A closer look at companies executing leadership excellence
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In 2014, under the name Bootstrap Heros, Oisin O’Connor and his two roommates were determined to solve one of the biggest problems facing Shopify merchants: recurring payments. In October, after many months of takeout and trial and error, ReCharge Payments was launched. By 2015, O’Connor’s team became the preferred partner of Shopify Plus, so they upgraded from their whiteboard-lined apartment to an office in Santa Monica, CA.

Today, the company has grown from a handful of employees to 250+ fully remote team members. Working remotely enables Recharge team members to have more control, gain autonomy, and achieve balance in their lives. The company made Forbes Top 100 for remote jobs by going the extra mile to make team members feel that they’re an integral part of the company’s success regardless of where they’re logging in from.

In addition to competitive compensation and healthcare benefits, team members enjoy a $700 per month remote work stipend, unlimited paid time off, and retreats to build in-person connections. In addition, a group of about ten Recharge employees from all departments known as the “Culture Council” meet for an hour each month to talk about the company’s culture: what is being done well, what could be done better, and how to implement new ideas.

Some initiatives that have grown from the Culture Council include:

• Pulse check surveys and ongoing feedback from the wider company
• Weekly open check-in calls to see how everyone is doing
• On Thursdays, someone in the company volunteers to virtually host Pub Trivia. The host creates the questions and fierce competition between departments ensues.
• Health and wellness initiatives, virtual drop-in yoga classes, fitness challenges, and a stipend to help improve physical health
• Women’s Empowerment Day, a yearly open event with speakers for anyone in the company to join
• Lightening talks where co-workers volunteer to talk about something they’re passionate about. Topics have included how to be an active listener, how to get the most out of your first 90 days at Recharge, winemaking, jazz dance, and leadership.

Kudos to Recharge for creating a collaborative culture for the brightest minds in tech from around the world. You can learn more about Recharge’s culture here.