At Teranet, we believe community is built through people who step forward, support meaningful causes, and inspire others to make a difference. Our community series celebrates team members who extend that commitment beyond the workplace and into the communities around them.
This month, we’re proud to spotlight Michael Sukachev, Senior Architect at Teranet, who recently took on his first-ever Toronto Marathon 5K in support of SickKids Foundation. Through determination, fundraising, and the support of colleagues across Teranet, Michael helped raise money for children and families facing some of life’s toughest challenges while achieving a personal milestone of his own.
Can you tell us a little about your role as Senior Architect at Teranet and what a typical day looks like for you?
I work on enterprise architecture across areas like cloud, integration, APIs, security, data, and, more recently, AI platforms. A lot of what I do is helping IT leadership and delivery teams translate business and regulatory needs into architecture decisions that are secure and scalable. I’m also involved in our architecture governance through the ARB, SDLC Product Council, and a few standards working groups. Day to day, I get to do some hands-on work with our Azure platforms, secure integrations, and newer AI initiatives like M365 Copilot Studio and AI agents. It’s a mix of planning ahead and rolling up my sleeves to solve problems, and I’m lucky to work with people I learn from all the time.
This year, you participated in the Toronto Marathon 5K in support of SickKids Foundation. What motivated you to take on the challenge and fundraise for this cause?
SickKids helps children going through some of the hardest things imaginable, and that really stuck with me. I wanted to do something that mattered, and running the 5K felt like a way to help while also pushing myself a bit. What kept me going was knowing the money goes straight to care and research for these kids and their families. It started as a personal goal, but with everyone at Teranet chipping in, it turned into something much bigger.
Fundraising and training for an event like this takes commitment. What was the biggest challenge you faced along the way, and how did you overcome it?
This was my first time ever running a 5K, and to make it more interesting, I’d quit smoking less than a year ago, so the training was a real challenge. In the beginning, even short runs felt tough. But I just focused on small steps and building up gradually. Some mornings were early, and some days I was tired after work, but I kept at it. It helped knowing people were cheering me on and donating along the way. That made it a lot easier to get out the door on the days I didn’t feel like it. Looking back, crossing that finish line meant even more because of how far I’d come to get there.
Looking back on the experience, was there a particular moment during the fundraising journey or on race day that stands out to you?
What really stuck with me was reading the messages from colleagues when they donated. People took the time to write such kind notes, and knowing they cared enough to chip in meant more than I expected. On race day, I won’t lie, the last stretch was pretty tough, and I was mostly focused on just keeping going. But crossing the finish line and realizing we’d raised a good amount of money ($875) together felt great. It wasn’t about my time or the run itself – it was about knowing we’d all come together for something that really mattered.
Through your involvement, you helped raise funds for SickKids and inspired support from colleagues across Teranet. What would you say to someone who is thinking about getting involved in a charitable initiative but isn’t sure where to start?
Just start. You don’t need a big plan or perfect timing. Pick a cause you actually care about and take one small step. For me, that was signing up for a 5K. Once you do, you’ll be surprised by how many people want to help. Tell them why it matters to you and let them be part of it. And don’t worry about the size of your contribution because lots of small efforts add up to something real. The hardest part is starting; the rest comes easier than you’d think.
