Meet our Leadership Team
StartupExperts is a community based on the “Go-Giver” spirit and its operated by an all-volunteer leadership team that serves 6-month board terms.
Our Executive Team
Jesse Freese
Founder and Managing Director
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Dave Carhart
VP of Strategy and Programs
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Kati Ryan
VP of Content and Learning
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Nancy Wood
VP of In-Person Events
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Our Strategy and Programs Team
Anita Pagin
Director of Learning Circle Programming
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Sophie Rigault-Barbier
Knowledge Library Director in
Payal Maheshwari
Director of Analytics in
Emily Gaine
Leadership Team Director in
Ryan-Mae McAvoy
Director of Online Engagement in
Deanna Sinclair
Director of Partnership Programs in
Our Events Team
Amelia Moore
Director of Event Promotion in
Ailene Brown
VP of In-Person Events in
Dana Brown
Phoenix Hub in
Our Talent and New Member Team
“I've met a number of people in the group working at similar early stage companies and are dialed into new people op trends, tools etc. I've really enjoyed the opportunity to think outside the box on ways to keep early stage companies competitive.”
— Sara S., HR Leader
Meet more of our Members here.
A community is only as strong as its members and we are proud of our membership. All new members go through a structured onboarding process that allows them to meet each other, learn how to access our private forum and where to sign-up for members-only programming. Most importantly though, they learn how to get involved in ongoing discussions and how to share knowledge. StartupExperts is a community “by and for startup leaders” so participation is required.
“I love the community - I learn something new almost every time I log in and step away feeling inspired and hopeful. It’s helpful to know I’m not alone in my experiences.”
— Katherine A., HR Leader
“This is my first job in operations so I really appreciate the resources and having the network to ask questions when I need guidance.”
— Stephanie K., Operation Leader
“I've found StartupExperts to include a great group of people dealing with a lot of the same challenges at work as me and they've been really supportive. Honestly, I don't need people from huge public companies giving me advice for startup challenges.”
— Samara L., HR Leaders
“In my organization, I'm a "Team of One" and I've found that joining StartupExperts has been extremely positive as the community has provided me a venue for brainstorming, idea sharing, and even learning from more experienced members.”
— Anita P., HR Leader
“I've found StartupExperts to have a very intimate feel, there is a lot of respect shown between members, and I enjoy being around like-minded people in this community.”
— Yan G., HR Leader
“I've found the community to be very inclusive, informative, and members don't expect you to have a certain title to ask questions or share knowledge.”
— Arthi C,. Finance Leader
“The StartupExperts Community has been a wonderful resource - there are a lot of members, but it's not overwhelmingly big and I look forward to meeting folks in person soon.”
— Jessy O., Operations Leader
“It's hard to find a group that really focuses on the issues facing "departments of one's" like this does. I've found other groups are either mostly big-company CFOs (who have much different challengers) or are job search groups.”
— Alan F., Finance Leader
“StartupExperts is a great group of people and the discussions and opportunities for collaboration have been very valuable to me.”
— Maleea M., HR Leader
“I've found the community to be full of engaging people discussing relevant topics and geared toward me as an "HR Team of One."”
— Kate C., HR Leader
“The members are amazing and the community feels well-curated. I feel like I’m hearing from people with whom I can identify.”
— Michele M., HR Leader
“As a finance leader, I appreciate the focus on People/HR matters but also enjoy that finance and ops perspectives are also included in each discussion.”
— Lisa H., Finance Leader
“At first I joined StartupExperts to build community and meet other similar leaders but lately I have found the resources invaluable during this of uncertainty.”
— Jeanine D., HR Leader
“The focus on the startup community and the willingness of participants to share specific information makes StartupExperts unique.”
— Katherine M., HR Leader
“As a finance and ops leader, the discussions are really relevant to my day-to-day business challenges at my organization.”
— CJ T., Finance Leader
“I've found StartupExperts to be a group of nice folks who have a similar career focus and overall it feels more approachable than a lot of other professional groups.”
— Robin W., Operations
“The community is well-maintained by clearly seasoned professionals that I trust. The ethos of the "go-giver" is something that resonates with me.”
— Tyler S., HR Leader
“As a finance leader, I've truly enjoyed the discussion topics in this group. I'm inspired by the passion, experience, and vast knowledge base of the StartupExperts community members.”
— Betty M., Finance Leader
“As a people leader, I've found that the resources shared by other members to be so helpful.”
— May C., HR Leader