Building High-Performance Organizations.

The People Partner for founders who go above and beyond.
We scale the world's most ambitious tech teams.

Meet Our CEO

$2B+

Capital raised by startups scaled

$5B+

Value created across portfolio

1000+

High-impact hires placed

Sara is a results-oriented talent partner with over a decade of experience scaling high-growth tech companies. She has a proven track record of placing foundational leaders at some of the world's most innovative AI and enterprise software firms.

Her execution-focused approach combines deep technical understanding with strategic market insights, delivering the leaders and teams that define success in competitive markets.

Sara, CEO of Protea Ventures

Sara Stegert

Our clients are backed by leading investors

Sequoia CapitalSoftBank Vision FundTiger Global ManagementY CombinatorLightspeed Venture PartnersNEAMeritech CapitalAlkeon CapitalAvenir Growth CapitalValar Ventures

Our Services

Fractional People Partner

Embedded HR leadership without the full-time overhead.

Not every startup needs a full-time Head of People on day one—but every scaling team needs strategic people leadership. We embed as your fractional People Partner, working alongside founders to build the culture, processes, and infrastructure that attract and retain world-class talent.

People strategy: Org design, performance frameworks, and culture-building from Series A onward
Employee experience: Onboarding, engagement, and retention programs that keep your best people
Compliance & ops: Employment policies, handbook creation, and HR systems setup across jurisdictions

Leadership Search

Finding C-suite and VP-level talent for high-growth tech.

We specialize in placing transformational leaders who can scale organizations from startup to enterprise. Our deep network spans Chief Technology Officers, VPs of Engineering, Chief Revenue Officers, and other executive roles critical to your next phase of growth.

Every search combines strategic market mapping, rigorous vetting of technical and leadership competencies, and white-glove candidate experience that closes top-tier executives in competitive markets.

AI & Technical Talent

Specialized ML and AI engineering recruitment.

Post-funding AI startups face unique challenges in the war for talent. We help you compete for and close the builders who will define your technical edge:

  • Competing with OpenAI, Anthropic, and DeepMind for top-tier ML talent
  • Distinguishing production builders from pure researchers
  • Closing candidates in hyper-competitive offer environments
  • Building diverse teams with complementary AI skill sets
  • Navigating global mobility and visa sponsorship for international talent

Talent Strategy & Scaling

HR advisory, compensation frameworks, and scaling infrastructure.

Going from 10 to 100+ hires requires more than recruiting—it demands scalable talent infrastructure. We partner with founders to build systems that grow with you.

Hiring infrastructure: Implement ATS systems, interview frameworks, and talent pipelines that scale
Compensation strategy: Design market-competitive equity and cash structures across roles and geographies
Talent planning: Forecast headcount needs, build org charts, and prioritize hiring sequencing

How We Work

Our methodology is built on deep partnership, rigorous execution, and a relentless focus on finding the right fit—not just the fastest hire.

01
1

Alignment

Deep dive into company culture and technical requirements.

We start by understanding what makes your company unique—your mission, technical stack, team dynamics, and growth trajectory. This isn't a 30-minute intake call; it's a strategic partnership session where we map your hiring needs to business objectives and define success criteria beyond the job description.

02
2

Sourcing

Global network access to elite AI and leadership talent.

Our proprietary network spans top-tier AI researchers, engineering leaders from FAANG and unicorns, and executives who've scaled organizations through hypergrowth. We leverage deep industry relationships, targeted outreach, and strategic mapping to surface candidates who aren't actively looking—but would move for the right opportunity.

03
3

Vetting

Rigorous technical and leadership competency assessments.

Every candidate undergoes comprehensive screening that goes beyond resume review. We assess technical depth, leadership capabilities, cultural alignment, and motivation through structured interviews and reference checks. You only meet candidates who have been thoroughly vetted and are genuinely excited about your mission.

04
4

Execution

Managing the process from first touch to signed offer.

We orchestrate every stage of the candidate journey—coordinating interviews, gathering feedback, managing expectations, negotiating offers, and ensuring a seamless close. Our white-glove approach means candidates feel valued throughout, and you maintain momentum even while managing your day-to-day. We don't stop at the offer letter; we ensure successful onboarding and long-term retention.

Latest Intelligence

Insight

Hiring in the AI Hype Cycle

How to identify genuine AI builders when everyone claims expertise. What separates production-ready ML engineers from those riding the wave.

Read more →
Analysis

Orchestrators vs Engineers

The critical distinction between those who prompt-engineer solutions and those who build the infrastructure. Why both matter but not for the same roles.

Read more →
Strategy

The Cost of a Prototype-Only Hire

What happens when your first AI engineers cannot scale beyond demos. The hidden technical debt of hiring for speed over systems thinking.

Read more →

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