Leading with Belonging, Curiosity, and Community — with Holly Hatlo

In this final Becoming Better at StartupExperts episode of the year, Jesse sits down with Holly Hatlo, Lead HR Business Partner at Hatch and one of our 25 Leaders to Follow in 2025. Holly shares her career journey through the startup ecosystem—from early-stage growth at DoorDash to leading people strategy at Hatch—and reflects on the moments that shaped her most as an HR and People Ops leader. She speaks candidly about the power of community, the importance of belonging, and how StartupExperts has influenced not only her professional growth, but how she shows up as a human. The conversation dives into practical leadership lessons, including embracing “wet paint” work, learning faster through iteration, empowering managers, and why asking better questions matters more than having all the answers. Holly also opens up about her love of reading, book clubs, and the personal connections that make this work meaningful. A thoughtful, energizing conversation on leadership, humility, curiosity, and what it truly means to grow—together.