Mac Cummings

MacLaren (Mac) Thompson Cummings (born January 23, 1979) is an American entrepreneur and Democratic political fundraiser. Cummings is co-founder of Terakeet and served as the Director of Internet Finance during Hillary Clinton’s presidential bid of 2008.

Cummings was raised in Tully, New York. He attended Manlius Pebble Hill High School in DeWitt, NY. After graduating from high school, Cummings attended Cornell University, where he received his Bachelor of Science degree from the School of Industrial and Labor Relations in 2001.

In 1998, Cummings launched Mindshark Software and Consulting from his Cornell University dorm room serving as CEO and guiding the company to profitability in its first year. Cummings led Mindshark to several notable software agreements with high-profile clients such as Forbes and General Electric.

In 2001, Cummings co-founded Terakeet Corporation with business partner, Patrick Danial. Both later became shareholders in US Beverage Net. As CEO of Terakeet, Cummings also led the sales effort, securing engagement marketing agreements with customers to build up their relationship with online influencers and increase their brand awareness and online visibility. By 2012 Cummings had expanded the Terakeet portfolio to include U.S. and international companies such as Coca-Cola, American Express and NBC Universal-Orlando.

In 2013, Cummings and Danial established Earned Visibility, Inc. and established Terakeet LLC as a subsidiary. Under Cummings' executive direction, Terakeet grew from 75 employees in 2013 to 175 employees in 2015, earning Terakeet recognition as one of the fastest-growing companies in America, according to Inc. Magazine.

Cummings became an investor and advisor to The Water Initiative - an initiative focused on bringing clean water to impoverished areas of the globe. Cummings also joined the Centerstate Corporation for Economic Opportunity board and was the youngest ever named to the Cornell Entrepreneurship Board.

Cummings has been active in local and national politics and has often been consulted for fundraising strategies on the technology and web side of campaigns. Cummings served as Director of Internet Finance for Hillary Clinton’s presidential bid from February to June 2008. Cummings is credited with being part of the largest single day of online fundraising in American presidential campaign history, when the Clinton campaign raised $10 million in the 24 hours following the April 2008 Pennsylvania primary.

Cummings was first sought out by the Hillary Clinton campaign by campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe after organizing a $215,000 fundraiser in Syracuse, McAuliffe’s home town. After initially working as a satellite consultant, Cummings joined the Hillary Clinton campaign in Arlington, Virginia as an unpaid volunteer in February 2008.

Clinton's fundraising, which had lagged behind Barack Obama's, began to improve soon after Cummings joined the campaign. Cummings helped turn things around by seeking out small donors - driving traffic to the Clinton campaign website, making urgent online pitches, and giving donors more control over how their money was spent. As a result, online fundraising started accounting for nearly 75% of her monthly totals, mainly in small contributions. In February, the campaign raised $30 million of its $35 million monthly total online, the single largest fundraising month for the campaign. Contributions averaged $100 during this period, and nearly 25% of all contributions were from new donors.

Shortly after the Clinton campaign suspended in 2008, Cummings and Terakeet were selected to advise the Obama digital team on its content, blogging, and SEO strategies. After the successful election of Barack Obama in 2008, Terakeet again was solicited to provide technology consulting to the campaign and its technical team. Cummings worked closely with the digital team on a volunteer basis, while Terakeet provided $20,000 in technology consulting services to Obama for America in 2012. Cummings would later donate that fee back to the campaign.

In 2013, Cummings advised then businessman and friend Terry McAuliffe on his run for Governor of Virginia. He helped assemble McAuliffe’s digital operation, traveled the state with him, and donated $25,000 in his successful bid for governor of Virginia.

In 2016, Cummings and Terakeet were again hired by Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, Hillary for America, to provide technology services and consulting.