MacLaren Cummings

MacLaren “Mac” Cummings has served as Terakeet’s Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer for more than 20 years. As CEO, Mac has led Terakeet to become one of the fastest-growing enterprise marketing technology companies in the country.

Before founding Terakeet, Mac’s entrepreneurial journey began while working towards his bachelor’s degree at Cornell University. During his sophomore year at Cornell, Mac launched a company called Mindshark Software and Consulting from his dorm room. Mac leveraged the growing demand for consulting during the dot-com era, and helped the company launch a financial search engine. During his tenure at Mindshark, Mac successfully signed software agreements with Forbes, Money Magazine, Seibert Financial, and General Electric.

In 2001, Mac next co-founded Terakeet with business partner, Patrick Danial. Two decades later, Mac’s leadership has driven the organization to record revenue and employment numbers. He continues to oversee Terakeet’s overall strategy and empower company employees. As a result, Terakeet has become the go-to partner for Fortune 1000s brands, and one of the fastest-growing companies in the country – employing more than 400 people nationally.

Following successful online political fundraising campaigns led by Mac in the early 2000s, Terakeet was hired by Obama for America to support Senator Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign. Mac and Terakeet worked with 40 content writers at Obama for America headquarters in Chicago, IL, to grow the candidate’s internet presence and drive millions of dollars in online micro-donations. Terakeet continued its engagement with Obama in 2012, acting as an exclusive provider of search engine optimization for the campaign and helping the president secure his second term.

Mac has been recognized by a variety of organizations for his business success and excellence in leadership. In 2022, Mac was named an Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2022 New York Award winner by Ernst & Young LLP (EY US). Entrepreneur Of The Year is one of the highest honors and most competitive business awards for entrepreneurs who think big to succeed. An independent panel of judges selected Mac based on his entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, growth and impact, among other core contributions and attributes.

In 2021, Mac was also named one of Glassdoor’s Top CEOs, and was the top New York State CEO for small and medium-sized companies. He received this award by garnering a 98% approval rating from Terakeet employees.

Under his leadership, the company has received several awards and recognitions, including:

• Inc.’s Best Places to Work (2021)
• Fortune’s Best Places to Work in New York (2021)
• Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work (2021)
• Great Place to Work Certified (since 2017)
• MarCom Digital Media: Organic Search Performance Platinum Winner (2022, 2023)
• TITAN: Digital Media, Marketing, and Innovation categories (2021–2023)

Mac is also a passionate and engaged member of the Central New York community. He supports students in the Syracuse area through several organizations, including Cause for the Cuse (a non-profit founded and run by Terakeet employees) and The Boys and Girls Clubs of Syracuse. Mac was also a member of the Manlius Pebble Hill School Alumni Board for several years and was the youngest person ever named to the esteemed Cornell Entrepreneurship Board, as well as the CenterState CEO board (formerly MDA).

Mac Cummings is a founding shareholder in BeerBoard, a technology company that measures and adjusts the flow of draft beer from the keg to the tap and reconciles it with point-of-sale (POS) systems. Customers include Buffalo Wild Wings, Hooters, Guinness, Heineken, and hundreds of locations across the US.