Spend more time on your mission, and less time hiring

A talent consultancy offering purpose-driven recruitment services, talent development for teams and individuals, and customized people solutions.

Riverwalker Talent is a boutique consultancy rooted in empathy, relationships, and purpose.

Founded by Jessye Kass Karlin after a decade of building and leading social impact teams, we help mission-driven organizations hire and retain the right people. More than recruiters, we are partners in creating people-centered systems, solutions, and leadership practices that strengthen both missions and teams. We enable organizations to do the work that really matters.

For Organizations & Teams

Jessye in a library with a green dress

Hire Talent

Purpose-driven talent searches connecting candidates to critical missions. We are a partner — here when you need us — to build the teams you require to advance your work.

At Riverwalker Talent we:

  • Personalize talent solutions to build your teams & elevate your missions

  • Lead full-cycle recruitment from job description to onboarding

  • Source creatively to reach diverse, values-aligned candidates, backed by relationships and a network of 15K+

  • Represent your brand with care in every candidate interaction

  • Offer thought partnership & former Executive Director leadership experience 

View Packages
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Fractional Talent Partner & HR Consulting

Experienced Talent Leader with over 14+ years of leading, building, and nurturing teams in mission-driven organizations

  • Fractional Talent Partner / Head of Talent 

  • Onboarding & new hire support

  • Recruitment systems building 

  • Leadership Development Programs 

  • Conflict Resolution

Customized Solutions

Have an idea that you want our support on? Reach out and let’s see if we can collaborate to implement your vision. Our team specializes in tailored options to meet your needs.

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Connect with Us
“Jessye made the hiring process a breeze. She is very thoughtful, deliberate, and has a great eye for identifying the right candidates for the job. She has a very collaborative approach that allows the whole team to have a voice and a role to play in the hiring process. ”
— Molly Barstow, Deputy Director at Project Citizenship

Expansive talent network of over 15,000 individuals on LinkedIn, plus newsletter subscriptions, and our growing Talent Pool (Applicant Tracking System).

Average time to hire is 71 days — providing fast, effective, and thoughtful searches customized to fit your team’s needs.

 9 out of 10 candidates offered accept the role. We offer a candidate-forward approach that builds your brand while providing empathetic, communicative experiences for candidates.

What People Are Saying

  • Katie Goldberg, Director of Operations at The Cancer Letter

    Jessye's approach centers the well-being of the candidates, while still exceeding the expectations of her clients. Every candidate in our pipeline expressed praise for Jessye and for her people-first process, which I believe built trust not just in her but in our business for having chosen to work with her.

    Jessye's screening interviews are extremely thorough, and every candidate she referred on to the hiring manager was presented very thoughtfully and clearly met our criteria. She even took the time to give candidates advice on how to best demonstrate their value to our team.

    Of the candidates that we interviewed, every single one could have easily stepped into the role.

    We are thrilled with our new hire, and look forward to working with Jessye again.

  • Lior Hedrick, Director of Development & Communications at the Wendt Center

    I've had the privilege of working with Jessye both as an applicant and as a hiring manager. As a candidate, I have never experienced a smoother hiring process. At each step, Jessye was incredibly communicative, explaining what next steps were, exactly what to expect, and how best to prepare. I've never met a recruiter who is so invested in every candidate and prepares us to make the best impression. 

    As a hiring manager, I was delighted to receive a shortlist of entirely excellent candidates – each with unique strengths and weaknesses. Jessye has a talent for hearing your needs and translating loose thoughts into clear candidate attributes. With the shortlist came a detailed account of Jessye's own notes on the candidate, which were so thorough and well written that it reduced the overall number of interview rounds we needed. I couldn't recommend Jessye more highly from either perspective. 

  • Karolyn Cooper, Vice President, Research and Impact at the Neimand Collaborative

    It was an extremely positive experience working with [Riverwalker Talent]. Jessye's proactiveness, organization, and communication were key in helping us feel confident that we'd find the right hire.

    Jessye's way of engaging with the hiring team to keep us informed and progressing towards our goals for the recruit made a world of difference in keeping us on track and accountable, while allowing for needed flexibility. Having their expertise to guide this process was a true benefit.

    They were proactive, thorough, and organized.

  • Jennifer Pamphile, Chief of Staff at Immigrant Family Services Institute

    Jessye really took the time to understand our mission and the kind of team we were trying to build. Her process was thoughtful, collaborative, and incredibly efficient. She brought us strong candidates who not only had the right skills, but also the heart and mindset to thrive in a mission-driven environment like ours.

    If you’re looking for someone who’s sharp, strategic, and truly invested in your organizations success, I can’t recommend Jessye enough.

Who We Partner With

We partner with purpose-driven organizations doing big work with lean teams and limited time. Our clients need exceptional talent to advance their mission but haven’t had the capacity, time, or success to get there alone. We save them time and energy while delivering a personalized, values-aligned experience for both clients and candidates.

A Few of the Missions We’ve Connected Exceptional Talent To:

Learn More About our clients

Case Study: From One Role to a Rebuilt Leadership Team

A justice-focused nonprofit lost its CFO/COO at a critical moment and came to us for help. Originally planning to fill one combined role, we succeeded in building their team. 

What Happened:

  • Re-scoped the role to be a Senior Director of Finance & Operations

  • Ran a high-touch, values-aligned search with a candidate-forward approach

  • From their 7 vetted, referred candidates, they hired 4 people: 3 full-time leaders (CFO, COO, Senior Accountant) and 1 part-time financial consultant. All four are thriving in their roles.

What started as one urgent vacancy became a full leadership rebuild — strengthening the organization’s stability and mission-critical operations.

“Each candidate had an element that we are in need of right now, and the picks were so great we felt the need to add all of them. That’s a testament to the quality of candidates you brought to us!”

- Jennifer Pamphile, Chief of Staff at Immigrant Family Services Institute

See More Successes

Meet the Team

  • Jessye Kass Karlin, MBA

    President & Founder

    Jessye Kass Karlin is a strategist, executive coach, and former nonprofit executive director with more than 14 years of experience in the social impact sector. For over a decade she has partnered with mission-driven organizations as a consultant, and for the past five years has worked full-time as a solopreneur, supporting nonprofits in building strong, collaborative teams.

    Known for her empathetic and communicative approach to recruitment, she founded Riverwalker Talent to bridge the gap between hiring strategy and human care. Jessye partners closely with nonprofits and social impact organizations as a fractional recruiter and talent strategist to help solve problems, build teams, and nurture talent.

    Over the course of her career, Jessye has led 100+ searches, coached more than 400 emerging and executive leaders, and facilitated trainings on leadership, conflict resolution, and workplace wellness across industries. She is excited to expand Riverwalker Talent into a collaborative team dedicated to building workplaces where purpose and people align.

  • Samantha Gloria

    Business Operations Specialist & HR Consultant

    Samantha Gloria is an operations and people specialist who ensures the details behind mission-driven recruitment run seamlessly.

    With experience spanning HR operations, executive administration, and recruitment support, she brings order and clarity to complex processes. Known for her precision, adaptability, and empathetic communication, Samantha has supported nonprofit leaders, consultants, and teams in developing systems that keep people and projects moving forward.

    At Riverwalker Talent, Samantha anchors the candidate and client experience, managing operations with care and consistency so every search is handled with both efficiency and humanity. Behind the scenes, she is the backbone ensuring purpose-driven teams have the support they need to do their best work.

  • Nii Frederick Konor

    Special Projects Coordinator

    Nii Frederick joined Riverwalker Talent in early 2025, bringing his skills in business management studies and hands-on project support. Based in Accra, Ghana, Nii also serves in a local government role focused on administration and public health. Alongside his professional commitments, he is a dedicated father of three young children. Curious and driven, Nii is passionate about growth and opportunity, and he strengthens our team by contributing to a wide range of essential projects.

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For Individuals

Hey job seekers and career changers: we see you.
While we no longer offer one-on-one coaching, there are still great ways to connect, grow, and get support:

Join the Talent Pool - Share your resume and we’ll reach out if a role aligns.

Explore Open Roles - We specialize in social impact and purpose-driven organizations.

Access Resources - Job search tips, trusted referrals, and interview prep guides.

Connect on LinkedIn - For tips, tricks, and empathy in the job search

“Jessye is an incredibly compassionate and knowledgeable recruiter...Jessye was running the search and recruitment process on behalf of the company, and I know she worked with other candidates as well, but I almost couldn’t tell. She really took the time to answer all my questions, to prep and coach me, and to set me up for success. I was deeply impressed by both her professionalism and her personable approach. The process also put on display Jessye’s keen HR and DEI expertise, as well as her compassionate and insightful coaching abilities. I highly recommend her as an HR consultant, coach, and recruiter.”
— Alex Creighton, (Candidate) Director of Financial Administration & Operations at Mass Humanities
Join the Talent Pool

Let’s work together.

Interested in collaborating on a solution? Let’s get your team what it needs!

Fill out this brief form and a member of the team will be in touch shortly.

Collective impact work is challenging - let’s do it together.

Have a quick question instead? Email us at info@riverwalkertalent.com