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bark dog logo in the number 10 Bark News

Celebrating 10 Years of Bark — and Unforgettable Bark Memories!

Haley Zapal  |  July 08, 2025

10 years ago, Bark CEO Brian Bason started a company to help protect kids online and in real life. He gathered investors, sourced incredible talent to build our very first software, and launched a movement to get families more involved in their children’s digital lives. 

Today, Bark is the leader in the online safety space, and our suite of family-focused tech products spans from apps and phones to watches and home internet filters. Our experience aiding parents in navigating technology means we’re the go-to experts in this field, and we regularly share what we’ve learned in national publications and broadcast programs. When a new trend or app emerges, Bark is one of the first places that people turn to for guidance, and we’re grateful to help keep them in the know.

But Bark’s story isn’t just about what we’ve built — it’s also about who we are and the memories that our employees have made over the years. The heart of Bark is the people behind every press release, every product update, and every customer interaction. 

In honor of our 10th anniversary, we chatted with a few Bark employees to get their favorite memories from over the years. But first: a quick look into who we are.

How Bark Has Grown Since 2015

In classic startup style, Bark started with just a handful of people a decade ago, and slowly grew over the years. Bark now has more than 100 employees working in every U.S. time zone to help support families all across the world. As we've grown, so has our impact, with millions of families relying on Bark for peace of mind.

Bark Culture: Fully Remote But Together

We may all work apart, but that doesn’t mean we’re isolated. Through Slack, our work chat program, we collaborate, joke, and share our lives through photos and the occasional GIF. Zoom calls punctuate days, including our weekly team call where we spend the last few minutes solving a rebus puzzle created by one of our engineers. 

And then, once a year, we all gather together in person for Bark Week — usually held in Atlanta, but last year we ventured to the desert of Arizona and this year we’re headed to the coastal cliffs of Maine. Bark Weeks are special, studded with team-building events, after-work-hours adventures, and a resounding reinforcement of our goals and passion for helping families.

Recounting Bark Memories from the Past 10 Years

“It would be easy to say that my favorite thing about Bark is the culture, the team or our cutting-edge technology, because, frankly, each of them are brilliant and deserving of all the accolades; however, it is seeing the impact of our work that resonates, for me, on an even higher level. On a daily basis we are entrusted by parents, schools, and caregivers to help protect their children, and it is an incredibly humbling honor. Knowing that we make a positive difference, be it large or small, in the lives of kids and those who love them, is an amazing feeling, and I am thankful for the opportunity.” —Whit H.

“Aside from meeting and working with some incredibly talented, kind, and smart people–some of whom are now lifelong friends–here are a few of my most memorable Bark moments over the years:

  • Catching a breathtaking sunrise on a hike in Arizona during Bark Week 2024!
  • Participating in the backpack drive in Forsyth County, GA and meeting the sweetest police mascot pup.
  • Learning and growing professionally from our amazing team.
  • That giddy feeling of discovering what new snacks were stocked in the ATV kitchen on those “work from work” days.
  • Being the absolute worst player on the few Skribblio games I joined and laughing long after the game ended.
  • Feeling a deep sense of pride when noted journalists called us for insight and expertise.
  •  Watching Bason and the Barkettes jam out on the (kinda) big stage.
  • Waking up every day with a sense of purpose, knowing the work we’re doing truly matters even on the grind-iest of days.”

—Adina K.

“One of the things I have appreciated the most are some of the conversations I have had with parents, hearing their stories of how Bark had helped them manage the struggle — then hearing them light up once things were set up, and you could hear their newfound sense of empowerment that they could now manage their kids online.” —Leslie R.

“Asking to pick a favorite Bark memory is like asking me to pick a favorite book...so I think I'll have to go with art night at Titania's for Bark Week 2023. I still have my painting of the Bark logo up in my office!” —Lorna F.

“Even though I’ve only been at Bark for a month, it already feels like home. On one of my first company calls, I mentioned that my favorite movie is Back to the Future, and right away people started making jokes — Bark to the Future. Then Jodie said the team had actually made Bark to the Future shirts and designs before. That moment really stuck with me. It was funny, welcoming, and made me feel like I was part of the team right away. If that’s what ten years of Bark culture looks like, I’m excited for what’s ahead.” —Dmitri P.

“I think one of my favorite memories is that shortly after I joined Bark three years ago, we jumped head first into launching the Bark Phone. It was so fun and exciting to be a part of something so big so quickly into beginning my journey at Bark!” —Sam S.

“There are so many wonderful memories over the years but a few standouts are comedy night at the second Bark Week, Brian Bason and the Barkettes, and hearing back from police that we got help to a child in need in time.” —Anna F.

“I remember my first day in 2018 like it was yesterday, taking the train to Buckhead, walking in and seeing the brand-new offices of Bark at Atlanta Tech Village. It was my first job in tech, and it felt incredible to work with an agile team that had such an amazing mission. Soon, the creative team would grow in size and we'd have our own room — we called it the "creative lair" and decorated it with team art, hand-drawn illustrations, and even a Himalayan salt lamp. It was the perfect space for collaboration on creative projects that were meaningful to families raising kids in the digital age.

When it comes to things I’ve worked on, I was super proud early on to write a blog post that focused on how kids were using Google Docs to chat and send messages — and not just do homework. I discovered this by talking to members of our customer support team, and I knew that parents had to know about it. The blog post would go viral, with major publications picking it up and bringing the trend to light.” —Haley Z.

Bark helps families manage and protect their children’s digital lives.

mother and daughter discussing Bark Parental Controls