Vetted Founders in the NYC Metro

Zia Karim

Screened ReferencesStrong rec.

Executive AI and technology leader specializing in regulated enterprise and FinTech

Stamford, CT26y exp

“Founder with 10+ years in the startup ecosystem who is actively building an early-stage company and raising capital through partners in Singapore, Dubai, and LatAm. Deeply familiar with VC and accelerator models but intentionally pursuing a partner-led, B2B enterprise route to accelerate revenue, preserve control, and leverage direct customer and distribution access.”

“VP of HR with 5 years in a design/manufacturing organization, leading full-cycle recruiting and training across engineering, design, IT, production, and operations. Has driven major org initiatives including employee value mapping, org development tied to revenue targets, and transitions to new PEO/payroll, healthcare, and 401(k) providers, using a structured RASCI-based project approach. Experienced managing distributed contractors across Canada, Jamaica, and the Philippines with clear core/flex-hour policies to handle time zones.”

Gabriel Aydin

Screened

Director-level Musicologist and Educator specializing in Syriac and chant traditions

Montvale, NJ26y exp

“Music editor/mixer specializing in narrative longform and YouTube-focused audio post, with documented experience shaping a 2018 documentary on Syriac chant traditions through chant-based drones, dynamic builds, and tightly timed musical phrasing. Works in Pro Tools with a template- and stems-based workflow, and uses retention data plus producer notes to iteratively improve pacing and engagement.”

“Recruiting leader who managed a team of 4 and stays hands-on with executive search and analytics. Partnered closely with a CRO to run a quality-of-hire analysis for sales hires and used the findings to shift hiring toward consultative profiles; also implemented candidate surveys to shorten overly long interview processes and improve candidate experience.”

“Former account manager/collector at Allied Account Services who ran 150–200 outbound calls/day (95% contact rate) and negotiated payment plans through an empathy-led, consultative approach. Also a solo e-commerce founder who launched a Shopify store and drove measurable growth (+55% traffic, +20% conversion, 120% monthly revenue growth in 3 months) and has been simulating SDR workflows in HubSpot with multi-channel outreach and automation/AI.”

“Founding-style SDR candidate with recent experience at an AI accounts receivable startup, prospecting into finance and operations leaders across mid-market and enterprise accounts. Stands out for combining intent signals, verified data, and highly specific operational messaging to win meetings with senior stakeholders like the CFO of Coca-Cola MENA, and for articulating a clear framework to build outbound pipeline from scratch.”

“People/HR leader with experience supporting globally distributed teams (US, Canada, UK) and partnering with senior leaders on org design and scalable people processes. Implemented a formal performance review program, including manager training and 1:1 coaching, to improve consistency, transparency, and performance conversations as the company grew.”

Jordan Karp

Screened

Executive founder and political strategist specializing in FinTech and public affairs

New York, NY23y exp

“Entrepreneur with a background in electoral politics who is building a niche lending company for political campaigns and organizations, a space they describe as having no direct competitors. They also bring prior experience starting manufacturing and transportation businesses, giving them an unusual blend of political domain knowledge, finance fluency, and repeat-founder experience.”

“Chief of Staff at Molecular Affinities and former Investor Relations & Operations manager at JCAM Investments, with hands-on experience supporting capital raising while simultaneously tightening operations (website, investor onboarding, back office). Strong operator who implements and drives adoption of systems like HubSpot, Asana, and Slack to improve executive productivity and team accountability.”

“Product designer/front-end builder in EdTech who bridges UX and engineering by moving quickly from Figma into coded interactive prototypes, then shipping production UI directly with engineers. Recently owned a major assessment-builder redesign at Progress Learning and independently built K-12 Compare, a neutral vendor comparison product informed by seven years of firsthand EdTech procurement experience.”