2021 has brought many different challenges and opportunities for each of us. One challenge that many of us have felt as we’ve settled in to a new way of working and living is how to stay connected with others, especially in the workplace. As we at Veson have remained remote for another year, while continuing to expand our global team to 200+ members, connection has been a particularly important focus this year.
From hosted cultural events where we elevate and learn from diverse experiences, to happy hours and socials where we unwind and get creative, this year has been about exploring more avenues to help create strong, inclusive social networks at work.
Let’s take a look back at some highlights of how our global Veson team has stayed connected in 2021:
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The mission of our DE&I programs is to help support every Veson team member so they can show up each day without fear of being their true selves. Through these programs, we aspire to recognize and celebrate the differences among the talented individuals that make up our global team and create space to share ideas and discussions around real life topics happening in the world today. Here are a few of the exciting topics and insightful guest speakers that we have featured in our DE&I initiatives this year:
We celebrated International Women’s Day (IWD) this year by hearing from guest speaker Maude Okrah, Co-Founder & CEO of Bonnti, a beauty technology company focused on women of color. Maude shared a bit about her experience as a woman navigating the corporate world and how she embodies this year’s IWD theme of #ChooseToChallenge.
We also celebrated the talented Women of Veson Nautical and how they #ChoosetoChallenge in their daily lives.
Our lovely LGBTQ+ Pride Month committee put on a number of great events this year, including an engaging discussion with our Pride Month speaker Dr. Van Bailey on how to drive true diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. We wrapped up our #pridemonth2021 celebrations with tie-dying events across our global offices.
Giving Back
Every year, all of our Veson team members have the ability to take a day of service for a cause of their choosing. This year, we also offered group service opportunities for employees to pay it forward together:
In September, members of our London team gave a helping hand to Sal’s Shoes, a charity who’s mission is to give pre-worn shoes a second life by donating them to those who need it most. We helped prepare shoes and holiday presents to be sent out around the world.
In October, members of the Boston office took the day to give some much needed TLC to Mother Earth with a beach clean up at Malibu Beach in Dorchester, MA. Some neighborhood residents were kind enough to stop and thank us for keeping the beach clean, and we walked away thinking about how we might find some small ways to cut out single use plastics and other waste in our own lives.
Just For Fun
And last but not least, some good old fashion fun. We were fortunate to have a few opportunities to gather in person this year. And as for our virtual events, we got pretty creative! Here are a few highlights:
London team members rolled their sleeves up to roll some fresh sushi during a virtual sushi making event hosted by Japanese chef and author Yuki Gomi with Yuki’s Kitchen!
Take us out to the ball game! The Boston office celebrated our first in person gathering in true Bostonian fashion with a trip to Fenway park for a Red Sox game.
Members of the London office were finally able to get together in person this summer for a day of canopy climbing and zip lining at Battersea Park!
Our APAC team enjoyed an evening of team bonding, creativity, and culture by exploring the ancient art form of Henna and designing their very own Henna art.
We are so grateful for this growing Veson family, and we can’t wait for more learnings and adventures in 2022.
Veson Nautical
