Modularis recently hosted its biggest company retreat to date, bringing everyone (and we mean everyone) together in Colombia for three days of food, music, sports, dance, family fun, and team building.
But it wasn’t just a great party!
Holding these kinds of in-person gatherings is smart business. Our family-like atmosphere and above-and-beyond innovation shine for one reason — our people. And when it comes to “our people,” that includes our team members’ families.
It was a celebration for the books, and we wanted to share a few highlights with you to get an even better understanding of how our team rolls. For us, it was definitely a powerful reminder of how our amazing team and our supportive company culture create value for our clients.
Modularis Company Culture: Family First
At Modularis, we try every day to create and maintain a company culture that truly cares about people, supports people, and is family-oriented. We help employees create financial security for their families while receiving generous employee benefits and working in a collaborative, family-focused company.
Our Modularis company retreat was conceived as a big “thank you” to the families of our team. Modularis family members of all ages, from babies to grand parents, gathered with us to celebrate and get to know each other.
At Modularis, our software engineers work hard every day, and sometimes they need to tackle urgent client issues on short notice.
As anyone in the software development field knows, sometimes this industry requires personal sacrifice and time away from home. We wanted to use this opportunity to thank our families for supporting their loved ones, so we can do what it takes to be there for our clients when they need us most.
Modularis “Walks the Walk” to Celebrate Diversity
Lots of companies say all the right things about supporting diversity. But at Modularis, we don’t just “talk the talk” on diversity, we “walk the walk.” We’ve built a company culture that includes talent from a wide range of cultures from Colombia and America.
We are an international team that is fluent in multiple languages. We have perspectives and cultural traditions that reflect the richness of all regions of Colombia, America, and beyond. Our Modularis company retreat was the perfect opportunity to celebrate diversity by bringing people together in real life. We had an opportunity to bond, to learn from each other, and to have fun together.
Our company retreat helped the people on our team learn more about the culture, history, and roots of Colombia. The Modularis team of software engineers comes from numerous communities in Colombia. We hail from Bogotá, Cali, Medellín, and other smaller cities and towns. So the first night of the company retreat was “Colombia Night,” featuring salsa dancing as a homage to the city of Cali, “The World Capital of Salsa” and we learned about the dances and traditions of the Colombian Pacific region. We were delighted with a tasting of Colombian finger food (fritanga) that included empandadas, marranitas, y aborrajados, and traditional dishes like fiambre and sancocho.
What better way to learn about culture than through music, dance, and food? Colombia is famous for salsa dancing, and delightful food and music inspired by indigenous traditions, as well as African and Spanish influences.
The second night of the retreat was “America Night,” with American-style burgers, artisanal beer (for the adults, brewed by our very own team member Arturo Diuza), and live rock music. We hosted a Colombian rock band, Superlitio, that has wowed hundreds of thousands of fans since the 90s. They’re used to playing mass festivals and large venues! They loved the intimate setting of our company retreat and even stayed afterward to socialize with our team. When people from different walks of life and different cultural backgrounds can share some good food and music, it’s an effortless universal language.
Ultimately, celebrating diversity at a company requires doing it the right way – with balance, respect, and authenticity. We want our Modularis team to know that no matter where they live or where they’re from, they’re all part of a larger collective mission based on shared values, common purpose, and care for each other. Our company retreat was a reflection of our company culture and a powerful experience of human connection and mutual respect. We try to live those values every day.
Modularis Software Engineers are Truly “Rock Stars”
Lots of companies have job listings for software engineers that say they want to hire “rock star” engineers. Well, at the Modularis company retreat, our engineers got to be actual “rock stars.”
We have some talented musicians on our team, and they got together to form two rock bands. Our bands rehearsed in their spare time (and remotely!) during the lead-up to the retreat. Each developed a solid set list of songs and performed live at the company retreat.
It’s amazing to see how multifaceted and multi-talented our team can be. The Modularis team is not just great at software engineering; we have people with creative gifts and talents outside of work. Our company retreat was a chance to showcase the musical side of our teammates and watch them rock out in a live concert setting.
More Than “Just” Software Engineers: Big Thanks to the Modularis Team
Of course, all of this didn’t happen by itself. We want to give a massive thank you and congratulations to several Modularis team members who made extraordinary efforts to help this event succeed. Sandra Mayorga, our office manager in Colombia, did all the heavy lifting in organizing and planning the event. We also want to thank Lucelly Aristizabal, Wilmer Bravo, Wilmer Molina, Laura Barrera, Luis Arturo Diuza (for providing the adult beverages from his own brewery Safari Beer), Juan Santa, and Julian Rodriguez (our in-house mixologist, who made a wonderful signature cocktail combining American and Colombian products, American Jack Daniel’s and Colombian coffee). And every Modularis family member that made this event an unforgettable one.
With any big in-person gathering, there are many behind-the-scenes details, decisions, deliverables, and processes that have to be managed. We’re so grateful to our team for making this company retreat a success, and we plan to do it again. Not only was it a lot of fun and a great way to say thank you to our families, but it was also good for business.
At Modularis, we are creating a new paradigm for software development. We need to draw upon the creativity and perspectives of a wide range of people who can solve complex problems with an innovative spirit. By staying family-focused, celebrating diversity, caring for our teammates and ourselves, we can create a positive company culture. Our company retreat was a valuable example of how to inspire the creativity, collaboration, and innovation that our clients need most.
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