Envato Connect 2023: How Our Remote-First Workplace Reconnects

Last week, Envatians worldwide got together at our Melbourne HQ for Envato’s second-ever Connect Week – a company-wide event focused on connecting, learning, and having fun. While Envato’s remote-first policy means our teams have the flexibility to work from anywhere – and many of our meetings and workplace interactions occur online – Envato Connect enables Envatians to establish, build, and rekindle real-life connections with their colleagues.

“Envato Connect was back again in mid-June, welcoming employees from Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Mexico, and the US for a week of connection, team planning, and fun,” says Envato’s Senior People Experience Manager, Claire March. “The week’s highlights were learning about our company vision and values, celebrating Pride Month at our end of Connect Party, and our volunteer activity. We may be a remote-first organization, but we love connecting in real life too.”

From company presentations at the cinema (complete with popcorn) to dancing with a Drag Queen DJ at our end of Connect Party, here are the highlights from Envato Connect, June 2023. 

Complete with pizza, popcorn, and a plethora of inspiring presentations, day one of Envato Connect gave us a chance to reconnect and hear from our CEO and leadership team about Envato’s exciting trajectory for FY24, including a refreshed vision, values, and visual direction.

The event was held at Hoyts Cinema in Melbourne’s CBD, allowing us to watch the proceedings on the big screen from the comfort of our cinema seats. With many of us working from different cities, states, and even countries, building new connections and putting in face time with coworkers was a key highlight of the day. Those who weren’t in town didn’t miss out, though, as the event was broadcast live for those working from home.

Envato’s IT team introduced us to the newest member of Envato – Pixel, an AI-powered bot designed to streamline employee processes and communications. Accessed within Slack, Pixel will become Envatians’ digital personal support system to assist with FAQs, logging requests, and policy and process information provided by Envato’s service support teams (IT, People, and Finance). 

Throughout the presentation, we learned all about how Pixel was designed, the AI technology it’s powered by, and all the things it can do to speed up our processes, such as: 

After meeting Envato’s AI bot, we were treated to a presentation from Varun Singh, the President of Moveworks – a GPT-powered IT support and generative AI enterprise trained on the world’s most advanced large language models – about the incredible technology that powers Pixel. The segment concluded with a Q&A with Moveworks representative Dan Aherne-McInteer, resulting in a lively discussion about the impact and future of AI in tech. 

We rounded off the first day of Connect with drinks at our Melbourne office to celebrate the start of Connect Week, followed by intimate team dinners enabling us to bond with our coworkers while sampling the culinary delights of Melbourne. 

One of Envato Connect’s key focuses is building solid and aligned teams. Day two allowed individual teams to work face-to-face, spend quality time together, and start planning for FY24. In addition to the company connecting, many departments participated in team-building activities – such as escape rooms, arcade games, bumper cars, and fine dining experiences.  

Drawing on their creative roots, Envato’s marketing team participated in a “paint and sip” event hosted by Pinot and Picasso. With each team member recreating a painting of Japan’s Mount Fuji, the event produced vibrant, colorful results – both in conversation and on canvas.

Envato Connect Day 2 concluded with Envato’s fabulous Mid-Year Party. Held at Alto Event Space – a stylish rooftop in the heart of Melbourne CBD – the event positively sparkled, complete with roaming appetizers, flowing bubbly, and even a colorful drag queen DJ to celebrate Pride month.

Envato’s mid-year party was a chance for Envatians to let their hair down, reflect on the past week, and celebrate the future of Envato as a connected collective. 

We were still full of beans on the last day of Envato Connect, starting the day with a Friday morning coffee cart sponsored by Good Edi – an eco-friendly coffee cup company producing edible coffee cups. 

Good Edi produces edible, sustainable coffee cups from the highest quality oats and grains to reduce waste and prioritize sustainability. 100% vegan and a great source of fiber, Good Edi cups are an eco-friendly choice when opting for a single-use takeaway cup. Many Envatians stopped in for a coffee before they headed home from Melbourne HQ, leaving full of good vibes and, more importantly, caffeine.

We finished Envato Connect on a bright note, closing the week with a volunteer activity for New Day Box – a not-for-profit organization supporting women escaping domestic violence. Envatians helped craft New Day Boxes filled with skincare, cosmetics, treats, and other goodies delivered to women in need via SafeSteps. This year’s love-filled care packages included beauty essentials, a zippered New Day Box tote bag, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, body lotion, and dental kits.

While we’ve worked with SafeSteps since the inception of New Day Box in 2013, this time, we also worked with some of their partners, including Djirra – an organization that addresses and prevents family violence, supporting Aboriginal women’s well-being and journey to safety.

“Unfortunately, domestic violence is prevalent in our society,” says Envato’s People Experience Specialist Michelle Drake. “According to Mission Australia, throughout 2021-22, domestic violence was the main reason that more than 72,900 people asked for help from specialist homelessness services. 

Indigenous people were 32 times more likely to be hospitalized for family violence than non-Indigenous people. We’ve learned that one of the biggest things we can do is donate to services that help people find safety and shine a light on the issue, so we’ve continued to invest our time in New Day Box.”

And that’s a wrap! Thanks to everyone who made Envato Connect 2023 a week to remember, and stay tuned for our next Connect week in Melbourne and Mexico later in the year.