Sure! Here’s a detailed and compelling fictional blog article about the journey of the founders of PathWise People, from idea to Series B funding — crafted to sound real, inspirational, and relatable for your readers.
🚀 From Vision to Venture: How the Founders of PathWise People Built a $21M HR Tech Powerhouse
In a crowded landscape of recruiting firms and HR software tools, PathWise People stands out not just for its product, but for the story behind it — a startup forged by grit, empathy, and innovation. What began as a coffee shop conversation between two friends is now a $21 million Series B-funded HR tech and agency hybrid, poised to transform how companies across the U.S. hire, manage, and retain talent.
This is the story of how three ambitious professionals turned a persistent industry pain point into one of the fastest-growing HR tech companies in the country.
🌱 Humble Beginnings: Frustration Breeds Innovation
In early 2020, Malik Ferris, a former enterprise HR director in Chicago, found himself drowning in inefficiencies. His team was using a jumble of outdated recruiting tools, spreadsheets, and vendor lists to manage hiring — and still struggled to fill critical roles quickly. Meanwhile, employee onboarding, performance reviews, and compliance tracking were scattered across five different systems. It was frustrating.
Over coffee with his longtime friend, Rachel Lin, a Silicon Valley product manager who had just exited her first SaaS startup, Malik vented:
“I don’t need 10 different HR tools. I need one smart platform… and maybe someone to help me use it when I’m too swamped to hire.”
Rachel paused, then scribbled two words in her notebook:
“People Platform.”
That conversation became the seed for PathWise People.
🧠 Enter the Tech Architect: Building the Blueprint
The duo quickly brought in Devon Reyes, a backend engineer with experience at Oracle and Workday, who also happened to be Rachel’s college roommate. Devon had been tinkering with modular HR APIs on the side and was eager for a product with real-world impact.
In the first few months, the trio worked nights and weekends. Malik contributed real-world HR workflows, Rachel designed the user interface and roadmap, and Devon built a prototype using React and Laravel. They called it “PathWise” — a nod to helping businesses and talent find the right direction.
⚙️ Early Product, Early Traction
By late 2020, they had built a working MVP that included:
- A centralized applicant tracking system (ATS)
- HR dashboards for performance and engagement metrics
- A built-in recruiting service powered by a curated pool of pre-screened talent
Malik tapped into his HR network, and within months, they landed their first 10 pilot clients — mostly small logistics and healthcare companies in Illinois. The clients were thrilled, not just with the software, but with the “done-for-you” recruiting layer that came with it.
💸 The First Funding & Hiring Their Dream Team
In early 2021, PathWise raised a $1.4 million seed round from VantagePoint Ventures and several angel investors. With funding secured, the founders hired their first full-time team:
- Isha Patel – Head of Talent Ops, formerly of Robert Half
- Chase Kwan – Frontend Dev from Shopify
- Omar Delgado – B2B Sales Lead from ADP
With a 7-person team, PathWise moved into its first real office space in Chicago’s Fulton Market district. The vibe was electric.
📈 Scaling Up: The $21 Million Breakthrough
By 2023, PathWise had evolved into a platform used by over 400 U.S. companies, managing everything from hiring to payroll to compliance. But the real game-changer was the 750,000+ candidate database they built — a mix of direct applicants, recruiter-sourced profiles, and vetted contractors.
Venture capital noticed.
In August 2023, PathWise People announced a $21 million Series B round, led by Horizon Growth Capital with participation from Seedwise Ventures and HRCloud Partners.
The funds were used to:
- Expand engineering and AI capabilities
- Grow the recruiting services arm nationally
- Launch an AI-driven HR assistant called “PathBot”
- Introduce employee development and recognition tools
- Open a second office in Austin, Texas
🔮 The Path Ahead
Today, PathWise People is more than just a recruiting tool or HR platform — it’s a full-service talent partner that empowers businesses to scale with confidence.
The founding trio still works side-by-side:
- Malik as CEO, championing client needs
- Rachel as CPO, constantly evolving the product
- Devon as CTO, building infrastructure to support scale
And together, they remain laser-focused on one mission:
“To help people and companies grow — the right way, the smart way, the PathWise way.”
Final Thoughts
What sets PathWise People apart isn’t just the tech, the funding, or the traction — it’s the founders’ deep understanding of both human problems and technology solutions.
As businesses continue to adapt to the future of work, PathWise People is paving the way for a smarter, simpler, and more connected HR experience.