Karissa Cooper

About Karissa Cooper

CliftonStrengths: Achiever | Responsibility | Empathy | Positivity | Activator For over a decade, I have been partnering with entrepreneurs and executives as a trusted people advisor in early-stage start-up and small business environments. With a focus on fintech for the past five years, I have been privileged to manage various operational teams and gain a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by growing companies. I specialize in establishing organizational foundations and creating HR policies, procedures, and best practices set to scale as an early or first people-hire. I prioritize building an progressive employee experience by increasing focus on transparency, development, and recognition of success through various people initiatives. The journey of helping startups achieve growth and success has been incredibly fulfilling, and I eagerly await the next great idea to tackle!

Experience

1. Head of People

   Brightvine

   Jan 2022 — Present

   Built the organizational structure as the first people hire, establishing policies, implementing HRIS programs, creating wage, salary, and performance structures, defining each function with best practices - Effectively manage People & Talent budgets in excess of $3M+ and instituted a cost-cutting plan that resulted in a reduction in operational costs via a smooth transition to a PEO - Strategically partner with executives to drive equitable hiring plans and people management strategies, achieving a employee satisfaction rating of 92% in 2022 - Conducted a comprehensive interviewing training program which resulted in a more equitable hiring process and a 108% team size increase in >6 months. Maintained an 80% acceptance rate and low turnover amongst the team - Led and developed layoff process by orchestrating crisis leadership training for executives, providing resources for departing employees, and offering additional support to the continuing team. Retention rate of team members post-layoffs: 95%