Founded in 2010, THELIONS is emergent from the impassioned work of our heroic alumni. Our DNA is encoded with operating Principles inspired by their example. Truth, our highest power. Honor, ideal human integrity. And Ethos, Aristotle for trustworthiness.
Matt founded THELIONS in 2010, after leading sales for a $100+ Million startup. Recruiting partners’ lack of focus provided the idea; forging opportunity into Tech for millions, the inspiration. While reaching millions remains ahead, a vaunted reputation among 10,000’s of fellow sales “Lions” served feels like progress worth repeating.
THELIONS has introduced high-performing sales professionals & entrants into >1,000 fast-growing companies, over 90% introduced by trusting VC’s & Execs. Early days, Matt personally helped senior Lions join LendingClub (including VP Sales; $8.5 Billion IPO), Box ($8.5 Billion IPO), and SignalFx ($1.1 Billion Acquisition).
Matt's passions vary wildly. Music — his Top 5 albums by Kendrick Lamar 🦋, Jimi Hendrix 🎸, John Coltrane 🎷, My Bloody Valentine 👾, & revolutionary punks Refused 🔥. Nature — hiking & swimming, gravity & entropy, Plato vs Gödel. And Entrepreneurialism, in some Post-Randian form perhaps our best hope for a more equitable world.
Before THELIONS, Caitlin learned to start & run her own business as a superstar for College Works, helping lead intern recruitment & development efforts for 2 years in Northern California. From door-to-door sales, securing contracts, hiring labor, managing costs, and mentoring teammates, Caitlin joined us naturally tuned to success while earning glowing client reviews. While she initially met THELIONS intending to break into Tech sales herself, it soon dawned on her that all of her skills & passions might make her happier still in the recruiting world — a choice she looks back on not as a launching point, but as a career maker.
Caitlin is THELIONS' #1 Revenue Producer Ever, proud to have helped >200 Lions secure jobs with some of the world's fastest-growing startups. Her knack for earning happy customers has helped her partner with dozens of VPs Sales & C-levels across the USA, enjoying repeated partnerships with many of them.
Caitlin was born to explore the world, and does her best to maintain her rep as THELIONS' #1 Traveler Ever also. Her passions include Camping, Hiking, Snowboarding, Personal Development & Coaching, Music Festivals, Oregon Beer & Wine, and being a Dog Mom.
Initially joining THELIONS in 2014, Conrad spent 2.5 years recruiting before deciding to travel the world by leading bicycle tours. After 3 years of that "work" that allowed him to explore 4 continents, he returned to the USA & THELIONS in 2019, to share his wisdom with others in an effort to better their careers & lives.
A "Swiss Army Knife" within our team, Conrad has helped talent secure roles at elite companies, ranging from entry-level through VP titles. Beyond his recruiting efforts, Conrad also develops company partnerships, hires & trains new teammates, and helps streamline operations for our Cooperative.
Conrad's primary passion is travel — with 30+ countries visited & growing. Out wherever, or back home in California, you can often find him outdoors — Surfing, Biking, Hiking — or enjoying French dance music like L'Impératrice, Polo & Pan, Daft Punk, and Sébastien Tellier.
TJ started his career as an assistant football coach for Willamette University. He spent 3 years there, developing young men and learning the fundamentals of recruiting in a wildly competitive environment. He made the transition to THELIONS to blend his desire to help others with a fascination for Tech developed as a Bay Area native.
TJ was THELIONS' #1 Performer in 2020 & 2021, setting several firm records in 2021. He helped >40 Lions get hired with an impeccable 6.4-to-1 Introduction-to-Hire ratio, set records for Revenue for both Lion & Leader relationships, and earned himself over $400,000 with help from THELIONS' world-beating recruiter payouts.
When TJ isn't recruiting, he can often be found on the high school football field helping young athletes develop & learn life lessons. Additionally he is an avid golfer, snowboarder, and Dog Dad.
Mackenzie is a seasoned sales & recruiting professional with 11+ years experience. She joined THELIONS for almost 8 years starting in 2011, earning 3 key promotions to reflect her essential nature to our success. After THELIONS, she spent 3 years as an Enterprise sales rep in Los Angeles, but rejoined due to her belief in the company she helped build, our blue-chip brand among knowledgeable CEO's & VC's, and her desire to help Lions build their perfect career.
Mackenzie was the 1st female in THELIONS' history, leading to an 8+ year first-stint tenure. At the time of her departure she was: Ranked #1 of 50+ All-time company reps in Recruiting Partnerships Wins, Hires, and Revenue. Additionally, she personally helped just-shy-of-100 Hires (across 60 Companies) resulting in over $1+ Million in Revenue. In her sales career, Mackenzie was >100% of quota all 3 years in Enterprise sales at Iyuno, and previously Rookie of the Year & #1 rep among 35 at ADP.
Her passions include Travel & living abroad, Nature, Sports, Hiking, Camping, Backpacking, Music (creating, listening, watching), Cooking, Personal development & spirituality, and great parties!
Christine joined THELIONS in 2020 after running her own recruiting firm for 7 years. Before she was a recruiter, she was a sales leader at Tech startups for decades. With a knack for connecting with talent & taking an invested interest in understanding companies' needs, she brings a down to Earth and human approach to recruiting. She joined THELIONS for the opportunity to grow her business alongside the firm's stellar reputation, while enjoying maximal independence & work/life balance.
Christine has secured strategic Sales & Executive hires with dozens of top startups throughout Tech, in a variety of industry niches. Favorite wins in 2021 included helping Lions join leading HealthTech pioneers BigHealth & Color.
Each week Christine makes sure to hike Mt. Tam, practice Yoga, and (most importantly!) maximize quality time with her 2 sons. She's been known to be the adventurer on family trips — highlights include white water rafting, canyoneering in Zion National Park, and Paragliding over The Tetons. Beyond her family, Christine also loves dogs — as she puts it, "who doesn't love puppies, at least?"
Beth's career began in sales — software, hardware, & digital media as a superduperstar at AOL/Time Warner. After time as a focused Mom she returned to her roots, recruiting Tech salespeople as an independent and then Partner of Berg & Gray Recruiting. In 2021 both partners brought their business to THELIONS, for a continued focus on sales recruiting & Tech, and moreso for the amazing team they get to collaborate with.
Beth has won numerous lofty sales awards, from #1 Producer on large teams to closing company-wide-record deals. Having started recruiting with no formal experience, she is proud & grateful to be loving it 10+ years later. She finds that telling people "You got the job!" exceeds any accolade she could ever earn.
Beth is a Mom above everything else, the driving force behind her success & life. She loves the outdoors, going to crew races, writing, hiking with friends & family, yoga, & daily walks with her dog on the beach in the morning San Francisco sunshine. She also has managed to collect about *every* bestselling healthy cookbook and tries new recipes weekly, for the great food and just as much for the exploration.
Taylor first joined THELIONS in 2013 after previous roles in environmental conservation & software sales. He recognizes that where we choose to work is pivotal to our quality of life, and enjoys advising Talent on ensuring that their jobs support their most important goals & values.
Taylor has advised hundreds of people in his career with THELIONS, helping Talent join 30+ top companies. He successfully helped land a Lion a job that resulted in the largest Revenue win in our company's history.
Taylor has many passions. Meditation — Vipassana, an insight practice to cleanse the mind of reactivity. Singing/Songwriting & performing — he was a classical cellist from age 4 to 18, and guitarist/songwriter since age 16. And transforming environmental awareness from a fear/confrontation context to one that recognizes our interconnectedness & reliance on each other and earth systems.
Blake has always loved sales & being a salesman; that love drew him back to Silicon Valley in search of greater purpose. After 5+ years of agency & in-house recruiting, including starting his own firm, he joined THELIONS for a work culture that prioritizes his freedom to the extreme — maximally allowing him to help others follow their dreams, while simultaneously following his own.
Blake has been a high-achieving recruiter for years, dovetailing strong business acumen with a knack for finding performers in alignment with company culture. Included amongst his successes is as a Series C startup's first sales recruiter, in a year growing the team from a handful to 45+. Since then, he’s helped advise numerous elite performers in joining great startups, from pre-brand-recognition to big-brand Unicorns.
Although he dislikes labels, Blake has oft been called a Renaissance Man. Alongside his work at THELIONS, he is acting on his passion for food & beer to build a farm-to-table empire on his family’s century farm in Virginia, with the help of his loyal GSP Lottie. Off the farm you might find him fishing, long boarding, tinkering with vehicles, building things with wood, playing the fiddle, smoking cigars & drinking whiskey, exploring craft breweries, dirt biking, or philosophizing about things that he suspects he has no business contemplating.
Mike joined THELIONS in the Summer of 2021, seeking a career change that remained in Tech but offered a stronger work/life balance. Previously, he worked as a successful Account Executive throughout the Tech industry, including selling CRM, Healthcare IT Security, and Enterprise Asset Management.
In his sales career, Mike developed a knack for closing six-figure deals, has acquired hundreds of logos, and is a President’s Club winner. At THELIONS he has earned the trust of several strategic clients, helping numerous Lions get hired at top companies.
Mike's first passion is music, having played guitar for 15+ years. His favorite players include Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Buddy Guy, and Muddy Waters. Additionally, Mike is actively working on earning his private pilot’s license, and continuing his passion & excellence playing Soccer — he is a former D1 athlete, and pulls for Man United.
Jesse joined THELIONS after 13 years creating partnerships & advertising revenue streams for some of the biggest video game franchises in the world. After feeling the drain from working & parenting through a pandemic, he had a midlife 'awakening' and decided it was time for a career pivot. From feeling stuck in his career before, Jesse celebrates waking up every day excited & motivated for the opportunity to help others build their own exciting career journey.
Jesse designed, built, and sold partnerships & ad businesses to the tune of over $100 million dollars in his career. He won multiple annual awards for top performance and helped build record setting ARR for over a dozen video game franchises across mobile, console, and social. At THELIONS Jesse set immediate records for fastest ramp in company history, for both his first 90 & 180 days.
For Jesse, family is life. There is never enough time in the day to spend with his wife & two absurdly adorable kids. He is a lifelong Bay Area sports fanatic, but now more a spectator than participant. Jesse is a sucker for a good IPA, a hike and some time in his garden... with any luck all of them in the same weekend. Ultimately Jesse is on a quest to live a life well lived, dedicated to never taking his time on this planet for granted.
A social worker by training but a sales professional by trade, Mary has long been attracted to mission-driven work with a professional ethos of “doing good while doing well.” She led the admissions department for Oregon’s top college prep school for young women, before launching her career in recruiting & sales. While Mary initially approached THELIONS as a Tech AE seeking her next sales gig, she ended up finding her fit with us & joined the team as a recruiter in 2022.
In addition to her top performance in recruiting & sales, Mary is incredibly passionate about self-improvement. She reads 2+ personal & professional development books each month. Her personal motto is: if it is to be, it’s up to me.
Mary is passionate about cultivating a creative spirit. She trains & teaches aerial arts, loves getting lost in a good book, and is a crack Vegan baker.
THELIONS puts Elle in the driver's seat to help Talent find opportunity to make a huge impact. She loves working with people from diverse backgrounds, understanding that it takes an advocate willing to understand the experience of being under-represented in Tech. Common barriers she's helped overcome include race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity & expression, disability, & economic status.
Elle was THELIONS #1 Talent Manager for the year 2021. Prior to joining us, she completed (summa cum laude) an MS in Analytics & Intelligence, plus a specialized MBA in Neuro-linguistic programming. Prior academic achievements include a 4.0 GPA studying Arabic in undergrad, completing an intensive Mandarin program at Beijing University, and a celebrated thesis on the Chinese economic system & tangentially philosophical influences on the power structure. Further, Elle has volunteered as a Girls Who Code mentor, took part in a hyperspectral imaging project out of the Allen Institute for AI, is President of her JSU, שירות לאומי service, and an active Officer in the Red Cross.
Elle's passions include the PNW wonderland 🏔 🥾 , competing in racing sailboats ⛵️, traveling 🌍, soccer ⚽️, eating 🍱 , playing music 🎹 🎷 🎸 , rock-climbing 🧗♀️ , skiing ⛷, education 📚 , her dogs 🐩 🐶 , art 🖼 ✍️, yoga 🧘♀️, a good book 📖, murder mysteries 🔍 , Star Trek (DeAnna Troy cosplay) 🛸 , trash reality TV 📺 , League of Legends 🖥 , cars 🚗, and a spirited argument 😂.
Sean's interest in the Tech industry began with his Engineering & Construction career. The need for cloud-based optimization in that work provided a source of inspiration to delve into the vast & complex world of software. THELIONS provided him a fantastic opportunity to advise individuals on the intricacies of the industry in order to attain their optimal career goals.
Prior to joining THELIONS, Sean succeeded in helping a friend build a boutique headhunting practice, and was critical in the hires of several finance professionals up to CFO. Earlier still, he developed project management expertise while driving & coordinating multifaceted Engineering projects.
Hailing from New Zealand, you can find Sean enjoying just about anything that gets his blood pumping — whether it be in the waves, on the snow, or under the ocean.
With an educational background in law & criminal justice, my passion for business developed as I gained experience in wine industry sales & business development. I enjoyed cultivating long lasting relationships that helped drive our company towards success. Soon I began looking for similar career paths and found recruiting. The thing that drove me towards recruiting was that it not only allowed me to practice business development but it also allowed me to offer job seekers new, exciting, lucrative positions!
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Bree was excited to join THELIONS upon moving back to the USA, after spending 5 years raising her two boys & supporting her husband’s overseas military career in Italy. Raised in the Bay Area in a family of Software Engineers, she was inspired by the innovation of the Tech industry, but found herself drawn to people-centered careers. THELIONS’ talent-first approach to recruiting and it's clientele with top Tech startups served as a natural bridge between the two.
Although new to recruiting when she joined THELIONS, Bree helped a Lion earn a six-figure job within her first month. Prior to her work here, she was proud to be a part of a team in Italy that created a mentorship & counseling program for military personnel and their spouses.
Bree is impassioned by everything nutrition & health-related — cooking while enjoying a glass of Italian wine, yoga, backpacking, and traveling (mostly for the food). One recent memorable trip was across Catalina Island with a group of friends & family, and her next goal is a solo trip with her German Shepherd, Chewie.
After spending a year teaching English in Japan, Alex flew to Vancouver, Canada, bought a bicycle, tent, peanut butter, and cycled solo to Tijuana, Mexico. He then transitioned into leading luxury 6-day bicycle trips around the world, working in 20 countries and 13 national parks. The dopamine rush of everyday nuances, thinking on your feet, and connecting with people lead Alex to the fast-paced world of recruiting. He is always looking to learn, and believes the Software industry is the place for that!
Alex won the internal recruitment award two years in a row at Backroads Travel out of 600+ employees. He also won the “Most Trips worked” award as a trip leader, working in 13 countries in one year. Academic All-American in lacrosse and proud Magna Cum Laude UCSB graduate. Awarded Backroad’s travel winner for trip leader of the week out of 700 contestants.
Alex is always pedaling! He's cycled from Canada to Cabo and has a life goal to cycle the entire Pacific coast. Whether it’s cycling around Europe, South America, Asia or the National Parks of the US, he is always eager to learn the local culture. Alex took two years to study wine in his off-time and earned a sommelier certificate, lived in Aspen CO and taught himself to ski, and learned Spanish while living in Guatemala. He also taught himself enough Japanese in a year to make coworkers laugh!
Founded in 2010, THELIONS is emergent from the impassioned work of our heroic alumni. Our DNA is encoded with operating Principles inspired by their example. Truth, our highest power. Honor, ideal human integrity. And Ethos, Aristotle for trustworthiness.
Driven by a thermodynamic urge to create an ideal environment for Talent hunters, our Work Cooperative model is arguably unimpeachable for the self-driven.
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