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The Addepar New York office was transformed into a fun zone on August 21 as nearly 20 children accompanied their parents to work. The kids created name tags, played games, and enjoyed snacks with mom, dad, and an enthusiastic group of volunteers who joined in the activities.
“My kids haven’t stopped talking about it,’’ said Alana Weiss of her children Jackson (4½) and Lukas (3).
Alana, a Senior Enterprise Account Executive, and Phil Wall, a People Operations Associate, organized the event. We recently caught up with Alana and Phil to see how the day went.
What do you do here at Addepar—and what do your kids think you do?
Phil: I’m on the HR team, focusing on the new hire experience, onboarding, immigration, benefits, and company wellness programs. My daughter Maizie (4½) thinks I go to meetings all day.
Alana: I manage a handful of strategic client accounts, making sure we are expanding and growing, and that our advisor clients are successful. My little one, Lukas, thinks I go into the jungle every day in a taxi. The big one, Jackson, thinks I go on the computer a lot.
What inspired you to organize the Addekids event?
Phil: Last year we did a very small, impromptu kids event. A lot of new employees have families, and a lot of current employees are starting to have families. Bringing together those employees from all departments to be able to watch their kids have fun is exactly what we wanted.
Alana: We’ve hired a lot more parents, and it’s good to share time with their kids in the office. I loved that I was able to share with my children where mommy goes every day. They were thrilled to experience the train ride, the subway, and see the big buildings.
What were some of the highlights of the event?
Phil: We had arts and crafts, for example building your own emoji bracelet. Every new hire gets a pouch with lego pieces to build the Addepar A, so we did that with the kids which turned into various building with legos. There were also costumes and a cozy corner with stuffed animals and blankets for very young kids. Our youngest visitor was just a few months old and our oldest was 10.
Alana: We interviewed the kids and let them ride scooters. We have an office gong to make announcements and celebrate major sales wins, and the kids loved smashing the gong, especially my boys.
How did the event support Addepar’s family-friendly culture?
Alana: I’m very proud to work for a company that is supportive and flexible for parents. Every parent has experienced those mornings when their kids don’t want mommy or daddy going to work. Coming to the office helps them realize that mommy or daddy is not abandoning them, which helps them feel more comfortable.
Phil: Our CEO Eric Poirier is really a family person and encourages a strong work-life balance. The kids' day created great morale for parents and future parents.
What feedback did you receive from parents?
Alana: They appreciated that they could enjoy their children during a workday. It was a really rewarding experience, and it was really great for parents to meet other new parents and share advice. Some non-parent employees even helped out with the activities, and they had fun too.
Phil: People still talk about it, they still wear the t-shirts. It really allowed us to be ourselves.
Family is vital to Addepar and it’s exciting to see the impact the event is having.
What were some of the more interesting comments you heard from the children that participated?
Phil: Maizie kept talking about how she made new friends.
Alana: The kids loved wearing the matching t-shirts our design team created for the event. It felt like we were all one team. My children really liked decorating name tags—they still have them.
Is there something unique about Addepar that attracts working parents?
Alana: Our CEO has two kids and is very into family. We have a large population of employees in their mid-20s by nature, due to the technical/engineering skills required, and now that generation is starting to become parents.
As a working mother, it’s very important that the company is understanding for employees to have a successful work-life integration. I personally think that as a working parent, I make the most use out of my time. I feel the most productive when my responsibilities are met/exceeded both at home and at work. Addepar is very supportive of this, and I’m grateful.
Phil: Addepar promotes a healthy work/life balance, which is very important for parents. I pick up and drop off Maizie every day, and everyone is very understanding. If I have to leave early or work from home, my team is very supportive. We even have a Slack channel where parents can share their stories, pictures, and fun activities.
Any advice you would give to newly working parents?
Alana: It’s helpful to do everything you can to make sure your home life is happy and your responsibilities are taken care of there… this will make you feel confident to be productive and dedicated at work.
Phil: Don’t feel bad about asking for help. If you need to take a day off or leave early, be open to your peers and managers.