How Odyssey Teams Builds Teams and Communities: Lain Hensley’s Vision for Purpose-Driven Training

Reimagining Team Building: How Odyssey Teams Builds Teams and Communities

In the February issue of Entrepreneur, journalist JJ Ramberg spotlighted a story that continues to resonate today—a story about vision, innovation, and the power of purpose.

At the center of it was Lain Hensley, co-founder of Odyssey Teams, a company that has redefined what team building can be. For Lain, the question was never just “How do we get people to work better together?” It was, “How do we help people connect to something bigger than themselves while doing it?”

That question led to a breakthrough moment in 2001, when Lucent Technologies’ supply chain team hired Lain to help align their employees around a new vision. The company was undergoing a major reconstruction, and they needed more than a motivational speech—they needed transformation.

The Spark: Training with Purpose

“They were going through a reconstruction and wanted to get their team aligned around a vision,” Lain recalled. “And we wanted to do something different to get them there.”

That “something different” became the foundation of how Odyssey Teams builds teams today. Instead of running a traditional training program filled with lectures and icebreakers, Lain proposed a radical idea:

“What if we use the training experience we’ve created and allow the participants to give back at the same time?”

The result was a partnership with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), where Lucent employees built homes for dogs in need. It was hands-on, heartfelt, and high-impact. And it worked.

Why It Worked: The Power of Experiential Philanthropy

The success of that program wasn’t just about the dog houses—it was about the shift in mindset. Employees weren’t just learning to collaborate; they were collaborating for a cause.

This is the essence of how Odyssey Teams builds teams:

• Experiential learning that engages the head, heart, and hands
• Real-world impact that connects teams to purpose
• Shared challenges that foster trust, empathy, and alignment

When people build something together—especially something that helps others—they build more than skills. They build relationships. They build culture. They build community.

From One Program to a Global Movement

That early success with Lucent Technologies became a blueprint for Odyssey Teams’ future. Over the next two decades, the company expanded its offerings to include programs like:

• Helping Hands® – Teams build prosthetic hands for amputees in developing countries
• Life Cycles – Teams assemble and donate bikes to children who’ve never had one
• Team Mosaic – Teams create collaborative art pieces that reflect individual contributions
• The Board Meeting – Teams design and build skateboards for underserved youth

Each program is designed to challenge teams, spark reflection, and deliver tangible impact. And each one reinforces the core philosophy of how Odyssey Teams builds teams: through service, story, and shared experience.

Why Purpose Matters in Team Building

Traditional team building often focuses on games, simulations, or abstract exercises. While these can be fun, they rarely create lasting change.

Odyssey Teams takes a different approach. By integrating corporate social responsibility into the training experience, they help teams connect emotionally—to each other and to the world.

Here’s what participants often say:

• “I’ve never felt this close to my team.”
• “This reminded me why I do what I do.”
• “I’ll never forget the look on that child’s face.”

These aren’t just testimonials—they’re evidence of transformation. They show how Odyssey Teams builds teams that are not only more effective, but more inspired.

Building Teams That Build Communities

One of the most powerful aspects of Odyssey Teams’ model is its ripple effect. When a team builds a prosthetic hand, a bike, or a dog house, they’re not just helping one person—they’re helping a family, a community, a culture.

And that impact doesn’t end when the event does. It carries into the workplace, into conversations, into how people lead and collaborate.

That’s why companies across industries—from tech to healthcare to education—choose Odyssey Teams to help them build stronger, more connected teams.

The Legacy of Lain Hensley’s Vision

Lain’s passion for helping others has always been the heartbeat of Odyssey Teams. His ability to see beyond the boardroom—to the communities, causes, and people who need support—has shaped a company that leads with heart.

The story featured in Entrepreneur wasn’t just about one successful program. It was about a philosophy that continues to evolve and inspire.

Today, Odyssey Teams operates globally, with programs delivered in dozens of countries and thousands of organizations. But the core remains the same: Build something together. Make it matter. Leave people better than you found them.

Final Thoughts: How Odyssey Teams Builds Teams That Last

If you’re looking to strengthen your team, improve collaboration, and create a culture of purpose, Odyssey Teams offers more than training—it offers transformation.

Through experiential philanthropy, emotional engagement, and hands-on impact, they help teams become more than coworkers. They become collaborators. Contributors. Changemakers.

That’s how Odyssey Teams builds teams—and communities.

About Odyssey Teams

Odyssey Teams has been designing radically different approaches to leadership development, team building, and organizational culture since 1991. Their programs are global, award-winning, and rooted in purpose.

• Over 80,000 prosthetic hands delivered to amputees in 75+ countries
• Over 20,000 bicycles built and donated to underprivileged children
• 80% of clients are repeat or referred—a testament to lasting impact

To learn more or bring Odyssey Teams to your next event, contact us at (800) 342-1650.

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