Taara Khalilnaji

Founder & Principal @North Star Talent

Seattle, WA, US

I founded North Star Talent in late 2024 to help start-ups with their hiring and talent retention strategies. In Jan. 2025, I entered a general partnership with Sundog Talent, DBA as \"Sundog Talent\". As a boutique recruiting firm we jointly supported early-stage, technically complex companies with high-quality recruiting and people operations consulting. We partnered with several VC-backed companies to hire foundational engineering, product, design, post-sales, and leadership roles. We built scalable sourcing engines, process infrastructure, and closing playbooks for start-ups preparing to grow rapidly. I personally owned all client work for Steve Hind\'s Lorikeet, producing 15 candidates who received offers over 10 months across engineering, design, forward deployed AI engineering, and leadership.Mid-Oct. 2025, I concluded the partnership and returned to my own independent practice, which included transitioning Lorikeet\'s contract to North Star Talent.North Star Talent reflects my commitment to helping founders and early stage teams learn how to hire well while still moving

Santa Clara University

B.A., Communication