Company: Laurel.ai — AI timekeeping platform, fresh off a $100M Series C
Challenge: Remote expansion of a global team led to disconnection, Zoom fatigue, and waning trust
Solution: A Wilder-designed company retreat in Vail, Colorado, with intentional, nature-based activities
Impact: Renewed mission, stronger cross-team bonds, a “gravitational moment” that reignited culture
Next: Laurel is making Wilder retreats a recurring investment in global growth
The Challenge: A Fast-Growing Team Losing Cohesion
Laurel.ai is on a mission to return time to professionals by using AI to automate timekeeping. With their platform rapidly adopted by law firms and consulting agencies, and a $100M Series C raise under their belt, Laurel has seen explosive growth. This success, however, came with challenges. As their team expanded across the U.S., Prague, Brno, Vancouver, and Dublin, they found themselves facing the all-too-common growing pains of a remote-first culture: fragmentation, disconnection, and a fraying of the cultural fabric that once defined them.
Tara, Laurel’s Head of People, was juggling hundreds of resumes per role with minimal support. Technical leaders were being asked to step into recruiting roles, and the demands of onboarding, scaling sales, and maintaining team spirit were stretching the limits of an otherwise high-performing company. Laurel was winning on efficiency but starting to lose on cohesion.
The Turning Point: A Need for More Than Just Another Corporate Offsite
Leadership recognized the signs: Zoom fatigue, lowered engagement, missed context, and declining interdepartmental trust. They needed a solution that would do more than “feel good.” They needed a reset. That’s where Wilder came in.
Laurel chose Wilder because we specialize in outcome-based retreats grounded in nature. We don’t simply book venues and plan activities. We design transformative, nature-based experiences that improve trust, alignment, and long-term team performance. From the first conversation, it was clear Laurel wanted more than a getaway. They wanted reconnection.
The Solution: A Nature-Based Retreat in Vail, Colorado
We proposed Vail, Colorado, as the ideal destination. Nestled in the Rockies, Vail offered both the inspiring natural setting and the logistical ease for a largely U.S.-based team. It was a place where the team could exhale, slow down, and re-engage—with each other and their shared mission.
The retreat unfolded with intention. Days were filled with horseback rides through open meadows, scenic bike rides through wooded trails, and hands-on wood carving that offered space for reflection and creativity. Guided hiking sparked connection and insight, while time outdoors helped surface new perspectives on team dynamics and collaboration. And during dine-around dinners in Vail Village on the final night, team members shared their “Why Laurel?” stories, creating one of the most emotionally resonant moments the company had shared since its early days.
Wilder handled every logistical detail, from room assignments to dietary restrictions, allowing Laurel’s team to be fully present. Our retreat manager was on-site to anticipate needs before they arose, making the experience seamless. Laurel’s leaders didn’t have to think about scheduling shuttles or setting up AV. They were able to focus on building trust and reinforcing values.
The Impact: Renewed Alignment and a Culture Worth Scaling
The retreat reminded Laurel’s team why they joined the company. The sense of mission, which had felt diluted by scale and distance, came roaring back. Several team members called it “a gravitational moment” in Laurel’s growth, a return to shared purpose and community.
Laurel’s leadership has since begun planning their next company retreat with Wilder, focused on onboarding new international hires and kicking off an ambitious global expansion strategy. What started as a one-time reset has become a recurring investment in company culture.
At Wilder, we believe nature isn’t just the setting. It’s the spark. For Laurel.ai, Vail wasn’t just a beautiful location. It was the catalyst for renewed cohesion, energy, and belief in their shared future.
Because at a certain stage of growth, it’s not about working harder or moving faster. It’s about remembering why you’re doing it, and who you’re doing it with.
