From June 12–15, 2025, our fully remote team at Buckeye Innovation came together for our annual retreat—this time in Buckeye’s hometown of New Albany, Ohio. As a fully-remote company, we genuinely treasure these moments to meet new team members in person and reconnect with the colleagues we usually only see on screen.
This year, we focused our retreat on celebrating Buckeye’s roots right here in New Albany.
Collaborating at Innovate New Albany
We kicked things off with our Q2 Quarterly Meeting at Brick House Blue, where we spent the day brainstorming, collaborating, and exploring new ways to grow together. We focused on time management strategies and effective communication. After recently redesigning the Innovate New Albany website, it was a treat to experience the space firsthand. The conference room was beautiful, the coffee was endless, and we took full advantage of the breakout spaces for team-building and ideation.
Pickleball and Partnerships
The retreat wasn’t all meetings and metrics— we made time for fun and connection, too.
We spent an active afternoon at New Albany Parks and Recreation, one of our clients, where we had full access to the pickleball courts. Our Director of Project Management, Lorraine, is an avid pickleball player. She taught everyone the basics and we had a great time forming cross-pod teams! When the summer sun got a little too intense, we cooled off in the shade with some classic yard games.
Of course, no trip to New Albany would be complete without a stop (or several) at Whit’s Frozen Custard in the Village Center (they’re not a client, we just really like dessert). The picturesque views from the patio were familiar to us, because there are many aerial views on the City of New Albany website, which we completed last year!
Why Retreats Matter to Us
At Buckeye Innovation, we value connection just as much as code. As a small, remote team, we rely heavily on trust, collaboration, and shared purpose. Retreats like this give us intentional space to build rapport, share ideas, and deepen our understanding of one another’s strengths.
Games and collaborative play are especially meaningful to us. They foster creative thinking and cross-functional teamwork. They help us see how each team member approaches challenges, which strengthens our ability to work together seamlessly.
But more than anything, we just really like each other. Our diverse experiences and backgrounds are united by a shared passion: using technology to help others. It’s one of our core values, and it comes through in everything we do.
Learn More
If you’d like to see more of our team in action, follow us on Instagram or check out our latest projects.
