Hi, I’m JESSE FREESE!
Business Consultant. Community Builder. Connector.
I’ve spent my career helping leaders and growing companies navigate the people, benefits, and business decisions that come with building great organizations.
Along the way, I founded StartupExperts—a community of 2,500+ HR, Finance, and Ops leaders built around a simple idea: we’re better when we share what we know and help one another succeed.
Whether you want to talk people strategy, benefits, the startup ecosystem, community building, or simply compare notes, I’m always happy to connect.
A Little About Me
I’m a Senior Business Consultant at Sequoia and the Founder and Managing Director of StartupExperts.
My professional world sits at the intersection of people, business, and community. At Sequoia, I work with companies on their people and benefits strategies. Through StartupExperts, I’ve had the privilege of building a global community where HR, Finance, and Ops leaders come together to learn, connect, and support one another.
I’m also endlessly curious about what makes people and organizations better—which has led me to conversations, writing, podcasts, events, and plenty of experiments along the way.
Outside of work, I’m a husband, father, aging athlete, and outdoor adventurer.
NEWSLETTER
STARTUPEXPERTS AT WORK is where I share ideas, observations, and lessons from the leaders and operators I have the opportunity to learn from every day.
It explores the realities of building better workplaces—from leadership and the changing world of work to AI, community, and the challenges facing HR, Finance, and Ops leaders.
CONVERSATIONS & PODCASTS
Some of my favorite learning happens through conversation. These series give me an opportunity to sit down with thoughtful leaders, ask questions, and share what we learn with others.
BECOMING BETTER PODCAST - Conversations with leaders about growth, leadership, the lessons they’ve learned along the way, and what it really means to keep becoming better.
PARTNER PROFILE INTERVIEWS - Conversations with the people and organizations supporting today’s startup leaders—exploring their expertise, the problems they’re solving, and what they’re seeing across the market.
BUILDING COMMUNITY
I founded STARTUPEXPERTS in 2019 to create the kind of professional community I wanted to be part of myself.
Today, more than 2,800 HR, Finance, and Ops leaders come together across dozens of cities to share knowledge, build meaningful relationships, and help one another navigate the challenges of building and supporting growing companies.
At its core is our Go-Giver spirit: contribute before you ask, share what you know, and look for opportunities to help someone else succeed.