Sunderman’s CUES Automates Employee Recognition Program

In his latest venture, minor league baseball player turned entrepreneur Nick Sunderman aims to help other businesses consistently celebrate employee successes.

“Never miss a moment that matters,” said the Highland Park resident behind the Centre sneaker boutique, who also works to provide capital and expertise to new businesses. “More than anything, employees desire recognition and reward, and not just from their employer.”

To that end, Sunderman and business partner Judge Graham founded CUES, an automated employee recognition technology platform designed to make the lives of business owners easier.

The platform notifies team members when wins happen and streamlines recognition of such events as a birthday, work anniversary, best day ever, or intangible moment deserving of a high five.

“I built a company when I was 27 from two employees to over 1,000,” he said, referring to Fan Cloth, which grew to provide apparel fundraising for more than 40,000 schools and teams before he sold it to Varsity brands and Bain Capital in 2017.

“At the center of all of it were contests, scorecards, and various ways to celebrate achievements,” he said. “Unfortunately, the habits that built that business to its peak were incredibly difficult to sustain. It took me 10 times the time to ensure everyone was being recognized and that I was being consistent in how I acknowledged certain goals.”

Sunderman knew he and other businesses needed a software solution.

“That way, we could tell you exactly what you need to know the second you need to know it,” he said. “It’s not about endless data; it’s about the most important data at the most important time.”