About us
We hunt unicorns for a living.
SCGC was born out of a need for a tech-savvy and innovative recruiting firm to support the fast-growing VC and Growth Equity industry. We fill investment roles from Seed through pre-IPO stage, giving us an unparalleled ability to bridge the gap between Silicon Valley and Wall Street.
On the early stage side, we nurture relationships with both current and prospective VCs. This entails spending a significant amount of time networking with venture capitalists, founders, engineers, and product managers. Recruiting future investors in particular is uncharted waters, but we’ve navigated them so often that our pattern recognition skills are unmatched.
On the Growth Equity side, we know our way around tier 1 investment banks, private equity funds, and consulting firms from coast to coast. We understand the need for deep diligence and financial underwriting capabilities, and we speak your language.
Our Team
-
Alexa Tisopulos
ASSOCIATE
Alexa is famous for her infectious energy and ability to get things done. She received degrees in Public Health and Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley. While in school, she was a back-to-back Leadership Award scholarship recipient, a highly competitive award granted to innovative undergraduates who impact their community with outstanding leadership.
Before joining SCGC, she worked as the founding and sole Executive Recruiter at health startup Forward.
Beyond her professional work, Alexa spends much of her time with family and friends, traveling, and cheering on the California Golden Bears (though sometimes it’s hard!).
-
Iris Madrid
ASSOCIATE
Iris is an exceptionally hard working and gifted search professional. A 3-time Valedictorian (Elementary, High School, and University), she graduated with a bachelors in communications - with the highest honors - from the highest-rated university in the Philippines.
She interned at CNN while in college, then joined Unilever as a Communications Associate.
Iris joined SCGC in 2021, and splits her time between Manila and the San Francisco Bay Area.
-
Maddie Torres
CHIEF OF STAFF
Maddie graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in tourism and travel services from the University of Santo Tomas.
She is a talented and resourceful researcher with an eye for detail and passion for giving exceptional assistance. She splits her time between research and being SCGC’s Chief of Staff.
Outside of work, Maddie loves to travel and to immerse herself in different cultures and cuisines.
-
Melissa Cote
PRINCIPAL
Melissa is usually known as the face — and megaphone! — of SCGC.
She grew up near Miami and spent a few years in the Caribbean and South America. After her undergraduate studies at Concordia University, she spent 18 months in a volunteering program in Belgium. Upon her return, she worked within the Real Estate Private Equity group of CDP, a $300b sovereign investment fund.
Melissa paused her career for some time to be home with her young children, during which time she launched a plant-based food blog, still active today with 46,000 followers.
When she’s not sourcing candidates or inventing vegan recipes, Melissa can be found training for a triathlon somewhere in the Bay Area.
-
Will Champagne
PARTNER AND FOUNDER
After completing his degree in Finance, Will started his career at a public investment firm, where he analyzed the performance of equity and fixed income portfolios. He subsequently switched to consulting, during which time he supported financial services, industrials, and transportation clients on strategy, operational improvement, M&A, and international expansion.
Will then co-founded a health & fitness startup, where he learned the basics of engineering and product management. He ultimately shut down the venture, but it instilled in him a deep passion for technology. After interviewing with a few VC firms and startups, he decided to pursue what had been, up to that point, a side passion: recruiting. SCGC was born.
Will lived in Canada and in Europe, and currently resides in the Bay Area with his wife and children. When not stalking LinkedIn profiles or helplessly trying to put his kids to bed, you can find him on his road bike or trail running. Hit him up if you’d like to go for a run or a ride!