When a company continually makes headlines, we take notice. When those headlines cut across contract wins, culture, innovation and recognition, we sit up a little straighter. OS AI recently sat down with TCG Executive Director of Growth Michael Drescher to learn more.
Missed the buzz? TCG was recognized as a Washington Post Top Workplace for the tenth consecutive year, a 2024 Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces; named to a DOC Consortium Dedicated to AI Safety; celebrated that 100% of Partners rate TCG as being an “Excellent” or “Good” contractor to the Government; and was ranked as a Top 5 CIO-SP3 Small-Business Contract Holder. And this was all just so far this year.
Founded on Innovation for Public Benefit
The story goes that President Dan Turner founded TCG in 1994 by a happy accident when he was looking for a job and the NIH needed a contractor to build one of the government’s first web-based systems, eventually called iEdison. Despite the surprise start, he threw himself into building TCG because he believed government can do extraordinary things with the right knowledge and technologies. iEdison was groundbreaking as the first publicly accessible, interagency, web-based system, revolutionizing the management of invention disclosures for federally funded research by streamlining and modernizing an inefficient process.
Now, 30 years and 200 employees later, TCG has grown into a $50M company. It continues to serve the NIH and has expanded to include numerous agencies. TCG is proud to be a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC) and a certified B Corporation, reflecting its commitment to positive social impact and high standards of performance, accountability, and transparency.
B Corp Values
A certified B Corp, TCG is committed to “using business as a force for good. That means even as it continues to grow and evolve, TCG prioritizes mission alignment with the agencies it works with. Because of that, there are some projects that TCG won’t pursue and some companies it will not engage with. “We deliberately seek out clients and projects that are going to make the world a better place. It’s a lofty goal but we collectively believe it and it’s a motivating force greater than any profit motive alone.”
Beyond the mission, there is also a culture TCG seeks within agencies–beliefs and practices embedded down to the project level that can make taking on the work a yay or nay decision. “If we see that a client or potential partner is not going to align with our values and the kind of mutual respect we expect from how our projects are executed, it can be a tough call, but yes, we walk away. On the teaming front it is the same. We don’t team up with anyone at any time just to get a deal done.”
Happiness Department
TCG is so committed to its culture it has invested in a Happiness Department within the organization. Not a volunteer position, these are paid roles focused on employee engagement, on building bonds, and on ensuring TCG employees are, well, happy.
“This is not HR. HR has its own department with all of the administrative functions you would associate with it. Happiness is focused on fostering a positive, supportive culture throughout the organization. This often means crowdsourcing ideas from the employee base around what’s collectively going to make them happy.”
That engagement also involves a seat at the executive table, sitting in on career reviews, managing and identifying new perks, including wacky perks that speak to who we are as a company. What might wacky perks include? So far, things like a bat house reimbursement program and a shoe reimbursement for those working onsite with clients who take the opportunity to walk to work.
TCG also employs a program called ‘sprees’ which allocates funding to employees to host their own team focused events. While some many be typical dinners, others tend to the more creative and have included knitting sessions, a music recital and an iron chef type competition.
“We set these events up so that employees lead them. That way there’s not a “mandatory fun” situation. where they have to attend. We would rather see people engage where they want to, rather than making them feel they must in order to be part of something.”
Meeting the team where they are also involves an internal mentorship program that helps each person navigate the career path they are interested in.
TopGrading to Achieve a Top Team, Top Partners
Mission alignment and culture fit is as important in TCG’s hiring process as it is in client and partner selection. The company follows a hiring process for its managers and executives called TopGrading, which takes the interview beyond the resume to see how the whole person will fit. “We can see their technical skills laid out in their resume, but we want to know more about who they are, the good things they have done in their lives, to understand how they will engage with our teams and with customers. We tend to attract people who are looking to embrace a mission like ours. These are less interviews than conversations; less abstract psychological tests than real getting to know each other sessions.”
That same lens is applied to partner selection. Having access to a number of large GWACs the company has a broad range of experience with different teams in different scenarios. They also have a dedicated partner manager who regularly surveys program managers internally for their satisfaction on partners and regularly surveys teaming partners to see their satisfaction with TCG. “We take the feedback we get and incorporate it into improving our processes and how we select partners.”
Double and Double Again with Modesty
Looking to the future, TCG fully expects to continue its growth trajectory and has set a goal of doubling – again – by 2028. Having graduated from small business status, and committed to its B Corp and internal values, that growth will require a continued focus and continued strategy.
What is notable about this company is the way it quietly grows, quietly does good, and lets its success somewhat speak for itself. “I think collectively at TCG, there’s a feeling that it’s disingenuous to stand on the mountain, shout about how you know everything. Sometimes we joke that we are the best kept secret in the industry.”
Let’s reveal some of those secrets… As a B Corp. TCG donates a percentage of its bottom line and supports charities crowdsourced from its employees. “At our annual meeting, everyone’s given a symbolic coin which they drop into one of five buckets representing the charities short-listed. The results of the ‘vote’ determine our support plan for the year.”
Another internally focused program called Bonusly allows employees to give out points based on the core value that can then be redeemed for things like Uber Eats gift cards, or donated back to charity.
From a happy accident, to a multi-million dollar company driven by modesty, a happiness department and can-do, TCG is #onetowatch.
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