The Science of Belonging
THE FUTURE OF WORK
How Understanding Culture — and Hospitality Drives Long-Term Retention in Teams and Towns
What makes remote workers stay?
It’s not incentives. It’s not even jobs. It’s belonging.
As Director of Culture and Innovation at TaxJar, I built a hospitality-driven remote culture that made people feel truly at home, wherever they were (even before remote work became the norm).
Working with Meaningful Work Labs, MIT Sloan, and Michigan Ross School of Business, we uncovered the real drivers of long-term commitment: cultural DNA, intrinsic motivation, and genuine connection.
TaxJar became the largest fully remote acquisition on record when it sold to Stripe for over $800 million—just three years into my tenure.
But the real win was human:
We proved that when people feel truly welcomed, they don’t just work, they stay, invest, and grow.
Today, these same principles can transform cities, towns, and regions competing for remote talent.
The Impact
Culture Determines Retention
94% of TaxJar employees reported a strong sense of belonging.
TaxJar sustained an industry-low 4% attrition rate, compared to typical 25%+ in remote teams.
When people feel rooted in a company’s culture, they build their lives around it. The same is true for communities.
A Blueprint for Cities and Rural Communities
The same strategies that made TaxJar a remote work success apply to place-based economic development.
Cities that prioritize cultural DNA and belonging will attract remote workers who don’t just pass through, they put down roots.
Belonging Is an Economic Advantage
TaxJar’s hospitality-driven culture helped revenue grow 16x, leading to its historic sale to Stripe.
A well-designed culture isn’t just a feel-good perk—it’s an economic engine.
What This Means for Your Community
Attracting remote workers isn’t about throwing money at incentives, it’s about building a culture people want to belong to that gives them a sense of autonomy, belonging and competency.
My work at TaxJar proves that when people feel connected, they don’t just clock in, they commit. They invest, not just professionally, but personally and financially.
If your community is ready to turn remote talent into long-term residents, let's build a strategy designed for the future.