In 2009, Eventbrite raised funding and was gearing up to triple its employees in less than a year. Fearing what this would do to their culture, cofounder Julia Hartz started thinking. “What would happen if a founder of a company . . . focused on people?” she wondered.
Four years later, at over 200 employees, Eventbrite is a company that Hartz sees as not just happy, but impressively productive. And her job continues. “I focus my day and my life, really, on the people of Eventbrite,” she says.
Below, Hartz shares more about Eventbrite’s culture and what it’s like to be a “Briteling.”
Tech Cocktail: What are Eventbrite’s cultural values?
Julia Hartz: The values that govern the work we do and the culture we build are the same. And we make sure that every Briteling knows what those principles are. We have seven: Accessible, Empowering, Delightful, Dedicated, Innovative, and Genuine.
Tech Cocktail: What perks do you have for employees at the office?
Hartz: Here’s a list of the perks we offer at Eventbrite:
Food and Drink
- Four catered lunches a week
- Two catered breakfasts a week
- An array of healthy beverages and snacks
- Two kegerators equipped with kegbots (that the team banded together to buy)
Health and Wellness
- In-office massages every Monday and Wednesday
- In-office chiropractor and acupuncture visits once a week
- Yoga classes two nights a week
- A discount at the nearby tennis club
- A $60 monthly health and wellness stipend
- Regular educational sessions on health and wellness
Tech Cocktail: Where do employees eat breakfast, lunch, or dinner?
Hartz: When we moved into our current office, we completely gutted the space. And a major focal point of our office design was creating the big, sunny kitchen where we gather together for meals and company celebrations. Having a communal space where we can be together is really important for creating opportunities for Britelings to connect with people they don’t normally work with day-to-day.
Tech Cocktail: What unconventional things might someone see while walking through your office?
Hartz: We definitely have some flair. There are lots of dogs running around; there are fierce ping-pong competitions going on constantly in the game room, the design team made a giant Jenga set that is set up by their desks that is currently all the rage, and a bunch of conference rooms have been recently decorated by Britelings to reflect some of the very unique events that have been held on the Eventbrite platform.
Tech Cocktail: Do you have any lunchtime or after-hours events for employees?
Hartz: There are plenty of opportunities for the Britelings to get together and express themselves: we host happy hours, team outings in the city; we have an annual talent show, and an annual holiday party. We also have Brite Camp, which is an opportunity for employees to teach a lunchtime class on their area of expertise. We organize philanthropic outings with local charitable organizations, and the hungry and fit gather for “bike to breakfast” so that they can ride together.