We are driven
We’re driven by the mission to give all students the chance to build the career they want, no matter where they’re from or what school they attend.
Committed to
democratizing
opportunity
While studying at Michigan Tech University, Handshake founders Garrett Lord, Ben Christensen, and Scott Ringwelski discovered the glaring inequality in career opportunities for students across the country. Believing that software had the potential to bridge this opportunity gap, they built the foundations of Handshake. The friends took their idea on a cross-country road trip to better understand the challenges students face when applying to jobs and to persuade college career centers to partner with them.
Handshake was created to ensure that all college students have equal access to meaningful careers. Since our 2014 founding, our network of university and employer partners—and the impact for students— has grown exponentially. Within a few years, Handshake has become the leading early career community in the US.
The Handshake network
12M+
active student users
1,400+
college and university partners
750k+
employers
Building the #1 early career community
Careers at Handshake
Our team is growing! Join a passionate, driven, and empathetic team that’s focused on making an impact, and committed to creating an inclusive culture for all.
Leadership team
Bhupesh Bansal
VP, Engineering
Dave Cavino
VP, Growth Marketing
Brett Gilbert
VP, Enterprise Sales
Garrett Lord
Co-Founder and CEO
Dan McLennan
VP, Commercial Sales
Scott Powell
VP, Enablement
Malthe Sigurdsson
Chief Design Officer
Kamal Thakarsey
VP, Employer Marketing
Luke Baxter
Chief Product Officer
Ben Christensen
Co-Founder
Katherine Kelly
VP, Education Marketing
Jonathan Lu
VP & GM, Europe
Christine Nicolas
VP, Revenue Operations
Scott Ringwelski
Co-Founder
Rich Simon
VP, Talent
Paloma Thombley
VP, People
Liz Bourgeois
Chief Communications Officer
Christine Cruzvergara
Chief Education Strategy Officer
Deepak Kumar
VP, Data
Asif Makhani
Chief Technology Officer
Rupa Parameswaran
VP, Security and IT
Chris Rynders
VP, Strategic Sales and Growth
Brett Skale
Chief Revenue Officer
Mallory Wheaton
VP, Employer Customer Experience
Valerie Capers Workman
Chief Legal Officer
Ankit Garg
VP, Enterprise Product
Jerry Lee
VP, Education Partnerships
Rachel Markov
VP, Customer Success
Jordan Pedraza
VP, Global Support
Patty Sheikh
SVP GTM Strategy & Operations
Jonathan Stull
Chief Operating Officer
Board of Directors
Ben Christensen
Co-Founder
Margo Georgiadis
Partner, General Catalyst
Mamoon Hamid
General Partner, Kleiner Perkins
Michael Lomax
President and CEO, UNCF
Garrett Lord
Co-Founder and CEO
Alistair Mitchell
Partner & Co-Head, EQT Ventures
Megan Quinn
COO, Niantic
Toni Schneider
Partner, True Ventures