Team-Built Culture Handbook

This project centered on building trust, defining values, and shaping culture across a fully remote, youth-led nonprofit team.

As Operations Manager at Novelly, I led a virtual team of nine college students working across time zones on everything from app development to podcast production. To strengthen communication and build a sense of shared purpose, I designed and facilitated a virtual staff retreat in August 2022—one that ultimately led to the creation of Novelly’s first-ever Culture Handbook.

With a team spread out across the country, we needed a way to build trust quickly—without resorting to generic icebreakers. Inspired by nonprofit leadership expert Joan Garry, I introduced a playful but purposeful “Novelly Yearbook” exercise. Each team member submitted a short, personal profile ahead of the retreat, and we kicked things off with a pop quiz featuring fun facts from everyone’s entries. It set a tone of curiosity, connection, and care.

The rest of the retreat included structured space to review team projects, reflect on our strengths and needs, and define the leadership principles we wanted to embody together. I synthesized these conversations into a living Culture Handbook—a shared resource that captured our values and helped shape how we collaborate.

This simple but intentional process became a cornerstone for stronger communication, deeper alignment, and a more connected work culture.