Startups & Venture-Backed Tech
Gamal Aly
Joe Ashford
Tal Assayag
Dolph Augustus
Ben Blundell
Amanda Bradtmueller
Kathryn Bremner
Brendan Browne
Randi-Lynn Bruso
Michaela Burpoe
Caitlin Byrnes
Calder
Brooke Carter
Lauren Cassen
Ginny Cheng
Benjamin Cheung
Elizabeth (Liz) Clement
Tripp Conrad
Sejal Patel D.
Jessica Davis
Nihal Deopura
Nico Dontas
Joseph Doyle
Finnian Durkan
Luke Eaton
Meghan Emswiller
Adam Erickson
Thomas Evangelista
Maggie Fish
Lauren Frailey
Teal Frost
Billy Gavin
Justin Glaser
Carly Goldberg
Katie Gregoire
Charles Guillemet
Todd Hazen
Hanna Hilterman
Stephanie Holman
Meghan Hudson
Melissa (Woodburn) Kaganovsky
Akbar Karenga
Jocelyn S. Lai
Charlie Lavender
Carlos Lezama
Logan Marsh
Catherine McClure
Kelly McKenna
Kebone Moloko
Ariana Moon
Kelsey Morris
Lori Schwartz Noel
Joe Ortiz
Andy Pittman
John Quach
Ashleigh Ranero
Adrian Rice
Taylor Roa
Naché Robertson
Nerida Rooney
Adam Rousseau
Alexandra Scheiman
Laura Scott
Gia Sharda
Sabrina Silva
Colette Turner
Grace Turner
Dani Unsworth
Rando Valdes
Vanessa Wainwright
Tessa Wilder
Erin Wilson
Rachel Wortsman
Emil Yeargin
Lou Zumpano
About this category
Startups & Venture-Backed Tech recognizes up to 100 honorees each year. The Class of 2026 includes 75 leaders in this category, put forward by peers or by our selection committees for the work they have done. They lead talent and recruiting work at organizations including Audacious, Gusto, Abodoo, Anduril Industries, and Apollo.io. Each profile covers how they got into recruiting, how their team hires today, and what they think is changing about the work.
Honorees are selected through a dual-path process: about half are nominated directly by fellow people and recruiting leaders, and the rest by selection committees of senior talent practitioners and industry advisors who seek out leaders who may be under-recognized. Nominations are free and selection is based on merit. See the Talent 100 overview for the full process, or browse every category of the class.
Other Talent 100 categories
- Enterprise Technology - Talent leaders at the world's established technology companies.
- Technology & Digital Platforms - Talent leaders across software, cloud, and the digital platforms powering global business.
- AI, Data & Security - Talent leaders shaping hiring at AI, data, and cybersecurity companies.
- Financial & Professional Services - Talent acquisition across banking, fintech, insurance, legal, and consulting.
- Healthcare & Life Sciences - The talent leaders behind healthcare systems, biotech, and pharma.
- Consumer, Retail & Hospitality - Hiring leaders across consumer brands, retail, travel, and hospitality.
- Industrial, Energy & Manufacturing - Talent leaders powering industrial, energy, logistics, and manufacturing teams.
- Agency & Staffing - The standout talent leaders at agencies and staffing firms.
- Executive Search - The people trusted to place leadership at the highest levels.
- Recruiting Operations & Enablement - The builders behind recruiting operations, tooling, and enablement.
- Talent Leadership & People Operations - Senior people leaders whose scope spans far beyond recruiting.
- Founders & Independents - Founders and independent practitioners charting their own course.