During the pandemic, the tech team moved into a new space where nate’s values of personal wellbeing, growth, and collaboration are able to flourish
Artificial intelligence shopping app nate has completed the design of its new headquarters in New York. The 13,000 square foot space has kept its doors open and made it possible for employees to work together throughout the pandemic. The new space is reflective of nate’s principles, grounded in open communication and personal growth. "Think of an environment that is incredibly dynamic, challenging, ever-changing, yet somewhere you feel at home right away,” says Thais Branco, nate’s head of marketing. “The people, the innovative mindset, and the type of impact you can have are truly one of a kind."
Staying in flow while at work in the office | The new headquarters in New York puts self-care first, but also amplifies creativity. "A creative work-life requires social relationships and serendipitous interactions, and studies have shown that these elements lead to greater effectiveness and innovative thinking,” says CEO and founder Albert Saniger. In-person work has been found to support these qualities. An increase in remote work at Microsoft during the pandemic, for example, was correlated with a decrease in cross-group collaboration and overall call hours, a study found.
Through nate’s simple checkout, users stay in flow, shopping easily with any online retailer. Similarly, nate’s office has been designed to keep team members in flow, keeping in touch with self-care and continuing to grow professionally.
“Self-care isn’t selfish” | “The new office is a space that makes self-care possible,” says Maria Bastos, Creative Director. Features of the new office include a dedicated meditation room, where employees can escape and unwind; all-gender bathrooms; a rooftop that’s perfect for yoga; a wellness room; and a kitchen stocked with a variety of snacks and drinks. Most of the spaces are designed to be multi-functional. The kitchen is large enough for informal socializing, and on Fridays, the meditation room becomes a yoga and massage studio, courtesy of Soothe. The office also has pods that employees can book for therapy appointments. Positive affirmations on the walls, like “you are awesome” and “love yourself,” remind employees not to forget to take care of themselves, even as they press forward with projects.
The space’s layout and features are an extension of the company’s investment in employee wellbeing. Employees receive $200 a month to support wellness goals alongside comprehensive health coverage, free access to Avo for easy grocery delivery, a one-year membership with online mental health care platform Talkspace, and $10,000 toward family planning.
There’s a fun side to the office too – kombucha is available on tap, boardroom chairs are all-yellow, team members can relax and hang out in the ping pong area. Although modern and elegant, the space is also an extension of nate’s youthful and vibrant brand. "I feel lucky everyday to be surrounded by the incredibly smart, passionate, and empathetic people here,” says Director of Business Intelligence, Clare Blessen. “Every day is full of new challenges, but there's constant support from not just my team but across the entire company, and in the process we laugh, disagree, (some of us) do yoga, and have a lot of fun together.”
“Always look forward” | The office is bright and spacious, allowing for cross-functionality, open communication, and visibility, as well as quiet work when needed. Supplementing a $5,000 annual education stipend, on Fridays, nate’s space transforms into a hub for professional development, where employees catch up on industry trends, state of the art technologies, weekly news and learn new skills. Each individual chooses how to go about their own enrichment, but Fridays often include think tank-style discussions and live coding. The space’s flexibility helps the team transition from work to fun to learning, which nate hopes will include career fairs and guest speakers in the near future.
nate strives to create a balanced work environment, where employees feel able to be vulnerable, to disagree, and to ask for help. The new open office design – which brings opportunities for spontaneous interactions, clear communication, and rich collaboration – supports this goal. Also cultivating a safe space with honest interactions are weekly catered team lunches, biweekly socials, monthly global socials, and an annual company getaway. When working, everyone sits with their team (leadership and interns included), and managers are approachable. In a startup where every employee has absolute freedom to choose their own work title, executives don’t have private offices, and interns aren’t stuck in isolated pits. By avoiding hierarchical barriers, nate aims to maximize opportunities for connection, communication, collaboration, and ultimately, innovation.
Results of a wellness-focused office that stays in flow| “Employee feedback has been very positive so far. It is interesting to see ideas being discussed when walking through the office,” says Bastos. The nate team has been prolific during the pandemic. It launched a simple and universal financing service, announced a partnership with fintech platform Rapyd, developed a creator program that democratizes the affiliate model, raised a cumulative $60M in funding, and more. nate has also been widely recognized for its work culture, being named among the best companies to work for by BuiltIn NYC and most recently being awarded with the Great Place to Work certification.
