Best Companies to Work For Hall of Fame: Sunrise Labs

President and CEO: Eric Soederberg

Years in Business: 31

Full-time Employees: 73 employees (59 in NH)

Total Number of Part-time/Temporary or seasonal employees: 24 employees (19 in NH)

Years on List: 4 (plus 1 year in Hall of Fame)

Sunrise’s President and CEO, Eric Soederberg says Sunrise’s culture of integrity and respect for each other and the firm’s partners drives Sunrise’s success. The practice of “assumption of positive intent” builds an environment of mutual trust and respect where people support one another. Employees are empowered and encouraged to make decisions and learn from their mistakes. A peer recognition program creates a strong sense of community by providing a way for employees to publicly thank one another.

Soederberg holds one-on-one meetings with every employee annually to learn about their interests, career goals and suggestions for how the company can better support their needs. In addition, focus groups are held by Sunrise’s director of employee experience to also make improvements. Sunrise also invests in professional growth, including providing tuition reimbursement. “Our goal at Sunrise is not to retain people; it’s to guide people toward fulfilling their passions, wherever that leads,” says Soederberg.

Employees enjoy flextime, a hybrid work environment and up to five weeks of paid time-off as well as 10 paid holidays. Sunrise offers nutrition classes, mindfulness training, onsite yoga classes and chair massages.

Sunrise provides plenty of ways for employees to engage and have fun together. Every two weeks there are socials with appetizers or lunchtime cookouts on the patio. These events have included: an Angel Tree at Christmas that collected gifts for the kids of the YMCA, a movie night held under the stars with a taco truck, a family pumpkin carving contest with catered German food, and for Earth Day, a DIY succulent planting workshop so that each employee could have a planter at their desk.

Recent winter parties include renting McIntyre Ski Area for a night of sledding with a bonfire and catered meal, and a comedy dinner theater at the Rex Theatre. Summer parties are family events which have included live bands, climbing walls, miniature golf, swimming at a quarry and a lobster bake.