Theresa joins us with experience from organizations like BCG and Sixt, bringing both strategic depth and a people-first mindset to the role. From the start, the opportunity at Earlybird stood out to her.

“When I was approached by Earlybird it felt too good to be true. It’s an interesting and inspiring position from a professional point of view because it is such a generalist role and while Earlybird has existed for a long time, there is still space to create impact, build new processes, and shape the company from an HR perspective.”

That balance of legacy and opportunity is something we embrace as unique to the Earlybird approach: we’re an established firm but always open to redefining and evolving how we operate. In short, innovation remains our strong suit, inside and out. In line with evolving and innovating, Theresa joins us at a time when conversations around values, identity, and inclusion in VC are more urgent than ever. She brings strong conviction in shaping culture intentionally, starting with who gets a seat at the table.

“I care deeply about ensuring we support a more diverse talent pool, not only is it important for society, but we will have an advantage as we continue to open our doors to different perspectives. You need the greatest people in a business like this and the greatest people exist in all places.”

Her approach isn’t just philosophical, it’s practical, rooted in systems and structures that ensure values are lived, not just stated. She explains that giving everyone the space to bring their unique perspectives to the table, while extracting the values that we share as a company, is more important than most companies realize.

“Value-based work creates a space where people feel they are a part of something bigger, while psychologically safe enough to be themselves, and in the end, you get the secondary consequence of accelerating performance and strengthening retention.”

She explains that this process starts with listening to the individuals in the company, understanding where people shine, what drives them, and what kind of environment helps them thrive. In sum, how can one create that ideal environment, if you don’t do the work to know what it is for your team? As Theresa describes it:

“Spearheading personal development strategies starts with knowing what matters to your team and getting a sense of what they’re good at. The second step is bringing everyone to the table, speaking openly, and workshopping the values you feel are representative of the team. Once you’ve found those common values, you can develop rituals, behavioral anchors, and general community guidelines built upon them.” 

Establishing these values also helps with optimizing all processes, explains Theresa. For example, when someone is looking to join the company, you can immediately assess value-fit and ensure a smooth introduction to how the team collaborates and communicates. While talent remains the center of any hiring process, she sees a key misstep in how many organizations assess fit.

“A common mistake made in the hiring process is that people look for someone who will click only with their manager, instead of someone who will additionally align with the overarching values of the whole team and company.”

Her mission is clear: build systems that elevate individuals and empower the collective. She explains that she’s motivated to continue discovering the company’s DNA and intrinsic values, to create even more robust processes around them, so that we can deliver as a team for years to come. Theresa noticed that the Earlybird DNA starts in many ways with our founders:

“The influence of the co-founders, Christian and Hendrik, can be sensed in every part of the company’s day-to-day interactions. The founders are still a part of this mission, they value the details but also carry perspective and experience to zoom out. The day-to-day involvement of the founders is a part of the company’s DNA, which brings us closer to the startup experience and inspires how we work with them.”

We’re honored to have Theresa help shape the next chapter of Earlybird: one where innovation, legacy, and authenticity remain at the heart of everything we do.