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!
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.
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.
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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