My work with startup founders is grounded in having partnered with them from inside the business, not from the sidelines. I’ve served as a Chief People Officer and advisor to founder-led companies at critical stages of their growth, working directly with founders as they built teams, made early leadership hires, navigated inflection points, and translated vision into an operating reality. I understand the unique pressures founders face because I’ve lived them alongside them: making decisions with incomplete information, balancing speed with sustainability, managing investor expectations, and building credibility as the organization scales. I’ve been in the room for the hard conversations around role clarity, leadership gaps, co-founder dynamics, organizational design, and the moment when “doing everything yourself” stops working. As an operator, I’ve helped founders put real structure in place without over-engineering—establishing early operating rhythms, leadership expectations, and people systems that support growth instead of slowing it down. I’ve also supported founders through moments of reset, including shifts in strategy, funding changes, leadership transitions, and the emotional weight that comes with being ultimately accountable. My background as a C-suite leader with P&L ownership and enterprise-scale experience allows me to help founders think ahead, not just survive the present. I understand what breaks later when decisions are rushed early, and where founders need to invest judgment now to preserve optionality as the company grows. Founders work with me when they want a true partner—someone who understands the reality of building from the inside, who can hold both the business and human complexity at the same time, and who brings calm, practical judgment to moments that feel overwhelming or lonely. My role is not to replace founder instinct, but to help sharpen it as the company and the stakes get bigger.