Matching extraordinary
people to purpose
We see things differently.
When we look at leaders, we see possibilities beyond their obvious natural progression. Our craft is in unearthing leaders who are imperfectly perfect for amorphous builds, whose stories extend beyond the pages of their cv, and whose thirst for knowledge and self transcends function, industries, cultures, philosophies, and geographies.
Portfolio
What we do
Executive
Search
Making complex searches simple.
We operate at the intersection of new industries and roles where a traditional candidate market doesn’t exist. Think robots, brain chips, ai drug discovery.
Build my team
Branding
& Comms
Adding nuance to storytelling.
Show up as you, whether you’re launching a startup, exploring a new role, or guiding your company through an inflection point.
Write my story
Reinventing Networking
Experiential relationship building in the age of AI.
Break out of the bubble to experiment, collaborate, and ideate with curated, intimate groups of leaders looking to expand their networks and deepen their purpose.
Push my boundaries
Reach out
Talent Distillery
San Francisco | Menlo Park
Hong Kong | Biarritz | Barcelona
Executive Search
We meld disparate ideas into something cohesive to build extraordinary leadership teams.
For non-traditional, non-linear searches
If you’re looking for…
- Execs who straddle multiple industries, e.g., intertwining deep tech and bio
- Execs who straddle multiple functions, e.g., operators with tech x people leadership experience for COO / CEO-succession roles
- Execs who bring new perspectives, e.g., business operators for VC roles
Think of us as the chief-of-staff for your search.
- define / articulate mandate and bumper rails for the role
- brand / frame the story internally and for the market
- design / roadmap the candidate experience
- educate / ready the leadership team for the selection process
- identify / unearth and explore out-of-the-box candidates
- explore / experiment and tap into unconventional avenues
- select / identify and close our candidate
What we look for in our partners…
- walk the talk
- keep the bar
- curious and open to new ways to approach the process
- quality over quantity
- bold and ready to take calculated risks
For workshopping leadership team builds at seed, series A and series B
Who we’re for: Founders and CEOs earlier in the startup journey, who want to proactively and thoughtfully shape your leadership-team dynamics as you build
The quick, static fix: scope mandates for the execs you’ll need to round out your team
The longer-term, dynamic build: Finesse and elevate the exec team together as the business grows. All of the chief of Staff support (define, brand, design, educate), without the search (identify, explore, select). We set the stage for your team or an external partner to do the actual recruiting.
Branding and Comms
We’re as passionate about being authentically you as you are.
For leaders who are clear about their purpose and readying for change
We make ‘tell me about yourself’ the beginning of a good conversation.
Highlight the things you spike on, things you’re pretty good at, and even things you are awful at, or would just rather not do.
What we do: partner with you to authentically communicate your professional brand … for networking as you begin your job search, for interviewing as you share your story, and for defining or clarifying your leadership values as you take on a new role or remit
What we don’t do: resume editing (but ask us for referrals to writers)
For execs to effectively communicate purpose as you take your company through change
We work with CEOs and functional leaders to articulate and communicate leadership changes.
Sometimes, it’s as simple as sharing what will and won’t change, and what to expect and what you expect as part of this change. Other times, it’s a multi-layered comms strategy to get everyone aligned and recommitted to the vision, or to communicate the transition of a leader.
What we do: internal communications during periods of organisational stress, with a focus on carrying your leadership and your values through complex and difficult conversations
What we don’t do: change management (but ask us for referrals to operators)
Experiential Networking
By meshing people who might not ordinarily come together, we open up new collaborations and possibilities.
Connecting People to Purpose
Across 16 years and 2 businesses, we’ve been fortunate to learn and grow with an amazing network of mentors and perennial-scholars, from individual contributors to C-suite operators to entrepreneurs to investors to academics to non-profit founders. We’re now bringing these amazing humans together for curated, intimate conversations and experiences.
What this means:
- connect / interesting people
- dive / into topics outside of traditional functional and industry bumper-rails
- tap / into a diverse mish-mash of expertise and experiences
- do this / in out-of-the-box, playful settings
- sans / mobile phones, name-tags, titles and swag
What we’re experimenting this year
- Overnight retreat focused on mindfulness, meditation, and nature-bathing to jumpstart a new chapter of your career journey in Woodside
- Tea-tasting and making space for creativity in San Francisco
- Clairvoyance-meditation three-part series on ‘having-ness’ in Palo Alto
- Connecting investors to emerging-market entrepreneurs in Africa and Central Asia
- Rwanda adventure to mentor student-entrepreneurs in Kigali
Check out our newest experi-ventures here.
Or reach out to meet us in-person: San Francisco, Menlo Park, Biarritz, Barcelona, Hong Kong.