Improve the odds through personalized, strategic talent support.

We help venture firms build high-performing teams through high-trust talent partnership that supports sustained portfolio growth.

HIRE. DEVELOP. DELIVER.

OFFERINGS

Full-Cycle Recruiting

Comprehensive talent acquisition from role definition to onboarding, ensuring a seamless hiring process that delivers top talent aligned with business goals.

Performance Management

Strategic support in designing and maintaining performance frameworks to optimize team effectiveness and foster a high-performance culture.

Fractional Talent Partner

On-demand, expert talent management for portfolio companies, offering flexible, tailored talent oversight and support without the need for a full-time hire.

We help venture firms scale and thrive by delivering end-to-end talent solutions tailored to their unique needs.

WHY US

  • We work with you to identify attributes for the role, calibrate on profiles, source candidates, and manage a white-glove candidate experience throughout.

  • Beyond recruitment, we offer end-to-end talent management, including performance optimization and fractional talent solutions that evolve with your needs.

  • Combining sharp tactical execution with deliberate foresight, we ensure your talent isn't just a resource—it's a driving force behind long-term business success.

OUR TEAM

Operators who understand venture from the inside.

Lea Engelhardt

Lea brings over a decade of experience from top VC firms and tech companies. She excels in building high-performing teams through strategic search and performance management.

Lea began at Benchmark, then scaled Gusto from 25 to 2,000 employees. In 2021, she helped prep fintech company Pagaya for its IPO. Now, she collaborates with firms like Base10, Riot Ventures, and GV on talent acquisition and development.

Founder

With over a decade of high-level leadership experience at Salesforce, Kate excels in scaling global organizations and launching innovative career programs as a former VP of Recruiting.

She now serves as a Talent Partner at Paine Ventures where she acts as a strategic talent arm for top-tier venture capital firms, specializing in operational hiring, talent advisory, and organizational design.

Talent Partner

Kate Hallick

OUR VALUES

Integrity

It’s not just what we do, it’s how we do it.

Empathy

We balance human connections with directness to make tough decisions.

Impact

We prioritize meaningful, lasting results over sheer outputs.

Commitment

We’re x-athletes. We get shit done.