Founders who have just raised
Data and AI founders who have closed a round and are hiring senior go-to-market, technical or product leaders without a VP of Talent in place are the closest fit for fractional executive search.
Enquirer Consulting Group
The Brass Buyer Map
Terry O'Connor | The Brass | October 2026
As of 14 Oct 2026
This map covers the companies that buy The Brass corporate services, which are fractional executive search and outplacement support for growth-stage companies in data, AI and climate.
It sets out the groups of organizations those buyers sit in, who usually signs off at each, and where the openings are.
Where the buyers sit
Groups of organizations in the data, AI and climate sectors. Counts are rough and banded on purpose; a group without a clean public category says so.
| Group | Organizations in the US | Under 20 staff | 20 to 99 | 100 to 499 | 500 or more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software and data platform companies | about 25,000 | about 20,000 | about 2,900 | about 1,300 | about 990 |
| Custom software, AI and computer systems design firms | about 110,000 | about 100,000 | about 7,300 | about 2,000 | about 1,100 |
| Solar, wind and other renewable power companies | about 820 | not published | not published | not published | not published |
| Climate technology startups outside power generation, such as carbon removal, climate software and grid tools | no clean public count |
US firm counts by industry code, banded deliberately.
What The Brass sells to companies
Fractional executive search and VP of Talent Acquisition support for companies that need senior recruiting leadership without a full-time hire, with a focus on go-to-market, technical and product leaders.
Corporate outplacement for women in the mid-to-late stages of their careers, combining one-on-one and group coaching, personal transition plans, workshops and community support.
Both are aimed at startups and hypergrowth companies in the data, AI and climate sectors.
The Brass website, How we partner page
Who signs off on fractional executive search
In a growth-stage company the buyer is usually the person carrying the open senior role until a full-time talent leader is in place.
| Organization type | Who usually signs off | What they weigh |
|---|---|---|
| Early-stage data or AI startup | Founder and CEO, often with a cofounder | Getting a first senior leader hired without building a recruiting team |
| Growth-stage software or data platform company | CEO or COO, with the Head of People | Filling go-to-market and product leadership while the company scales |
| AI services and systems design firm | Managing partner or COO | Senior technical hires and hiring strategy across teams |
| Climate technology company | CEO or COO, sometimes the CFO | Leaders who can move from tech into climate work |
Who signs off on outplacement support
Outplacement is bought when a company plans a layoff or reorganization, and it sits inside the separation budget.
| Organization type | Who usually signs off | What they weigh |
|---|---|---|
| Growth-stage software or data company | Chief People Officer or VP of People | A transition program with real impact for departing staff |
| Larger AI or data platform company | CHRO or VP of Human Resources, with the CFO on budget | Inclusive support for experienced professionals |
| Climate technology company | Head of People or COO | Personal guidance for senior women leaving after a change |
When companies in these groups usually buy
Executive search is most often bought right after a funding round, when a founder needs senior hires before a full-time talent leader joins.
Outplacement is most often bought in the weeks before a layoff or reorganization is announced, when people leaders are setting the separation package.
Ten people to start with
The people who usually sign at the groups above, one a company. Work emails and phone numbers checked on Oct 14, 2026.
| Name | Role | Company | Where | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Butts | Chief Executive Officer | Burtch Works | Chicago, IL | mbutts@burtchworks.com | +1 630 740 3700 |
| Preet Sohi | Founder | employHER | Seattle, WA | preet@employher.com | +1 206 661 1615 |
| Kevin Maloney | Chief Executive Officer | iTrustCapital | Newport Beach, CA | k.maloney@itrustcapital.com | +1 949 378 9851 |
| Abhishek K Srivastava | Co-Founder & CEO | ITMC Systems, Inc | Parsippany, NJ | abhishek@itmcsystems.com | +1 405 651 8989 |
| Jordi Negre | Founder & CEO | Dantex Group | New York | jordi@dantexgroup.com | +1 786 236 1820 |
| Rob Grimes | Founder & Chairman | ConStrata | Potomac, MD | grimes@constrata.io | +1 301 916 2235 |
| Ben Edmond | CEO & Founder | Connectbase | Hopkinton, MA | ben@connectbase.com | +1 508 202 1807 |
| Garret Grajek | Chief Executive Officer | YouAttest | Irvine, CA | garret@youattest.com | +1 714 658 0765 |
| Rich Rogers | Chief Executive Officer | Xemelgo | Seattle, WA | rich.rogers@xemelgo.com | +1 617 455 8832 |
| Dr Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic | Co-Founder | Deeper Signals | Brooklyn, NY | tomas@deepersignals.com | +1 347 949 1417 |
Where to start
People leaders planning a reorganization
Heads of People at data, AI and climate companies going through layoffs can add outplacement for senior women to the separation package, which matches the coaching and playbook the site already offers.
Climate companies hiring from tech
Climate technology companies that recruit leaders out of software and data roles need search support that understands both sides, which is the transition The Brass writes about on its own site.
Built from public federal registries and the company's own website, counts banded deliberately.
If a walk-through is useful, pick a time at cal.com/ecg.
Prepared by Ben Beattie, ben@enquirerconsulting.com.