to building strong relationships and shows you’re human.
Ultimately, our proposition goes way beyond great creative work (though we’ve got that covered, too!). It’s about joining forces with partners that truly and holistically care about the future of this Earth we call Home.
