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I’ve spent most of my career building, scaling, and leading companies at moments of change: when the pressure is on, expectations are rising, and technology’s potential to drive real impact is higher than ever.
Hiring is at one of those moments right now, and it’s why I’m so excited to join Employ as Chief Executive Officer.
As a serial founder and entrepreneur, I’ve been on the frontlines of hiring myself, from making the very first hire to scaling teams into the hundreds. I’ve also been a customer, using one of Employ’s ATS solutions, Lever, to support those efforts. I’ve seen firsthand the difference the right recruiting software can make for TA teams, and just how much hiring decisions shape outcomes—not only for businesses, but for people’s careers, futures, and livelihoods.
That intersection between people and technology is what drew me to this industry, and more specifically to Employ. In this blog, I want to share a bit of my story, the experiences that shaped how I lead, and the vision I have for Employ as we build the future of hiring—one that moves faster, earns trust, and keeps people at the center of every decision.
Early Lessons in Entrepreneurship: From Game Boy Reseller to AI Founder
My entrepreneurial journey started earlier than most. I was born in Taipei, Taiwan, and after immigrating to the United States, I quickly noticed something that only a teenager would: Game Boys cost far more in the U.S. than they did back home.
So, when I traveled back to Taiwan to visit my family, I packed my suitcase with as many Game Boys as I could and resold them on eBay. This was in the early days of online reselling, long before there were playbooks or best practices to reference. I learned simply by experimenting, watching the market, and understanding timing—lessons that stuck with me far beyond that first venture.
That experience sparked both business ideas and a passion for building from the ground up, eventually leading me to start three companies. Most recently, I founded Retention Science (ReSci), an AI-powered CRM platform—what many would now call “AI before AI.” We helped online retailers use machine learning to communicate with customers in truly personalized ways, understanding intent, behavior, and timing to show up more thoughtfully and effectively.
Across those entrepreneurial chapters, I learned lessons that still guide how I lead today: how to take calculated risks, stay resilient through uncertainty, and how to earn trust in new technologies by delivering real, tangible value. Those experiences, and my early belief in the potential of AI, are what I’m excited to bring to Employ as we help customers navigate the next era of hiring.
What I Bring to the Table: A Founder and Customer Perspective
Being a founder doesn’t just mean building products; it means building teams. Over the years, I’ve supported hiring at every stage, from early startup days to scaling organizations into the hundreds. I know how high the stakes are, how limited time can be, and how much hiring leaders rely on their technology to get aligned, move fast, and make confident decisions.
I first encountered Employ in that exact context—as a customer. While leading Retention Science, we became a Lever customer and used the platform for six years. What started as a two-year contract quickly turned into long-term partnership. The team loved it, adoption was strong, and we continued renewing through our acquisition in 2020 and beyond.
Using Lever gave me a clear understanding of what TA teams truly need from their hiring technology: time back to focus on what matters most, whatever that looks like for you. I know just how valuable that time can be when you’re trying to scale fast, juggle competing priorities, and still make room for your personal life.
As I step into this role, I’m excited to build that same level of understanding across Employ’s broader portfolio and to learn how the needs of different customers evolve at different stages. I’m coming in with experience in your shoes, and with a commitment to keep listening, learning, and partnering closely so we can better support the hiring challenges you face every day.
My Vision for Employ: Innovation, Grounded in Customers
There’s no shortage of lessons I learned as a serial entrepreneur, but one of the most valuable ones was this: innovation only matters if it solves real problems for real people.
The success of ReSci wasn’t driven by chasing trends. It was built by listening closely to the challenges our customers faced, developing solutions alongside them, and refining those solutions until they fit the way customers actually operate. That same customer-centric mindset will guide how I lead at Employ.
Over the coming months, I’ll be spending time with our customers—on the road, in conversations, and through a new podcast focused on honest, no-frills conversations about the realities of hiring today. We’ll feature real practitioners sharing real stories: the wins, the setbacks, and the lessons learned along the way. Because the best innovation starts with understanding the people doing the work.
At the same time, we’re operating in one of the most significant technological shifts the industry has seen in years: the GenAI era. I’ve spent most of my career building AI-driven companies, and I’m energized by the opportunity ahead to scale Employ’s AI innovations, helping customers move faster, make more confident decisions, and deliver better outcomes for candidates.
But it wasn’t just Employ’s innovations that pulled me in; it was their people-first philosophy. The belief that hiring was, is, and always will be inherently human is embedded in the fabric of the company and reflected in every product decision we make. Because when we help people find the right jobs faster, we’re doing more than improving hiring outcomes; we’re helping people create more opportunity for themselves and the people they care about.
And this philosophy didn’t happen by accident. It happened thanks to the visionary leaders before me who set the tone. And I want to take a brief moment to recognize one of them: Dara Brenner. For the past six months, she’s been acting as both Chief Product Officer and interim CEO, guiding the organization through an important period of change while deepening alignment across product, go-to-market, and customer experience and continuing to advance our innovation. Her stewardship ensured we didn’t just maintain momentum—we sharpened it. I’m beyond grateful for the foundation she helped strengthen and excited to partner closely as we continue building what’s next.
Building What’s Next, Together
I’ve built every company I’ve led by staying close to the teams doing the work, the customers using our solutions, and the evolving realities of the markets we serve. That won’t change here.
To the Employ team, our customers, our partners, and the broader hiring community, I look forward to connecting with you. The future of hiring will be shaped by the people doing the work, and I’m excited to roll up my sleeves, listen closely, and build what comes next—together.
