Our Spotlight series lets us tell the stories of the people who make up the Lions & Tigers community. Terry Rice (he/him) is our EVP of People Operations & Experience. He works closely with everyone at L&T to make our mission possible. Outside of work, his fiancé and dog keep him busy with weekend hikes and camping trips.

ABOUT TERRY

I was born on a little island in Southeast Alaska. My hometown, Ketchikan, is the most southern town in the state and the first place most tourists, fortune seekers, and adventurers come across as they make their way to the Alaskan wilderness. Our small Alaska hometown proved beautiful but lacked the access to healthcare, education, and opportunity my parents wanted for their four children (I’m the youngest) back in the 80s. After stints in Washington and Maine, we landed in southern California for my formative years.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE

My career started, unexpectedly, in the same place that I started, Southeast Alaska. At 18, I worked my first summer on a small overnight passenger vessel doing seven-night trips up and down Alaska’s inside passage and spending turnaround days in my hometown of Ketchikan. Fast forward five years, five promotions, and hundreds of trips to Alaska, the Columbia River, California Wine Country, Mexico’s Baja Sur, and the Islands of Hawaii, I was ready for some time on dry land. I made a change and started a six-year sprint through three unique tech start-ups doing everything from matching homeowners to house cleaners to selling food tours in Italy.

FAVORITE DESTINATION

Glacier Bay National Park is a stunning destination for whales, bears, eagles, glaciers, and mountains. If you haven’t had the chance to do a “polar plunge” in Glacier Bay, it’s an experience everyone should enjoy at least once.

WHY L&T?

At the time I joined Lions & Tigers I was in the middle of a campaign for public office. There was no way I could work 50+ hours in an office and be available to knock on doors, show up at fundraisers, spend time with voters, and attend events. I needed something that would let me do high impact work in a more flexible model. Lions & Tigers let me balance my desire to be successful at work with my busy campaign schedule. The campaign didn’t last, but my enduring commitment to building a more flexible world of work was here to stay.

AREAS OF INTEREST & PASSIONS

In my career I have led teams doing everything from HR and Recruiting to app development to hotel operations. While I have a personal affection for People Operations, my real passion is building great teams. Great teams offer a joyful, safe space for everyone to show up and do their very best work. Outside of work, my fiancé and I spend our time camping and hiking or obsessing over our little Beagle, Patsy.

BENEFITS OF FLEXIBLE, HIGH-IMPACT WORK

For me, the biggest benefit of flexible work is that I get to show up for my team or my family in the best way possible. It means the people I care about get the most effective, creative, and engaged version of myself because I can set boundaries and work when I am at my best. For our community, flexible work unlocks a more inclusive, high-impact team doing great work for each other and our clients.

ADVICE FOR YOUR 2020 SELF

I’d remind myself of my favorite Hillary Clinton quote: “Do all the good you can, for all the people you can, in all the ways you can, as long as you can.”

ANY ADVICE FOR US?

Never turn down an opportunity because you don’t think you are qualified. If you are presented with an opportunity, it’s because there is something inside you worth nurturing and in demand. Take the leap.

Interested in joining Lions & Tigers?  Check out our open roles here.