In 2019, Brad Wright, President and CEO, initiated an internal assessment to identify the issues our firm faces in becoming the diverse, equitable and inclusive firm we strive to be. As a result, we formed an internal council that helps lead this work. Our DEI Council identified four pillars under which we are moving forward with specific actions and metrics. The pillars are:

  • Attracting and bolstering diversity across Cambridge Systematics;

  • Providing staff with necessary resources and equitable opportunities to thrive;

  • Fostering and embodying an inclusive and collaborative culture; and

  • Promoting diversity, equity and inclusion within transportation.


We recognize that inclusion is a necessary precursor to creating a diverse, equitable company. Structural and systemic barriers often privilege one group, style or identity over others. These barriers introduce a sameness that limits who chooses to work at a company, who succeeds at a company, and even the quality of work produced by a company.


Building an equitable future starts from within

By fostering an inclusive, diverse, and equitable environment, every voice and every good idea will be elevated. We know that these internal efforts translate externally. Our employees continually work to extend those values into the work that they do. We ground our work in personal and firmwide principles of equity, putting the perspectives, concerns and needs of real members of the community at the forefront.

Here are some examples of our commitment to equity:

  • Hire outside DEI experts to support us in implementing meaningful goals and to track our progress toward achieving a more equitable workplace;

  • Launched the Equity-in-Action grant program to non-profits and community-based organizations advance their equity goals;

  • Hosting all-staff Coffee Break conversations to discuss and learn more on inclusive practices;

  • Creating an internal dashboard of DEI-focused metrics to establish a baseline and identify imbalances. We believe that these efforts help to hold ourselves and our industry accountable for improvement;

  • Developing our mobility software on open source platforms to provide equitable access, enabling a nationwide community of partners to develop and enhance the services that people with disabilities, the elderly, low-income residents, veterans, and all riders depend on;

  • Customized our LOCUS data product to enable us to answer equity-focused questions;

  • Developed a DBE database to support our staff in identifying and facilitating partnerships during the proposal stage. We know that we do our best work when our team is made up of diverse people; and

  • Maintain our DEI Strategic Plan as a living document, with ongoing work to update our goals, establish metrics, report out progress, and refine our approach to increasing inclusion within Cambridge Systematics.

Connect with Us

Danena Gaines headshot

Danena Gaines, PhD

DEI Council Co-Chair

Sean McAtee headshot

Sean McAtee

DEI Council Co-Chair