TalentLed is the World's first organization that is entirely focused on talent communities, and the value that they can provide to organizations and talent leadership professionals.
TalentLed started its life as a consultancy between two industry-leading community consultants, Todd Nilson and Ilker Akansel. Passionate about community building and innovative, better ways of treating, growing and leading talent across organizations, Todd and Ilker founded TalentLed in 2022 to assist organizations to utilize community building approaches towards a better and more contemporary talent leadership.
As conversations around talent, communities and technology gained unprecedented speed as of 2024, TalentLed decided to add a product layer and expand its leadership footprint. Enter fellow co-founder Rachel Petzold, who is leading TalentLed towards innovative community-based products, platforms and services to tackle the contemporary talent leadership challenges, supported by the academic acumen of Dr. Joseph Narusis, in designing and developing science-proven methodologies for talent journeys.
Finally, 2025 saw two other key team members joining: Mirella Ang de Jonge to lead all things recruitment and community ethics, and Nikolay Bourov to take the development reins of the World's very first talent community application.
Todd is a digital workplace and community strategist with over 15 years of executive recruitment and employer branding experience.
Todd has previously worked with SAP, Humana, Facebook, Activision, Steelcase, SkyTV, Greenpeace and many other organizations, ranging from startups through Fortune 1000s based in many countries across the World, and has directed community strategy for the renowned community consultancy FeverBee.
Please feel free to connect with Todd over LinkedIn.
Ilker is a community strategist specializing in entrepreneurial ecosystems, technical communities, startups, innovation, future of work, digital nomadism and remote work.
Ilker has previously led developer communities for Google, innovation projects for Cisco and volunteers for the 2012 London Olympic Games, and with many years of experience in Europe he is very well versed with the cultural, professional and community-related challenges and opportunities across the EMEA region.
Please feel free to connect with Ilker over LinkedIn.
Rachel is a seasoned product leader and storyteller who has built innovative physical and digital products for iconic brands like Nike, Starbucks, and Amazon. Her experience spans startups to Fortune 500s, with a laser focus on crafting exceptional user experiences that delight consumers and drive revenue growth.
As a co-founder and Chief Product Officer, Rachel guides TalentLed in developing game-changing products that solve real talent problems using the power and impact of communities. Her vision for rapid innovation and putting the user first aligns perfectly with TalentLed's mission.
Please feel free to connect with Rachel over LinkedIn.
As a Research Analyst and Industrial Organizational Psychologist, Dr. Narusis' academic and professional focus is to understand and address complex organizational challenges. His specialization encompasses cultural values, research methods, data analysis, survey design and personnel consulting, and he uses his expertise to support TalentLed in the role of Chief Research Officer in designing and developing its methodologies.
Dr. Narusis' experience spans large private enterprises, non-profits, and government organizations, including notable names such as Facebook, the World Wildlife Fund, Truth Initiative, the World Bank, Wisconsin Physician Services, Southern Illinois University, and the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Please feel free to connect with Dr Narusis over LinkedIn.
Ella is a community strategist, personal trainer and well-being coach, with experiences in community organizing, social movements, community ethics and tech/developer communities across many countries and continents.
In her role of fractional Chief Ethics Officer, Ella provides product leadership that drives TalentLed's direction towards equitable, fair, inclusive, and respectful employment experiences for everyone on both sides of the (very human) interview table.
Please feel free to connect with Ella over LinkedIn.
Nikolay is currently studying towards a Computer Science degree at the University of Texas at Dallas with a strong foundation in programming, cybersecurity, and system administration. His hands-on experience spans academic projects, professional roles, and certifications, equipping him to tackle real-world challenges in technology.
He is passionate about safeguarding digital assets and building secure systems, and he is using his wide array of experiences spanning from deploying autonomous robots to contributing to the UTD Agent-Based Smart Campus project to lead the development of TalentLed's collection of talent community applications.
Please feel free to connect with Nikolay over LinkedIn.