It’s not every day you get to see Stok’s Founder Matt Macko roll up to the Calgary International Airport in board shorts, a Hawaiian tee, and a huge smile, fresh off a surf day with his family in California before flying straight to Canada (seemingly without checking the weather) to be with the full Stok team for our biennial companywide retreat, Stok Summit. It perfectly summed up the Summit before it even began: bring your whole self and let’s connect.
18 years into embracing autonomy and flexibility, Stok’s global team is now spread across nine countries spanning four continents. In response to this growth, we’re doubling down on intentional gathering and finding joy in human connection, further strengthening our commitment to our biennial Stok Summits as a critical investment in our people, business, and impact.
WHY BRING US ALL TOGETHER IN PERSON?
We make this big investment very intentionally, for our team members and by extension, for our clients. If you’ve attended an event anytime recently, you’ve probably felt it too: the magic of being in person. We’re hard-wired for connection, and while we can do our best through our screens, something about in person simply hits different. It allows more space to build trusted relationships and authentic connections with one another, which at the end of the day is really what enables Stok to deliver the positive impact we’re deeply committed to. Bringing our team together brings out the best in all of us, and we bring that fresh perspective, renewed energy, and genuine joy back to our work together and with our clients.
“Putting together Stok Summit is a very special project for me because it’s one of the most palpable ways we live our values out loud. It’s a significant investment for the business and we know it will pay off, because the strength of our impact depends on the strength of our people and our connection to one another. Its intentional design creates the space for Stokers to restore their energy, deepen trust, reconnect with our shared purpose, and align around what comes next—benefits that strengthen both our culture and our ability to deliver meaningful work.”
— Madeleine Drake, Senior Director, People and Culture
Since expanding our team into Canada in 2024, we’ve been itching for a chance to bring our combined team together in Canada. Stok Summit offered an ideal opportunity, and the Canadian Rockies were the perfect backdrop for our 2026 Stok Summit theme, Basecamp: Set your pack down. Pick our vision up. The concept, which Stok CEO Jake Arlein fairly warned us would be juiced for every last drop (a promise that was thoroughly delivered on—see below), was that Basecamp is the pause that makes reaching the summit possible. At Stok Summit, it meant a break from the day-to-day—a chance to catch our breath, connect as people, and imagine what’s possible for ourselves, our clients, and our impact in the world.
Left: Stok CEO Jake Arlein rocks his thickest flannel for Basecamp. Center: Stok Founder Matt Macko tests out a camp chair. Right: Our fearless facilitators/trail guides from Within People.
From Basecamp, we took a moment to look back at our journey so far. In one session, Stokers were asked to group around the room organized by when they joined Stok. Our team’s growth was physically laid out in front of us. Through stories from each group of successes and setbacks, it was a powerful reminder of how far we’ve come, and how much more we can achieve within our own business and with our clients.
Stokers share memories from their early days at Stok.
As a sustainability firm, this is also a climate decision we don’t take lightly. We will factor the emissions associated with Stok Summit into Stok’s next greenhouse gas inventory and will fully offset them with verified, high-integrity carbon credits. Learn more about Stok’s path to zero in our 2025 Impact Report.
THE STOK SUMMIT EXPERIENCE
Once your entire company makes it to the mountains, what do you do?
Find joy in human connection
Our team members and clients alike have shared time and time again that we bring joy to work in a way that feels refreshing, sincere, and human. Finding joy in human connection is core to our work, so much so that one of Stok’s values is Stok Joy, so you better believe that was front and center at Stok Summit.
“Stok Summit was a physical manifestation of our values at work, living and breathing. It turned circles on Teams into people I genuinely can’t wait to work with on the next project.”
—Charles Orgbon III, Carbon Services Senior Project Manager
From an opening campfire with mountain views, to biking, hiking, canoeing, and a dance party that involved not one but two choreographed dances (special shoutout to Stok’s commissioning experts, who can help get your emissions down and then get down on the dance floor), we designed programming around providing different ways to connect. And introverts fear not—thanks to feedback from our past Summits, we incorporated more unstructured downtime and calmer social activities like methodically defeating your team members from behind your mahjong tiles.
Thrive through learning and growth
One recurring highlight at Stok Summit is our awards program, which recognizes team members from across Stok for their exceptional contributions to our collective work. Awards range from honoring innovation, to coaching, to living Stok’s values, and there’s even one for the Stoker who doesn’t need the spotlight to shine (we shone the spotlight anyway). It’s a special way to elevate team members from all corners of Stok for their outstanding impact, whether highly visible or behind-the-scenes, through a ritual based in recognition rather than competition.
I was genuinely surprised to receive an award for my commitment to feedback, and it meant so much to be recognized for something I really believe in: creating a safe space where feedback can flow both ways and trust can grow. I’ve always felt that the more we flex our feedback muscles, both giving and receiving, the more we advocate for our own growth and support each other. To me, that’s what makes Stok’s feedback culture so special: being open to different perspectives, building transparency, and working towards a common goal together.”
—Kaitlyn Allock-D’Silva, People Operations Manager
From celebrating our learning and growth, we then continued it. With the Summit hosted on Treaty 7 territory, the traditional lands of First Nations and Métis people, and the last day falling on Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we took the opportunity to honor Indigenous voices, stories, and traditions. Dancing Cree led a powerful session filled with song, dance, and Indigenous knowledge that helped us place truth and reconciliation at the center of our time together.
“It was truly an honor to have Dancing Cree share not only their traditions but their history and their lived experiences with us on such an important day. I was really happy to see how Stok honored the day and our guests, especially on Treaty 7 territory and in the beautiful lands of Indigenous Peoples. Thank you to the team for making space for this on TRC day and raising the voices of Dancing Cree and Indigenous Peoples.”
—Aly Mills, Associate Director, Sustainability
Make lasting change
While connection and celebration was the focus, it’s impossible for us to all come together without getting excited about how Stok can continue to evolve to deliver the most value to our clients and the most impact to our communities. In a strategy session, we explored our ambition for the near future, with a focus on decarbonization, tech enablement, efficiency, scale, and impact, and are excited to bring these ideas and advancements to our clients and partners.
“What excited me most from Stok Summit were the discussions around our opportunity to deepen the value we create alongside our clients. We’re continually exploring new ways to support our clients and partners across their sustainability journeys, helping turn ambitious goals into measurable impact while building partnerships that drive lasting change.”
—Jake Arlein, CEO
Stokers share their vision for impact within Stok, alongside our clients, and in our communities.
TO SUMMIT UP…
While it’s sad to think the next Stok Summit is now far away, we’re leaving this one chock-full of memories, inspiration, and relationships to fuel us as we dare to create a radically better world. Plus, two more years to nail that choreo for the next dance party… ‘Til next time!
If this made you want to experience Stok Summit for yourself, check out our open roles.
