Inspired by Grace

Invigorating. Intense. Enriching. These were some of the ways women of The Trade Desk described their experience as they attended this year’s Grace Hopper Celebration. Taking part along with 30,000 professionals from over 100 countries, we felt energized and recognized as women in technology. Named in honor of tech trailblazer Admiral Grace Hopper, the celebration’s theme was “Together, we build.” Harnessing this spirit led to a successful conference. Making it a call to action creates a successful culture.

At The Trade Desk, we are lucky to be able to draw on the power of an accomplished group of women who are pioneering technology and many other facets of our company. Add in the strength from every one of our employees around the world, and we gain the momentum that is critical in becoming one of the fastest-growing firms in our industry. A thriving and inclusive culture relies on that momentum to be successful. It is a current you can feel in our conversations and the professional relationships we create with colleagues and clients. Culture is both tangible and intangible. You can’t package it up and send it somewhere, but you can see it in the fabric of our daily interactions, large and small. Done poorly, it discourages. Done well, it elevates.

Organizations measure their culture in different ways. We chose trust. Following the model developed by the Great Place to Work Institute, each year we track our progress on the five dimensions found to create a culture of trust: respect, credibility, fairness, pride, and camaraderie. This week we are celebrating our fourth consecutive year as a best workplace among companies of similar size. It’s an honor to be named one of the best, but even more important is the work we have done to get there. This year we added additional benefits and defined career paths and competencies for our global team. New themes will emerge for 2021.

Each year brings opportunities for becoming stronger, better, and even more committed to a great workplace experience. We know that rapid growth carries a risk to our culture, so we make sure our values and priorities are clear. Everyone at The Trade Desk is an architect of our culture, adding to it in unique and important ways. Thanks to our global team, we are one of the best – but we don’t get to rest. Together, we build.