Danielle Silvestro

MEET YOUR NEW PEOPLE PARTNER:

I’ve BEEN BUILDING & LEADING TEAMS IN HIGH-GROWTH COMPANies FOR
15+ YEARS

I WORK WITH FIRST-TIME FOUNDERS TO reduce turnover & BOOST EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

I’ve been lucky enough to work with founders across a bunch of industries. That includes collaborating with globally distributed, hybrid, in-person and fully remote companies.
From small startups to large corporations, I’ve managed teams ranging from 15 to over 2,000.
What drives me? The versatility. On Monday, I might be working with a hospitality biz - supporting their customer-facing teams. Then, on Tuesday, I’ll be figuring out career paths for sales teams.
Over the past 15+ years, I’ve found that every company’s initiatives are unique - but the patterns of how to build thriving teams are the same.
(That’s why I do what I do!)
• Professional Certificate in Executive Coaching, Henley Business School (ILM Level 7)
• ICF, ACC coach
• AgileHR certified coach
• Accredited psychometric practitioner (Hogan, Facet5, Hucama)
• Accredited Transactional Analysis coach
• Certified Rocket Model practitioner
• MSc Organisational Psychology, Birkbeck University (London)
• MA English Literature, University of Edinburgh

WORK WITH ME

so, you’re A FOUNDER. YOU’RE DOING EVERYTHING, LEARNING LOTS & TRYING TO STRETCH TIME.

but WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU NEED HELP? WHAT if you DON’T KNOW WHAT TYPE OF HELP YOU EVen NEED?

AMPLIFY MY IMPACT

stay curious & open

The best solutions often come from asking better questions. We approach each challenge with fresh eyes, challenge assumptions (including our own), and believe there's always more to learn. Being curious means acknowledging we don't have all the answers - and that's exciting

START WITH KINDNESS

Complex problems need human solutions. While we bring expertise and structure to our work, we start by understanding and caring for the people involved. This means creating spaces where everyone feels welcomed and heard, recognising that small acts of kindness matter deeply in work relationships, and ensuring both intent and impact are considered in every decision we make.

think creatively

There's never a single 'best' answer in people and culture. Borrowed frameworks rarely work for growing startups, so we believe in finding fresh ways to solve people challenges. This means getting creative with how we adapt proven approaches, designing solutions that scale naturally with your business, and ensuring your team's unique personality shines through in everything we build together.

empower others

Great workplaces aren't built overnight. We're here to help you create lasting positive change, giving you the tools and confidence to lead independently. This means looking beyond quick fixes to build practices that evolve with your business, focusing on sustainable solutions, and ensuring you're equipped to own your people strategy for years to come.

Danielle put in place the entire infrastructure for EF to function. I really appreciated working with a partner who had such an in-depth knowledge of not only what the company needed but also what was required from a legal and regulatory perspective.

Tamsin Ashworth Reeves (Partner + General Counsel, Entrepreneur First)
In the two years I worked alongside Danielle, I can personally attest to her ability, empathy and extreme patience (which I tested more than once). Danielle brings a level of passion to the People function that any founder would be lucky to have. Her command of policy and best practice is matched only by her unwavering values and genuine desire to develop others.

Matt Wichrowski (Partner, Fly.VC)
I worked very closely with Danielle for three years at Entrepreneur First, during a period of enormous growth for the company which saw the team triple in size. Danielle dealt with the escalating needs of such a rapidly growing business with skill and an enviable level of calmness.

Tamsin Ashworth Reeves (Partner + General Counsel, Entrepreneur First)
Danielle ran the people team with the professionalism of a far larger company. Beyond those solid foundations, her use of psychometric assessments and novel performance management tooling brought cross-functional cohesion and made my job as a manager much easier. It also improved our leadership team dynamics. More generally, her presence provided a much-needed sense of stability amidst turbulent startup life.

Tom Cavill (Heygo)