Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

We are creating a Terakeet for every kind of future.

A Terakeet where everyone feels like they belong. Follow along with us as we strive towards progress and do our small part to make technology a truly equitable industry.

Employee Resource Groups

Terakeet is a company made up of truly remarkable and dedicated individuals. As we took a top-down approach to diversifying our company, many team members expressed their interest in being part of the solution. Together, they created a growing number of grassroots, internal identity groups that meet up to discuss progress, address inequities at the employee-level, and to keep everyone accountable to our stated goals and initiatives. In addition, these groups have designated spaces in our inter-office communication platforms where they can connect whenever they want.

LGBTQ+ ’Keeters

BIPOC ’Keeters

Our Goals

In the wake of the nationwide protests and marches that occurred in the summer of 2020, we recognized we needed to shift our approach to diversity within our organization, so we began taking major steps to become a more inclusive, equitable, and diverse company and community partner. In an effort to be fully transparent, we have outlined some of the crucial initiatives we took on as an organization, and what our progress has been towards those initiatives.

Goal 1:

Diversity Consulting

We are hiring a diversity consulting firm to audit our practices and provide a strategy for improvement across departments, beginning with bias reduction within our hiring and recruiting teams, as well as a deep dive into improving communication and management styles.

Complete

Goal 2:

Diversity Education

Complete a number of staff trainings on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

715 Total Hours

Goal 3:

Support POC Owned Businesses

Do an initial audit of our existing vendors to identify opportunities where we can switch to POC-owned companies.

Complete

Goal 4:

Community Partnerships

Volunteer the expertise of our staff to high-impact partnerships in our community.

295 Total Hours

Our Mission

Our business goals are tied to a larger mission: to be equitable throughout our organization. This mission is woven into the DNA of who we are as a company.

Cultivating a diverse and inclusive workforce is a top priority for Terakeet. We recognize that the unique perspectives and experiences of a diverse workforce lead to a more dynamic and innovative team culture that allows our people to expand their capabilities and grow their careers.

— Lynn Fraas, Chief People Officer

Terakeet Apprenticeship Program

The Terakeet Apprenticeship Program was launched in 2020. The program is designed to help CNY locals build technical and professional skills needed to jumpstart your career. We started with four apprentices and quickly grew from there. To learn more about the Apprenticeship Program, you can visit our landing page. Be sure to join our email list so you’re the first to know when we open up our next Apprenticeship Program slots!

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Community + Partnerships

While we have long-held ties to programs and mutual aid efforts in the city of Syracuse, we realized that we would like to expand this effort and develop new partnerships. Here are some exciting organizations we have teamed up with at local and national levels.

Hire Black Marketers

100 Black Men of Syracuse

Cause for the Cuse

Boys and Girls Club of America

Light Work

Hire Black Marketers

In 2020, we partnered with Hire Black Marketers to help amplify their site across the web. Started by Destiny Yemaya, Hire Black Marketers was created to address the inequities in marketing spaces. Check out the Hire Black Marketers site to learn more.

100 Black Men of Syracuse, Inc.

100 Black Men of Syracuse Inc., is a long-standing non-profit based in the city of Syracuse. The mission of 100 Black Men of Syracuse, Inc. is to improve the quality of life in the Greater Syracuse community through education, mentorship, and service. Our partnership began in 2020.

Cause for the Cuse

Since 2013, this initiative, founded and run entirely by Terakeet employees, has raised over $180,000 to provide necessary supplies for more than 20,000 students in 30+ schools in the Syracuse City School District. Check out our Facebook page to learn about upcoming events.

Boys and Girls Club of America

Many Terakeet employees have been impacted by the work of Boys and Girls Clubs of America. Because of this, every year at Christmas, we raise money as a team for families that use the Boys and Girls Club of Syracuse. To check out the work the Syracuse Boys’ and Girls’ Club chapter is doing, click here.

Light Work

Terakeet co-founder Pat Danial has been a vocal supporter of the Syracuse art community. We formed a partnership with Light Work, a local non-profit, and many pieces from this incredible photography organization hang on the walls of Terakeet headquarters. Artistic expression has long been vital to the social fabric of the Central New York region. Check out Light Work to learn more.

Learn More About Our Team

Check out our blog to hear more about Terakeet Culture and to hear directly from members of our team about what it's like to work for Terakeet.

Company The Real Story Behind the Name “Terakeet”

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Q&A With Drew Wood: Terakeet’s Director of Learning & Development

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The 12 Days of Terakeet: Celebrating What Makes Us Special

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Workplace Wisdom | Emily Dann

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Terakeet Employees Give Thanks – Highlighting Our Shout-Out Culture

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Workplace Wisdom | Jamie McLaughlin

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Humans of Terakeet: Jade Miller

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#WeAreTerakeet

An inside look at life as an employee. Join us as we build a community of awesome people.