This is our 6th year as a firm. The size and capacity of our team are at an all-time high, as are the number of impactful companies and organizations, both large and small, that we are honored to include in our everyday work.
Our growth has enabled us to invest meaningfully in our community through the launch of our CSR program, trepwork for good, which benefits under-resourced companies and organizations who work tirelessly to spread good ideas that further thriving communities. At the same time, we have also invested in our own team, ensuring that we take time to share gratitude and support each other in our desire for impact.
In concert with the values that have led us to this point, we make sure to practice what we preach: we, too, take time away from the office to reflect and explore new methods and approaches in our work…and also have a bit of fun. This year we reached a bit further – to Puerto Rico! We set intentions to develop an understanding of the unique and fast-growing entrepreneurial ecosystem on the Island. We hoped to both share and gain insights on the connection of entrepreneurship and resiliency, especially within the context of rebuilding after a devastating hurricane.
In October, we stayed five days in San Juan, spent our time in service of local entrepreneurs, and learned so much about ourselves in the process. We facilitated a free full-day workshop called La Ñapa / Lagniappe for a diverse group of entrepreneurs in the areas of Design Thinking, Branding, Resiliency & Entrepreneurship, and Organizational Culture and Structure. We incorporated design thinking mindsets into our approach, collaborating deeply with our partners in Puerto Rico to ensure that workshop content was driven by the entrepreneurs’ experiences. We are grateful to the partners and friends we made, including co.co.haus, who provided their beautiful coworking space as the venue for the workshop. Other organizations that assisted in promoting the event included: Grupo Guayacán, Parallel 18, and Colmena 66.
We also spent two days looking inwards and outwards – planning for trepwise’s future and ensuring that our firm is living its values. A big part of living our values is by having fun as a team! In between the workshop and our own planning, we made our way to the beautiful beaches of Puerto Rico, the El Yunque Rainforest, Old San Juan, and many delicious restaurants.
Our five-day experience was incredibly fruitful, teaching us about ourselves and others. We further understand that our community spans beyond geographic borders, and we exchanged approaches, assets, and challenges with the entrepreneurial community of the Island. We look forward to continuing relationships with the incredible partners, entrepreneurs, and leaders we met there!
P.S. Wondering why La Ñapa / Lagniappe? The name of the workshop is a nod to the shared history of Puerto Rico and Louisiana. The Louisianan French word “lagniappe” originated from the Latin American Spanish phrase “la ñapa,” meaning a little something extra, such as a tip, bonus, or gift.
