A Summer of Community TeamWorks
Through Community TeamWorks (CTW), the people of Goldman Sachs contribute their ideas, time and expertise to drive tangible progress in our communities. Launched in 1997, this signature volunteering initiative enables our people to work in partnership with nonprofit organizations around the world to make a meaningful difference.
This summer, hundreds of GS volunteers have served their communities in meaningful ways. Below we highlight three initiatives in Dallas, New York, and Santa Anna, California.
T.D. Jakes Foundation
Spearheaded by Kimberly Clark, a vice president in Dallas, nearly 200 GS engineers and members of the Dallas Black Network volunteered with the T.D. Jakes Foundation, a workforce and community-development organization committed to building bridges to opportunity across socio-economic divides by exposing young people to STEAM education and careers. Together with founder Bishop T.D. Jakes and the Dallas Mavericks, the GS volunteers hosted a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) Academy for local middle and high schoolers. The volunteers helped create a curriculum, led activities, made presentations, and recruited industry leaders and university professors and researchers to present their work and cutting edge technology to the students. Forty GS engineers worked side-by-side with nearly 270 students teaching them how to think like an engineer, code JavaScript, program electronics and build and race both virtual and hand-made cars. Winners received a new laptop computer and a trip to the GS suite at the American Airlines Center to watch an upcoming Dallas Mavericks game.
“Giving back to our city through skills-based volunteering is how we as software engineers can make the most impact, and the STEAM Academy is the perfect chance to transfer both our passion for and knowledge of STEAM into the hearts and minds of the next generation. It’s amazing to watch the students learn new skills and catch a vision of what they could also become one day.”
— Kimberly Clark
Life Rolls On
In New York, analyst Kris Kahan led a group of 20 colleagues to Rockaway Beach for a day of surfing with Life Rolls On, an organization dedicated to improving quality of life for people living with various disabilities. Together with Goldman Sachs' Disability Network, this was the firm's first year participating in a Life Rolls on event. GS volunteers helped out in various ways throughout the day—serving as hospitality, getting into the water with the adaptive athletes, and keeping morale high. Team captain Kris Kahan said the best part of the event was seeing one of the adaptive athletes catch his first wave while exclaiming "I can do anything!"
"The love and support our Goldman Sachs community showed was inspiring. GS volunteers worked together to prove that anyone can surf, and life rolls on, no matter what cards are dealt."
— Kris Kahan
Orange County Pride
In California, vice president Derek McCauley formed a team of 14 volunteers to assist the Orange County Pride board in orchestrating its annual Pride parade and celebration. This is the firm's second year volunteering with OC Pride, an LGBTQ+ organization focused on empowering the LGBTQIA+ community in Orange County to be their authentic selves through celebration, education, and activism. On the day of the parade, GS colleagues helped set up various booths and festival areas and assisted with parade logistics.
"It’s so rewarding to help a volunteer-run organization whose primary focus is bringing a sense of family to the LGBTQ+ population."
— Derek McCauley
Since CTW’s launch in 1997, more than 485,000 Goldman Sachs employees, family and friends have completed nearly 2.9 million hours of service. Click here to learn more about the program.