It all started with curiosity, and then a dream.
I’ve been lurking on this forum, reading everything that I could about how to get a job in AI Safety for the past three months.
And the more that I read great articles on the hiring process - from authors such as Sam Smith, Roman Ross, Enisa Ismaili, Uladzislau Linnik, and Cait_Lion, to name just a few - the more I realized that there is a disconnect between what’s perceived as the problem with hiring today in AI Safety (i.e., too many unqualified applicants) vs. what’s really happening (i.e., evaluating candidates on fuzzy qualities, such as mission alignment).
I then realized that to have the greatest impact in addressing these friction points, it would require more active involvement - an expansion beyond just solving my own needs. Something that could help everyone.
In my readings on this forum, I saw that being “permissionless” was not only accepted in this culture but, in fact, encouraged. And my ears perked up. I get it - that is one cultural commonality with crypto: it requires finding a problem (preferably a common one), owning it, and just getting it done. That one word changed the entire game and world for me. It gave me the “permission” to just do it, and it has led me to what I’m working on today.
I have 20 years of experience in marketing, operations, and non-profit management within Silicon Valley and the crypto industry. For the past several months, I’ve jumped “feet first” into focusing on how I can use my skills for the most impact in AI Safety by completing AI Safety courses, becoming a Facilitator for Lens Academy courses, and reading everything I can get my hands on. Coming from the crypto industry, I’ve seen AI used for less-than-positive purposes, and I want to do better. Eventually, I want to become a founder of an AI Safety organization, and this project is one step in that direction.
During this process, I decided to apply for the SPAR Fellowship program (Fall 2026), and I was humbled and grateful to be accepted into the Fall 2026 cohort as a fellow for this project.
I’m very excited about my project, which is to create resources and best practices for new AI Safety organizations; project details: “Hiring Resources for new AI Safety organizations”. I have a background in hiring, and from my experience I know that the hiring process is a blocker for most organizations - their biggest weakness. Having the right person in the role makes all the difference between success vs failure. That’s why it’s so important to get it right.
I want to gain a deep understanding and knowledge of how new AI Safety organizations are hiring today, and to truly help them with improving their processes (or creating new ones) while reducing their risk to hire the right person. And it’s also for all the people who I have met and hope to meet in the future, who are joining the AI Safety community. I want them to be excited to apply to these organizations with successful and meaningful contributions.
I intend to document my learning journey weekly on this forum, identifying the current top issues in hiring for new AI Safety organizations. I want to uncover solutions that could reduce hiring risk, help secure the right candidates, and minimize disruption from lengthy hiring and onboarding processes as these organizations continue to grow.
I will speak to hiring managers, teams, recruiters, and anyone involved in hiring decisions to understand what is really going on. What are their biggest friction points during hiring? How do small teams cope with finding and vetting the right candidate to ensure they fit the organization? If these challenges were addressed, how significantly would it improve their hiring process?
I’m looking for recommendations or referrals for organizations and people I should speak to. Please feel free to connect with me - send me an email ([email protected]) or connect with me on LinkedIn. I would love to chat! Also, if this topic is interesting to you and you’d like to share your thoughts or contribute, please reach out. The goal is to ensure this project makes a meaningful impact and improves the hiring experience for AI Safety organizations.
On a personal note, I’m deeply grateful to my mentor, Matt Handzel, who is guiding me through this project, and to the SPAR program for providing the infrastructure and program support.
