At the recent MXV Summit, our CEO, Jade, moderated a powerhouse panel titled "Epoch: Building Culture at Scale."

She was joined by an incredible lineup of EX leaders who are redefining what it means to build community in the modern workplace: Alaina Tobar (Director of Employee Experience at Workday), Michelle Lozzi (Head of Internal Community & Events at Reddit), Sean Devlin (VP of Global Employee Experience at Duolingo), and Vincent Wase (Global Workplace Experience Lead at Block).

For leaders in the employee experience space, the conversation was a goldmine of actionable strategies on how to move beyond "mandatory fun" and create genuine meaningful connections that drive business impact.

Here are four essential takeaways from the discussion.

1. The Best Culture is Employee-Led, Not Just HR-Fed

One of the strongest themes of the panel was the shift from top-down event planning to employee-driven programming. When employees have the autonomy to create the experiences they want, the engagement is authentic.

Alaina Tobar shared a perfect example of this "culture in action" from Workday’s recent summer party in Dublin. Rather than simply hiring vendors, the event became a canvas for their Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and clubs to showcase their passions—from the Karaoke Club hosting a tent to the Gaming Club running a Mario Kart tournament.

2. Uncovering the "Unintended" ROI of Social Clubs

We often face pressure to prove the ROI of "soft" programs like social clubs or hobby groups. Does a knitting circle or a nail art club actually help the bottom line?

According to the panel, the answer is a resounding yes. Michelle Lozzi highlighted that at Reddit, their data shows a clear correlation: top performers are often the most engaged in community events.

Vincent Wase backed this up with hard data from Block. They found that these "social" interactions were actually engines for cross-functional work, breaking down silos that traditional org charts couldn't.

3. Automate the Workflow, Not the Soul

As AI becomes a fixture in enterprise software, EX leaders are navigating a tension: how do we use efficiency tools without losing the human element?

The consensus? Use AI to handle the logistics so humans can handle the connection. Vincent explained that at Block, they use automation to accelerate communication and templates, but they draw a hard line at automating the "soul" of the program.

Michelle added that AI can help summarize sentiment, but it should never replace the act of closing the feedback loop personally.

4. The Future of EX is Continuous Learning

Looking forward, the role of Employee Experience is expanding beyond retention and into development. Sean Devlin shared how Duolingo is taking a page from the Netflix playbook—focusing on adaptability and learning as a core cultural pillar.

As companies scale, "culture" isn't just about celebrating who you are today; it's about preparing your team for who they need to be tomorrow.

Ready to see how your internal events are driving retention and culture? The insights from Workday, Reddit, Duolingo, and Block prove that when you have the right data, you can turn employee experience into a strategic advantage. Book a demo with Epoch today.

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