DEFCON 31 was a transformative experience for Twilio's Information Security team, providing an opportunity to reconnect with colleagues, rekindle their sense of purpose, and reaffirm their sense of belonging amidst the post-pandemic era. The conference allowed them to extract maximum value from the experience, both professionally and interpersonally, by creating a planning team, Slack channel, and Signal group to coordinate their time there. The team participated in various villages and talks, exploring security areas beyond their typical roles, including the payment village, voting village, and IoT CTF. They also engaged in live hacking exercises, known as "capture the flag" events or CTFs, showcasing vulnerable systems or devices. The conference served as a pivotal moment for the team's growth, offering valuable insights that allowed them to introspect on areas in need of improvement. The experience deepened their relationships, strengthened bonds within teams, and fostered deeper connections across the entire security organization at Twilio, as well as with industry peers.