StartupExperts

💡 The biggest mistake early founders make? They start building processes before they build a team culture. In this short clip, Tanaz Mody shares why your first priority shouldn’t be performance management — it should be defining how you work together. 💭 “What matters is how you’re operating together, what’s acceptable and what’s not, and how you make decisions as a team.” It’s a powerful reminder that great culture isn’t built in hindsight — it’s designed from day one. 💥 🔗 Watch this short clip to hear Tanaz’s take, and catch the full 14 minute shortform conversation here: https://lnkd.in/gPa6wwgN #StartupExperts #Leadership #Founders #TeamCulture #StartupLife #PeopleFirst #CompanyCulture

East Bay StartupExperts members! Join us at Headlands Brewing in Walnut Creek on Thursday, November 13 for an exciting happy hour full of great networking and conversation. Local chapter members and guests will be gathering to share experiences, get to know each other, and forge deeper bonds. If you're a member, or curious about us, swing on by on Thursday and say hello! Register here: https://luma.com/2h132dff

What a milestone! 🚀 Thank you Kim Krupski for leading our Leadership Circle: HR, Part 1 with such insight, empathy, and care. This 8-week journey brought together an incredible group of HR leaders who showed up with openness, curiosity, and a commitment to growth. Congratulations to all the participants — Alison Lyda, Anthony Calleo, Marwa Hamdy, Michelle Banham, Mike Czirjak, Mitch Forney, Nicola Porter-Smith, Ritu Barkotoky, and Scott Bradley — for sharing your wisdom, challenges, and wins so generously. We’re so proud of this community and the conversations that continue to shape the future of people leadership within the StartupExperts network (and beyond!). 💫 #StartupExperts #LeadershipCircle #HRCommunity #PeopleOps #LearningTogether #CommunityInAction

Join the StartupExperts Austin chapter for an in-person meetup! Local members and guests will be getting together at Hold Out Brewing on Wednesday, November 12th for a fun night of networking, connection, and getting to know each other in person. If you're a local member, or just in the area and curious about what StartupExperts is about, come hang out with us! Register here: https://luma.com/dzbigk8a

Attention all People Leaders in the Miami area! Join a group of dynamic StartupExperts members in the People space for breakfast at Morgans Restaurant on Wednesday, November 12. You'll have the opportunity to join some great conversations and forge meaningful connections with inspiring leaders who are shaking things up in the People/HR world. We can't wait to see you! Register here: https://luma.com/w9jo5kps

🎙️ New Episode: Becoming Better with StartupExperts — 25 Leaders to Follow in 2025 Series! In this week’s episode, Jesse Freese sits down with Tanaz Mody, Operating Partner at Lerer Hippeau, for a candid conversation about building people-first cultures and the evolving role of leadership. 💬 Tanaz shares what she’s learned from years of partnering with founders — from the importance of self-awareness and communication clarity, to knowing when to let go and trust your team to grow. She reminds us that leadership isn’t static — it changes as companies evolve, and it’s built on empathy, trust, and learning through every stage. 💡 Tune in to hear how Tanaz continues to redefine what it means to “become better.” 🙌🏼 🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gaypGMgb #StartupExperts #BecomingBetterPodcast #Leadership #PeopleAndCulture #HRCommunity #25LeadersToFollow

How do you make your consulting business truly AI-ready for 2026? 🤖 That’s the question we explored in this month’s Consulting Channel Learning Session, where we dove into how consultants and startup advisors can use AI to plan strategically for the year ahead. From workflow automation to smarter client engagement, this session was all about turning AI potential into practical, everyday value. ✨ 🙌🏼 Big thanks to Julianne Averill for leading the session. She broke down how to map out workflows and use cases for generative and agentic AI, when to buy vs. build, and how to move from assessment → pilot → iteration. Julianne also shared prompting frameworks, real-world examples, and insights into how tools like ChatGPT and Claude are reshaping how consultants work, create, and collaborate. 💡 Appreciation as well to Ben Aronowicz for hosting, and to all our attendees who joined the discussion! 🙌 #StartupExperts #AI #Consulting #FutureOfWork #Leadership #Innovation #Community

🌟 Exciting news from StartupExperts! We’re thrilled to welcome Jessica M. to our Executive Leadership Team as our new VP of Operations & Strategy. 🎉 Jessica brings a remarkable blend of strategic vision and operational expertise, with a background spanning finance, operations, and organizational design. She holds a Master’s in Finance from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business and a BA in Psychology from Barnard College at Columbia University, and has led finance and operations at high-growth startups. 💫 💭 As our community has grown to more than 2,300 members, an 80+-person all-volunteer leadership team, and over 100 events each year, the complexity of our operations has expanded right along with it. Jessica will help us scale with excellence—strengthening how we plan, organize, and execute across every program and initiative. We’re so excited to have her on board and can’t wait to see the impact she’ll make as we continue to grow and serve our members together. 💛 Please join us in giving Jessica a warm welcome! 🙌🏼 #Leadership #Community #StartupExperts #Operations #Strategy #ScalingExcellence

🎙️ We’re thrilled to share our latest Partner Profile interview with Justin Clifford, Co-Founder of Bereave — a company transforming how organizations support employees through death, grief, and loss. Bereave helps both individuals and employers navigate some of life’s hardest moments with empathy, structure, and care — offering tools for managers and HR leaders to show up better for their teams. This conversation also marks the start of Bereave’s partnership with StartupExperts, expanding access to this meaningful resource across our community. 🙌🏼 💥 Tune in as Justin and Jesse Freese discuss the real impact of compassion in the workplace — and how thoughtful leadership can change lives in moments that matter most. 🎧 Watch the full conversation here: https://lnkd.in/grrKAKjf #StartupExperts #Bereave #Leadership #Community #FutureOfWork #PeopleAndCulture #Partnership