As a global, async-first organization, our team at Helios AI thrives on collaboration that stretches across time zones, cultures, and work styles. Thanksgiving gives us a meaningful pause — not only to honor tradition, but to reflect on what truly strengthens distributed teams and the culture we’re building together.

This year, we hosted our annual company-wide gratitude survey and virtual celebration, complete with team reflections, international participation, and our beloved Turkey Drawing Challenge. What surfaced were powerful insights about async work, global culture, and the people behind Helios AI.

These are our biggest takeaways from 2025 — lessons that shape how we work and what we celebrate.

1. People Are the Core of Effective Global Teams

One message stood out across all responses: supportive teammates and leaders make async work not only possible, but exceptional.

Our team consistently expressed gratitude for:

colleagues who offer help across time zones
leaders who empower instead of micromanage
a culture that values trust, autonomy, and thoughtful communication

The strongest survey theme was feeling genuinely valued — a key indicator of healthy distributed team culture. ALL employees gave a 4+ (out of 5) rating on feeling valued at Helios AI!

For organizations building global or remote-first teams, the takeaway is clear: async systems succeed when people feel supported, connected, and seen.

2. Dedicated Work Time Fuels Deep Focus and Growth

Another major theme from our gratitude survey was professional growth. Teammates shared appreciation for:

challenging and meaningful projects
opportunities to learn independently
the ability to work deeply without constant meetings
autonomy to take ownership across projects

Async work isn’t just a process—it’s a growth engine. The structure gives people uninterrupted time to think, build, and solve hard problems.

In a distributed world, deep work is a competitive advantage.

3. Work-Life Balance Still Matters — Globally

Even with the benefits of async work, our team acknowledged the ongoing challenge of maintaining healthy boundaries in a fast-moving, globally connected startup.

This is a reminder for us — and for any async organization — that balancing speed with sustainability is essential. Healthy teams build better companies.

4. Life Outside Work Makes Us Better Inside Work

Across personal reflections, our teammates shared gratitude for:

family and loved ones
health and well-being
major life milestones
personal growth throughout the year

A powerful truth emerged: when we support the full human experience—not just the worker—we strengthen the work itself.

This mindset is foundational to a global, inclusive culture.

5. Creativity Builds Culture in Distributed Teams

One of the most joyful parts of our Thanksgiving celebration was the Turkey Drawing Challenge—a Helios AI tradition filled with doodles, digital art, pixel turkeys, abstract birds, and a surprisingly muscular Helios-branded turkey that made its way into our celebration.

These small moments of play make a big impact. They create shared identity, spark connection, and remind us that culture travels, even when we’re continents apart.

6. Recognition Resonates Everywhere — Especially When Remote

This year, we presented our People’s Choice Gratitude Awards 2025, celebrating the teammates who received the most shoutouts from their peers. This year’s winners — our Head of Product, Brooke, and Head of Engineering, Nathan — were recognized for their leadership, mentorship, and ability to uplift others across every timezone.

Recognition is a universal motivator. Whether remote, hybrid, or in person, it remains one of the most powerful ways to strengthen culture.

🧡 A Global Thank You From Helios AI

We’re proud to be a global async team—and we’re grateful for the people who make that possible: our teammates, our partners, our users, and the broader community that supports our work. We’re also STOKED to see our team come together in-person for our upcoming winter NYC offsite.

Thank you for being part of our journey and for inspiring us to build with creativity, purpose, and heart.

Wherever you are in the world, we wish you a warm, joyful, and gratitude-filled season.

Happy Thanksgiving from Helios AI.

Thanksgiving Celebration from Helios AI’s Global Async Team: What We’re Grateful for