Welcome to Ignition...

We are a strategic talent intelligence & recruiting firm that specializes in partnering with early stage tech companies, as well as leading venture capital, private equity and corporate venture funds, to build exceptional leadership teams capable of breakout success.

Working as your dedicated partner in executive search and talent advisory, we prioritize quality over quantity, have no junior staff and have no conflict-of-interest. Our promise to you is to provide the high-touch, strategic approach you expect and ensure that each engagement receives the focus and attention it deserves.

Ignition is built from a customer-first perspective. We are defying norms & going beyond the conventional role & structures of typical recruiting firms.

As builders, connectors, and strategic allies, we take a relationship-first mindset. We deliver insights and impact through bespoke engagement, powered by our systematic methodology.

As a boutique by design, we focus on things that don’t scale, so you can focus on the things that do.

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Services

Our Services

Board of Directors +
Startup CEO/COO

Investment Professionals
(Partner + Principal)

EIR / CIR
(Entrepreneur-in-Residence + CEO-in-Residence)

Historical Data Points

20+

Years of Experience

300+

Successful Placements

100%

Repeat Customers

+ Referrals

About

TEAM

Mark Jacobson

Managing Partner

Mark is the Managing Partner of Ignition Talent.

Over the course of his 20+ year Human Capital career, Mark has founded three companies, served as an early employee at two more, and worked for some of the highest-regarded global executive search firms.

Most recently, Mark served as Founder & CEO of Terrain Analytics, a talent intelligence startup providing strategic workforce analytics helping leading global enterprises select the best markets to hire the best talent.

Previously, Mark served as a Senior Partner at True Search, serving on the executive committee, leading the San Francisco office, and helped the company scale from 20 people to over 120 people in 4 years. Earlier in his career he worked at Barlow Group, James & Co., Korn/Ferry and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.

He graduated from Tufts University with a BA in English and serves as a co-founder of SignalFire and fund advisor.