Q: What has been an effective team-building experience for your company?
Andrea Aker
CEO
Aker Ink PR & Marketing
Sector: Marketing
We host a quarterly volunteer event for the entire team. Not only do we consider it a responsibility to give back to the community, but we always find these efforts strengthen our personal bonds and teamwork capabilities. This is especially important because we operate in a primarily remote environment, and most in-person activities are centered on client service and the execution of PR and marketing campaigns. During these volunteer events, we are taken away from our computers and inboxes, and provided keen reminders about the social, environmental and community issues impacting our neighbors.
Recent volunteer days with EmpoweRanch, Arizona Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Clean Up Papago and Treasure House enabled individuals to connect on a deeper level. We can break down siloes among departments and foster connections with fellow colleagues with whom we don’t interact on a daily basis. When the team is connected and bonded, we are more likely to support one another as challenges arise — and we are better equipped to resolve those challenges with grace, compassion and tact.
Andrea Aker is CEO of Aker Ink PR & Marketing, a full-service agency that helps companies increase awareness, thought leadership, leads and sales. She is an expert communicator and business strategist with a reputation for tenacity, perseverance and honesty. She’s willing to take on complex situations and thrives on new challenges. Under her leadership, Aker Ink is consistently honored as a top agency statewide.
Maria Dillon
VP of Operations
Phoenix division of Agital
Sector: Marketing
As an agency, we are continually doing volunteer activities, but one of the most rewarding team-building experiences we participated in recently was an arts workshop at the Walter Hive in Scottsdale. By providing the team an opportunity to get offsite together as a group and then be given different activities to not only bond as a team but self-express through art was really refreshing.
Going in, I think some team members were reluctant as not everyone is an “artist” in the true sense of the word, but during the workshop team members personalities and feelings were really manifested in their art. Coming out of the experience, you could see a few people who may have been more reserved now exhibiting more confidence in their creativity and talent, which is important when it comes to working for a marketing agency. And the atmosphere of freedom that the Walter Hive staff creates matches their mission to provide opportunities for creative expression for all ages and experience levels, without fear of judgment.
Maria Dillon is the VP of Operations for the Phoenix division of Agital, a full-service marketing, communications and creative agency with divisions across the nation. She is responsible for all talent operations efforts for the division, the culture program, training and education and talent development.
Jim Gmelich
Culture Champion
CHASSE Building Team
Sector: Construction
As a team, we wanted to do more to support the physical and mental health of our employees. Rather than a one-off team building event, we launched CHASSEing Healthy in 2022 to provide a series of regular programs that are fun but also promote physical and mental well-being. Everything we do is meant to provide our teammates with a better understanding of and access to healthy nutrition and food options, movement and exercise activities, and mindfulness and behavioral health practices.
The program’s success is built on buy-in. Leadership does not create these programs in a silo. Each pillar is led by teammates who have shown a passion for that vertical. Together with fellow advocates, these committees develop resources, host events and push innovative health and wellness challenges to their teammates through formal and informal means.
In the years since, we have created a wheel of challenges, hosted paddleboarding and yoga retreats, taken on mountain and hiking trails together, hiked the Grand Canyon rim to rim, and more. It has been so well received, we’ve incorporated our experiences and successes into an even more proactive Employee Assistance Program and welcomed industry partners to join us as well.
Jim Gmelich is culture champion at CHASSE Building Team, an employee-owned and proudly local general contractor with more than $500 million in Arizona projects annually. A former client and both a former education and nonprofit leader, Gmelich directs talent acquisition, professional and leadership development and career progression while cultivating, promoting and celebrating CHASSE’s extraordinary culture.
Linh La
Co-Owner
Loving Hut
Sector: Restaurants
One of the most effective team-building experiences we’ve had revolves around our core values of gratitude, community and purpose. A standout example is our Gratitude Gatherings. These annual events began as internal celebrations with food, games and heartfelt gratitude circles where team members shared personal and professional goals. This year, we expanded it to the public, and the overwhelming response strengthened our bond as a team and with the community. The positivity from these events fosters a deeper sense of love and thankfulness, creating a more united team.
Our collaboration with local businesses, such as hosting indoor pop-ups with Aloha Menu and Positively Frosted, also brings our team closer while supporting the community. Additionally, volunteering at Better Piggies Rescue reinforces our shared commitment to compassion, giving each member a fresh perspective.
Through programs like Pay-it-Forward, where we prepare meals for homeless guests, and events where proceeds benefit nonprofits, our team works with a collective sense of purpose. These experiences consistently enhance team morale, empathy and dedication, helping us all move forward together.
Linh La, co-owner of Loving Hut’s three Arizona locations, has proudly served the community for more than 15 years. With her team, she offers 100% vegan international cuisine, from burgers and sushi to pastas and desserts — all at affordable prices. Committed to compassion, sustainability and animal welfare, Linh La creates a welcoming dining experience.
Michelle M. Moore
Founder
Mother’s Grace
Sector: Nonprofit
An effective team-building experience for our company has been our annual year-end dinner and preparation for the “12 Days of Christmas” initiative. This year, our goal was to partner with 12 local businesses for shopping days to “give back” to the community. We hosted happy hour-themed events at each location, dressed in festive volunteer shirts and invited friends to join us for a meaningful cause.
The events combined fun and purpose: We enjoyed happy hours together and shopped for gifts to support our family Christmas program, benefiting families in need. The initiative culminated in a year-end dinner at Steak 44, a charitable restaurant company, where we reflected on our efforts and shared stories about the families we were able to help.
This experience not only strengthened our team’s camaraderie but also reminded us of the joy and impact of working toward a common goal. It brought a sense of unity, purpose and holiday spirit that carried us into the new year with renewed energy and connection.
Michelle M. Moore, senior vice president of LabCorp California, is a philanthropic leader and founder of Mother’s Grace, a $1M+ charity aiding more than 1,000 moms and children annually. Serving as president of the board, she has been recognized nationally with the coveted HON Kachina award and regionally awarded the MASK award (moms making a difference award) in Arizona. Moore is also a mentor to 501(c)(3) startups.
