How a Simple Office Potluck Builds Culture, Connection, and Community
By Erika Veduccio, Director of People and Culture, Dogs On The Run
At Dogs On The Run, we’re in the business of connection—between dogs and their people, between community partners, and most importantly, between the people who make our company thrive. One of the simplest yet most impactful traditions we’ve embraced is the office potluck. It’s more than just a table full of food—it’s a celebration of our team’s culture, history, and shared humanity.
A potluck invites everyone to bring a piece of themselves—literally. Whether it’s someone’s mother’s peanut brittle, an apple pie perfected during quarantine, or a box of store-bought quiche with a funny backstory, these dishes tell stories. Food is a universal language, and during a potluck, we all speak it fluently. You learn where someone grew up, what flavors make them nostalgic, and how creativity shows up in unexpected ways.
As Director of People and Culture, I see firsthand how these moments dismantle hierarchy and foster belonging. Around the potluck table, titles fade. A marketing intern and the CEO can bond over hot sauce preferences. Conversations turn organic, laughter flows, and team members discover shared passions they might never have known about otherwise.
What I love most is how these gatherings reflect the diversity of our team. Each potluck becomes a curated experience of global comfort food, and with it, we’re able to appreciate the richness of each other's backgrounds. It’s a casual but powerful way to celebrate inclusion—and it doesn’t require a big budget or planning committee. Just an email invite, an open heart, and an appetite.
In a world where digital meetings and remote work are more common than ever, we’ve found that in-person traditions like this anchor us. They create lasting memories and turn coworkers into teammates, and teammates into friends.
At Dogs On The Run, we believe culture isn’t built in a day. It’s built in the everyday—in the shared meals, the hallway hellos, and yes, the potlucks that remind us we’re all human, and we’re all in this together.
