We build high performance leadership and core teams for tech startups

So that you scale and meet your growth targets, now and into the future.

MOVE

OUR ETHOS

The tech founders we partner with are rare, ambitious, and bold. They are visionaries with deep-rooted conviction in what they are building: industry-leading tech companies that alter the way we live and work.

Our fundamental purpose is to help these companies by placing extraordinary talent in critical roles. We refer to these talented individuals as having ‘champion DNA’. They are masters of their craft with elite-level drive and skill sets. Like the founders they join forces with, they are bold and come from diverse backgrounds. They are catalysts who drive companies forward.

Although we spend most of our time cultivating this network, we don’t consider ourselves recruiters or headhunters. We are long-term strategic search partners helping our clients build tomorrow.

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    go above and beyond

    We exceed expectations by always taking the extra step.

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    be fierce

    We face the impossible with energy, grit and cleverness.

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    take ownership

    We own our actions and don't make excuses in the face of great challenges.

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    be humble

    We collaborate to achieve the mission. We listen and never stop learning. We don't take credit, we give it.

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    stay positive

    We strive to affect change through positive thoughts and actions. We present solutions, not problems.

OUR FOUNDERS

Ilan Saks

FOUNDER & CEO
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Ilan Saks

FOUNDER & CEO
Ilan is obsessed with helping founders scale to achieve their ultimate goals. He is focused on building high-performance leadership, engineering, and go-to-market teams that transform tech startups into industry leaders. As a result, Ilan is a trusted partner to many of the Bay Area and North America’s most storied tech companies.
Ilan started his career in venture capital investing in, and partnering with, early stage tech founders. An entrepreneur at his core, he went on to start FounderProject, a micro venture fund that spurred the creation of tech startups across North America.
“Whether strategizing on talent strategies with founders or rolling out the red carpet for a dream candidate, I’m constantly building strategic talent partnerships. Seeing StackedSP’s clients become category leaders and ultimately realize their vision are my proudest accomplishments.”

Jared Saks

MANAGING PARTNER
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Jared Saks

MANAGING PARTNER
 Jared is a trusted advisor to founders and executives on key strategic searches. He is passionate about building core teams from scratch for early stage startups.
Jared is an expert in functional leadership searches (Engineering, Product, Sales and Marketing) for emerging growth tech companies. To understand what champion DNA looks like in each role, he leverages his background in tech working in various product and pre- and post-sales engineering roles before joining StackedSP.
“Partnering with founders on their journey to change the world is what energizes me every day. I love working with entrepreneurs who have ambitious goals, creating exceptional recruiting processes, and empowering world-class talent in making their next career move.”

OUR TEAM

KATHERINE JENSEN

HEAD OF TALENT DEVELOPMENT
& OPERATIONS
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KATHERINE JENSEN

HEAD OF TALENT DEVELOPMENT
& OPERATIONS
Katherine has consistently delivered for StackedSP’s partners by placing numerous go-to-market and product leaders in critical positions. She also continually refines our processes so that we serve our clients with excellence. Katherine has been honing her sales leadership, operations and process skills since 2004 across multiple B2C and B2B industries. She thrives on finding solutions for complex challenges, all while staying positive and keeping up team morale. She has an advanced computer science diploma, was a Nortel Networks scholar, and has repeatedly won sales achievement awards as an individual and leader.
“I get a rush from helping a client hire a candidate that I know will thrive and grow their business, but my proudest moments are focused around watching each new member of our team achieve their professional and personal milestones. And I make sure we have a blast while doing it!”

RIM TESFAI

PRINCIPAL, SEARCH & PARTNER SUCCESS
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RIM TESFAI

PRINCIPAL, SEARCH & PARTNER SUCCESS
Rim focuses on technical leadership searches. She came to her expertise honestly: she’s worked primarily as an early employee of venture backed startups. Rim brings that startup instinct to StackedSP and understands the reality and needs of startup founders. She spent 4 months in San Francisco working internally with a client helping build their engineering team. In 2020, she partnered with an exciting new client looking to grow their entire organization across the US as they experienced hyper growth in the midst of the pandemic. She helped to build their Product and Operations team, as well as hiring key members of the executive team in the US and Australia. Prior to joining StackedSP, Rim was instrumental in helping build Uber’s go-to-market and sales team.

CHARLENE DEMPSTER

SENIOR ASSOCIATE
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CHARLENE DEMPSTER

SENIOR ASSOCIATE
Charlene’s tenacity is one of the biggest benefits for our clients – she’s not satisfied until she finds the champion candidate for each role. Charlene works as hard as only a working mom can – she understands the value of our clients’ and candidates’ time and gets results quickly.
“I’m a very driven person. In last December’s busy holiday season, I reached out to past clients to see how we could help them get set up for success in the new year. A few collaborative conversations later, I heard on New Year’s Eve that we would partner again on a big search. I was thrilled that a bit of extra effort meant that I could serve our clients well and help my team reach our goals all at the same time!”

FERN KACHUCK

SENIOR ASSOCIATE
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FERN KACHUCK

SENIOR ASSOCIATE
In finding and placing great talent, Fern reads and balances both sides of the equation – keenly assessing candidates’ qualities and cultural fit to ensure they are set up for success in the process as well as offering our clients candidates that meet their needs. With a BFA in Photography, Fern has a key eye for detail.
“I’m someone who loves “seeing” beyond the physical and really getting into the story of someone’s life, whether it’s through my photography or in my sourcing – it helps me excel in both.”

LAURENT PATOCKA

SENIOR ASSOCIATE
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LAURENT PATOCKA

SENIOR ASSOCIATE
Laurent brings a blend of passion, analysis, and tenacity to his work to continually achieve client goals. He has over a decade working in the search industry, spending countless hours speaking to amazing candidates and clients. In his free time, you can catch Laurent camping, biking and driving golf balls into bushes.
“My first job in the recruitment world required that we complete lengthy RFPs on short notice, often staying up until 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning to write, print and bind. It was grueling. It was all worth it when, a few days later, we’d hear back from our brand new client! Hard work and tenacity pay off.”

SARA TAREK

ASSOCIATE
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SARA TAREK

ASSOCIATE
Sara approaches each search with enthusiasm and a keen eye for detail. With over 5 years of experience in the recruiting industry, she understands the importance and time sensitivity of high impact tech roles in startups.
“Some days I wear my bilingual talent sourcer hat and other days I wear my Holistic Nutritionist and Corporate Wellness Advisor hat. I’m happy that I have been able to turn two of my passions – recruiting and nutrition – into day-to-day work.”

LEEANN WHISTANCE-SMITH

ASSOCIATE
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LEEANN WHISTANCE-SMITH

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When sourcing champion talent for clients, LeeAnn pays close attention to detail. She focuses on the exact needs and desires of clients, both addressed and unspoken. LeeAnn has honed her business success intuition by completing a degree in commerce and now working towards an online MBA. As an entrepreneur herself, she understands the need to get the first hires right.
“I did a happy dance when I was accepted to my MBA program! I love learning and bettering myself, so this was a huge personal win. I strive for success for myself and our clients everyday.”

MELISSA HART

ASSOCIATE
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MELISSA HART

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Melissa leverages over a decade of experience working in tech – from UX through to devops and beyond – to understand the nuances of various client requests. She works hard to exceed client goals, pulling from her experience on top tier tech brands such as Credit Karma, GameStop, and others.
“I’m overly organized and super energetic! I once launched a fairly major project with a client who was in her 70s and didn’t understand tech in the slightest. By the time we launched, she said “Melissa, I love you, I wish I could call you whenever I have any problems.””

Sindi Kachuck

ASSOCIATE
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Sindi Kachuck

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Sindi strives for healthy perfection in everything, and this is one of her greatest strengths when it comes to sourcing top talent – she keeps the bar high to find quality candidates.
“I have a degree in Sociology and am also a holistic nutritionist and wellness coach. I love that my background and career is all about people and transforming their lives for the better.”

Amanda Machado

ASSOCIATE
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Amanda Machado

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Amanda is a seasoned recruiter who’s also pursuing a lifelong goal to study Psychology. Her positive approach to all things makes her an asset to our team and clients. When faced with challenges, Amanda uses a balanced and disciplined approach to find the winning solution – and candidate.
“I believe that with a little perseverance anything is possible! I draw strength and inspiration from my family.”

Elvire Agossou

ASSOCIATE
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Elvire Agossou

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Elvire sources elite talent for our clients by applying a core foundation of proven criteria that would make a potential candidate a great hire. She has developed a keen sense of knowing where and how to find the best candidates.
“When sourcing technical talent, I set ambitious goals and never sacrifice on quality. I understand that one hire can make or break an emerging tech startup, and seeing them make it is what gets me super excited! A particular achievement I am proud of is when I designed a marketing strategy attracting 700+ people to a conference organized by a group I am part of. I love learning from different people and their experiences.”

Kayren Andres

ASSOCIATE
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Kayren Andres

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Working for 5 years at a unicorn startup gives Kayren a distinct edge in sourcing top talent for StackedSP’s clients. She is creative, quick and collaborative, always ensuring high-quality output and focusing on our partners’ needs and wants for the success of the project.

“My last employer was growing exponentially. I helped build their workforce from scratch, which consisted of niche tech talent from the finance, travel, and hospitality industries across South East Asia. It is not always easy to pull out this talent from their comfort zone, so when I see them shine in their new roles, I take pride knowing that I did right by the company and these candidates.”