If you walked around the office today, you’d see groups of similarly dressed employees huddling in practically ever corner of the building – from large conference rooms to small, informal meeting spaces and communal areas nestled to the side of some of the building’s open areas. That’s the image of our annual pro bono initiative, Creating Change, that seems to permeate all other images: employees working together. Teamwork and collaboration.
It may sound cliché. It does to me, a little, and I’m writing this! “Teamwork” and any associated words, really, are so commonly used, stamped proudly across motivational posters, victim to iteration after iteration of inspiring phrase. “There is no ‘i’ in teamwork.” “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.”
But it’s so true. And it’s what makes Creating Change – and Discovery Communications, for that matter – so special. Employees choose to participate in the event, and as a result, all those involved are eager to share ideas and work in tandem to make a meaningful impact.
The marathon event, now in its sixth consecutive year, brings together employees from across departments to build marketing and communications plans, design logos and style guides, advise on web, digital and social campaigns and just about everything else in between for both local and national non-profit organizations. Work kicks off first thing in the morning and stretches for the span of the day, wrapping late in the evening when projects are at or near completion. Teams reconvene the following day to put the finishing touches on any deliverables and to present their final work to their partner organization.
While employees work on creating various deliverables today, non-profits in attendance are taking part in a day-long conference. Earlier today, attendees heard from guest speaker Lynn Mento, Executive Director of Friends of the National Zoo, and a variety of Discovery Communications employees, including:
- Seth Goren, SVP, Media Strategy and Analytics, Discovery Communications
- Liz Hillman, SVP of Communications, Discovery Education
- Jessica Wolfley, Director of Digital Strategy, Discovery Communications
- Ross Lemenille, Senior Web Developer, Discovery Communications
- Matthew Simo, Interactive Web Designer, Discovery Communications
- Emily Kaiser, Manager of Digital Media,
- George Neighbors, Vice President, Talent Relations, Discovery Communications
- Jennifer Pennybacker, Vice President, Branded Entertainment, Discovery Channel
Take a look at what employee teams and conference attendees were up to on the first day of this year’s Creating Change, and check back to hear see how where things landed at the end of day two.
