Principal, VC & Startup Ecosystem Lead

👋 Hi, I’m Kat https://www.linkedin.com/in/katfergerson/, Head of Partnerships at Ashby. I joined the team in 2024 to develop and lead our Partnership ecosystem. From the start, I was responsible for setting strategy and executing; the 0 to 1 work that a serial startup marketer like me loves. The through-line in my career is ‘doing things that have never been done before’, which is what drew me to Ashby. The work here looks different than at most companies. We have strong buy-in for partnerships within the organization. This has allowed me to focus on building key programs like Ashby Experts, our integration directory, community partnerships that provide air cover to our sales teams, and partner activations like the SF Giant’s game for Ashby One https://www.ashbyhq.com/ashby-one/2025. As the business scales, it’s time for me to give away my legos https://review.firstround.com/give-away-your-legos-and-other-commandments-for-scaling-startups/. One of the projects I’ve fully owned since the beginning is our VC Partnerships. The startup ecosystem is an anchor of Ashby’s growth. Our goal is to make Ashby the default ATS for venture-backed startups by embedding deeply into the VC talent ecosystem, driving trust, preference, and repeatable startup pipeline. It’s led me to forming deep relationships with VC Talent at firms like Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia, Craft, and hosting our inaugural VC Talent Summit https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7427841332867473408. Now it’s time to think bigger. The Principal, VC & Startup Ecosystem Lead role is an opportunity for someone to come in and own partnerships across three key pillars: VC Talent, Startups, and Accelerators. I’m looking for someone who’s excited about being the face of this community and building programming that serves founders and VC Talent. Taking what I’ve started and 10x’ing it to increase the impact. You’ll immediately own our startup partnerships, making sure we’re connected with the right firms, running campaigns with Demand Gen to target portfolio companies, building relationships with accelerators to develop programming for founders, and running an event strategy to co-host meetups with top VC firms. What you’ll be responsible for in this role: Over the next 12 months, you’ll be responsible for: 1. Deepening Ashby’s VC Talent Partner community & programming. You’ll own our annual VC Talent Partner Summit, taking our format and making it even better next year. You’ll develop programming that builds trusted relationships with top Talent Partners, create content, events, and touch points that invest in Talent Partners and become a known, trusted advisor in the community. 2. Extending Ashby’s startup ecosystem. You’ll design events that bring together founders and first recruiters, turning community moments into long-term relationships, and make Ashby the default hiring tool in a founder’s stack. 3. Building our Accelerator GTM motion. You’ll build relationships with Accelerators and design programming that increases adoption across early-stage companies. Making accelerators a clear part of Ashby’s startup success. You Will Probably Love This Role If… - You’ve worked closely with VC Talent Partners and understand their roles in the venture ecosystem. - You thrive off of a high-ownership, high trust environment and enjoy putting strategy together and then running at it to execute. - You love designing event programming with partners and know what a startup founder values. - You lead with curiosity and kindness, and have mastered the art of turning “no’s” into a positive experience for others. - You’re an exceptional communicator and writer, with a strong executive presence. - You enjoy being a host, leading conversations and are known for building long-term relationships. - You’re excited by the idea of building something new and meaningful for the startup community. This Role Is Not a Fit If… - You’re uncomfortable with autonomy or working independently. Our team culture is primarily asynchronous and high-ownership. Meaning you’re responsible for setting deadlines and moving work forward. - You’re not used to working with urgency. We value forward momentum and high output, and believe it’s a competitive advantage to out-execute others. - You love founders, but prefer to be in the background. This role requires you to lead conversations with executive audiences and be comfortable speaking as a subject matter expert in front of big rooms. - For whatever reason, travel is hard for you. VCs are located in SF and NYC, and the events you’ll be hosting will be there or at conferences. This role is best suited for someone who gets energy from being on the road. - You’re not detail oriented. We have an incredible Event Ops team, but this role requires you to sweat the details on your programs with full ownership over them.  Interview Process At Ashby, we design our interview process to help you show your best self. Here’s what to expect: 1. 30-minute intro call – intro call with Michelle http://www.linkedin.com/in/michellejhuang (Recruiter) to learn more about the role and share a bit about your experience and how you’d want to approach this role. 2. 45-minute interview with me (Kat https://www.linkedin.com/in/katfergerson/, Hiring Manager) – We’ll dive into past projects and discuss your approach to partner enablement. 3. 30-minute interview with Harriet https://www.linkedin.com/in/hajohnston/, (VP, Marketing) to dig into Operating Principles https://www.ashbyhq.com/blog/culture/ashbys-leadership-principles and business acumen. 4. Assignment – You’ll complete a written take-home assignment. 5. Virtual Onsite (2 hours) – You’ll meet with team members across marketing, events, and leadership. Benefits - Competitive salary and equity. - Opportunity to work with a talented and passionate team. - 10-year exercise window for stock options. You shouldn’t feel pressure to purchase stock options if you leave Ashby —do it when you feel financially comfortable. - Unlimited PTO with four weeks recommended per year. Expect “Vacation?” in our one-on-one agenda until you start taking it 😅. - Twelve weeks of fully paid family leave in the US. We plan to expand this to employees in other countries as situations arise. - Generous equipment, software, and office furniture budget. Get what you need to be happy and productive! - $100/month education budget with more expensive items (like conferences) covered with manager approval. - If you’re in the US, top-notch health insurance for you and your dependents with all premiums covered by us. Ashby’s success hinges on hiring great people and creating an environment where we can be happy, feel challenged, and do our best work. We’re being deliberate about building that environment from the ground up. I hope that excites you enough to apply. Apply Now If this sounds like a role you’d love, we’d love to hear from you! Apply through our careers page with your resume and make sure to fill out the application questions. While we appreciate your use of AI, please use your own work and examples on the questions. Ashby provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetics, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. We are committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce and welcome people from all backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, and abilities.