Scaling a Mission-Driven Team Without Losing the Magic

Topics: onboarding * team-building * startup
Format: two-week virtual sprint
Team: full organization of 6 people

The Challenge 

When you’re a tight-knit, fast-moving team of four, every new hire changes the game. In September 2025, Carbon Yield, an ambitious climate-tech consultancy rooted in regenerative agriculture, was preparing to grow its full-time team by 50%. With two key hires on the way, the cofounders knew they needed more than just a welcome email and a few Zoom intros.

Cofounders Claire and Sam needed a thoughtful onboarding approach that would integrate two new team members into a complex ecosystem of projects and partners (including McDonald’s USA, Al Gore’s ClimateTRACE, USDA), without disrupting the team culture that had gotten them this far.

I had worked with Carbon Yield over the previous two years on their product strategy and MVP development, so I was well-positioned to step in and lead a sprint of onboarding design and team-building, at a moment when the cofounders were stretched too thin to give the topic deep attention.

“We knew Tiana was the right person to design an onboarding process for our new hires — she knows exactly how to get at the important points while leaving space for connection and creativity among team members.”
– Sam Schiller, Co-founder and CEO

The Approach 

In September, we prepared for the arrival of two new hires: Mike, a Senior Data Analyst, and Jessica, a Research Analyst. We knew we needed more than a checklist; we needed an experience that would:

    • Equip the new hires with the right context without micromanaging
    • Build trust quickly and strengthen the typically-remote team
    • Set expectations around communication, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing
    • Reinforce the company’s mission and values

Together, we designed a phased onboarding experience, culminating in an in-person team retreat in Chicago. Here’s how we approached it:

Key Deliverables: Getting Organized for Growth

Onboarding Checklist: A structured starting point covering essentials like systems access, meeting invites, and tool setup, removing the mental load of remembering “what did we do last time?”

First-Two-Weeks Calendar: A detailed schedule for the early days, mapping out which meetings were ride-alongs, which were for active contribution, and where solo time for reading and exploration made sense.

30-60-90 Day Plan: A goal-setting framework aligned with each hire’s role, allowing them to hit the ground running while aligning with Claire’s vision for progress over the first three months.

Team Learning Hub: A shared resource page, including a glossary of terms, key industry reading, and project histories; this served as a living knowledge base to reduce repeat questions and build self-sufficient learning. 

The Retreat: Designing Connection, Not Just Content

To bring it all together, I supported the planning of a 3-day in-person retreat, which the cofounders were able to self-facilitate. I equipped the team with:

Retreat Agenda & Facilitation Framework
Including a balance of company context, industry insight, and values-focused conversations, plus practical tools like a “parking lot” for parking topics for later discussion.

Team Dynamics Workshop
I structured exercises around communication norms, working hours, and support systems, answering the essential question: How do we want to work together now that we’re a bigger team?

Lightweight Team-Building Activities
Knowing some team members were long-time collaborators and others brand new, I suggested activities that skipped the cheesy icebreakers and focused on real, human connection, like a customized story-prompting version of the classic Jenga game.

Carbon Yield team answers get-to-know-you questions amidst a Jenga game during the offsite

The Outcome

The onboarding process laid a solid foundation for Mike and Jessica to integrate smoothly, take ownership quickly, and feel connected to Carbon Yield’s purpose. As a result:

    • Both new hires were contributing meaningfully within their first month.
    • The team has a repeatable onboarding process they can now use and evolve.
    • Claire and Sam avoided burnout by delegating and trusting a structured plan.
    • The retreat deepened team trust and clarified norms, setting them up for strong team dynamics.

“Tiana’s ‘Best of Me’ activity helped our growing team communicate personal values, work styles, and important boundaries to each other in order to build a more inclusive and adaptive work culture. We’re all more in tune with each other after having completed this and several other activities designed by Tiana!”
– Claire Pluard, Co-founder and COO

Why It Mattered

In small, mission-driven teams, growth isn’t just about headcount; it’s about evolving culture, systems, and expectations without losing the spark that makes the work meaningful. My role was to make that growth smoother, more intentional, and more sustainable.

Want to design onboarding that builds capacity and culture? I can help you craft an experience that fits your organization.

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