Etsy started out in 2005 as a small online marketplace for makers and DIYers, but the company has turned into an e-commerce behemoth that's enabled housewives to knit their way to millions. Along the way, the $3.5 billion company has aggressively tried to do business the right way by hiring a diverse workforce, building community, and offering generous employee perks that go beyond a free lunch.
Its new headquarters in the DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn serves as a physical embodiment of this "responsible citizen" philosophy—from the solar panels covering its roof down to the salvaged furniture outfitting its conference rooms to the public gallery of maker goods in its lobby. The hope? That it'll push others to adopt its conscientious ways.