Letter from Candidate Founder, Ryan Agresta

What motivated me to start Candidate was seeing people in my network who wanted to help their friends find meaningful opportunities, but were limited to “who they knew.” Their ability to speak to a colleague’s work and skills is important. Their voice shouldn’t be limited by access to roles within their organization or who they know on the recruiting team.

I’m proud to introduce technology that supports our mission of creating meaningful connections through the power of diverse, trusted networks. We hope to make the process of job-seeking much more enjoyable for everyone involved.

On our platform, well-connected individuals can signup to refer their friends and colleagues for in-demand startup roles. Candidate also makes it simple for these referrers to share upfront the candidate’s qualifications that go beyond the resume.

From an employer’s perspective, we aim to help recruiting teams be more efficient and gain access to the talent they couldn’t otherwise reach. Rather than posting a job and having to review hundreds of applicants, hiring teams now have access to a small, expert group of trusted individuals that recommend candidates, saving them time and money while uncovering top talent.  

Hiring the founding team of a startup can be equally (if not more) challenging than identifying what problem your company is going to solve. In the first year of founding Candidate, I felt incredibly fortunate to find a group of outstanding individuals mutually aligned with the mission and passion we share with our referrers, employers, and partners.  We look forward to sharing this journey with you.