Join BikePGH on 7/30 for our July Business Network Meetup at Continental Office Environments to meet Confluence and the Pittsburgh Tech Council’s other awesome tech companies. RSVP free here.
Pedal to the medal. That’s our plan for the next 107 days.
Hot glue and gold spray paint go a long way towards cultivating a workplace culture. Each month Confluence employees pedal for the honor of displaying this beauty on their desk.
Back for its third consecutive year, The National Bike Challenge is continuing to encourage cyclists around the nation to go the extra mile and be a part of the biking community. Thousands of riders, new and old, are challenged to record their miles gained by commutes, recreation, errands, and more through September 30th. Prizes are given, bets are taken, and jokes are shared. Confluence Technologies Inc., a quickly growing tech company and innovative leader in its industry, is one of the many Pittsburgh based companies helping us to beat Cleveland. We headed upstream to River Ave to talk with Amy and Kate, 2 of Confluence’s bike advocates participating in The National Bike Challenge Workplace category.
Confluence embraces a “work hard, play hard” atmosphere. With a corporate rowing team and quick access to the trails, a healthy lifestyle is really important in their culture. To increase their competitive spirit, Amy created a trophy out of spare bike parts, a generous amount of hot glue, and gold spray paint, taking DIY to the next level. “Whoever is in the lead for the month gets to keep the trophy at their desk. If someone passes me overnight, they’ll come claim the trophy as theirs.” At the end of The Challenge, the overall winning rider gets to keep the trophy at their desk through the winter, towering over the cubicles in all of its glory. Once The Challenge is over, the team gets together for a happy hour at OTB to turn in their points for pints.
Confluence’s Parking Garage (note the car:bike ratio!)
While The Challenge only runs 5 months out of the year, Confluence continues to be a bike-minded company. Kate, a long-time bike commuter even through the winter, shared her decision to get rid of her car, “I don’t drive anymore, and I’ve decided that I don’t need it.” Making the hike from Lawrenceville, Kate has the convenience of the trails and the comfort of traffic-free lanes. Amy however, decides to conquer the roads from Crafton, but explains how her commute has been improving overtime: “The new bike lanes on the Clemente Bridge are awesome. My mornings are so much more relaxing because I’m not doing the ‘oh god, they’re going to kill me mode’. I don’t feel like I have to rush because I have my own space.”
Together, Confluence has already ridden 2,292 miles, burned 124,227 calories, protected 776 pounds of CO2, saved $487, and counting. “When you work at a software company, you tend to get these really analytical people who start looking at the competition and because it’s a numbers game, they just start questioning ways we can boost our numbers,” says Amy. With men’s and women’s locker rooms, indoor bike parking, and a casual dress code, commuting via bike becomes much easier. “I feel like you have the resources to feel that you can do it and be okay,” says Kate.
RSVP to join BikePGH’s next Business Network Meetup at Continental Office Environments! You’ll meet the Confluence crew and dozens of other businesses making Pittsburgh a better place to walk and bike.
This article was artfully composed by Cate Malay, BikePGH’s Volunteer Business Communications Associate.
Subscribe to BikePGH’s Quarterly Business Newsletter
We want to keep our business contacts up to date with this new Quarterly Business Newsletter. Stay tuned to catch all the developments, programs and opportunities for involvement in the months to come.
NEWSLETTER