How Jenn Sammarco Built Everest into the Operating Layer for Modern Founders and Executives

Meet Jenn Sammarco, founder of Everest, a world-class Executive Operations practice that serves as the operating layer for modern leaders. Jenn is a serial exited founder and product leader with a 20+ year track record of building and growing brands profitably, and she launched Everest specifically to give back to the founder community by helping others build in ways that are authentic to them.

What makes Everest different is the model itself. The team supports founders, executives, and high net worth individuals through Executive Assistance, Chiefs of Staff, and Executive Business Partners, and they do it without the overhead of traditional hires. Jenn keeps the practice referral-only on purpose: discretion and trust are not marketing claims here, they are the product.

Please share a brief introduction and your business:

Hi! I'm Jenn, Founder and CEO of Everest. I'm a serial exited founder with a 20+ year track record of building and growing brands profitably. I founded Everest to give back to the founder community by helping others build in ways that are authentic to them.

Everest provides world-class Executive Operations (Executive Assistance, Chiefs of Staff, Executive Business Partners) support, serving as the operating layer for modern leaders to scale themselves. We partner with founders, executives and high net worth individuals who need high-touch, discreet support without overhead of traditional hires. Our intelligent and cost-effective model is designed to enhance productivity, protect time, and elevate quality of life.

Take us back to when you launched. What was your marketing strategy?

My marketing strategy remains the same, we are referral only and we do not advertise. We create high end, long term partnerships based on discretion and trust.

Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

No, but as a product leader and engineer, there is a strong entrepreneurial spirit involved and it was a natural progression.

Do you have a co-founder?

I have co-founded before but with Everest, I am a solo founder.

Are you a mamaprenista?

N/A

What accomplishments are you the most proud of to date in your business?

I am always proud of the teams that I build. The people are the moat and the secret sauce, and my teams are loyal, passionate and skilled.

What is one thing you wish you had known when you started your Entreprenista journey?

That I should fill out this form ;)

If you've raised capital for your business already, what are some of your best tips or lessons learned?

The raise is the easy part, it's what comes next that's the challenge so be discerning. Not all dollars are valued equally.

When hiring, what is your go-to interview question?

I say that the experience is as much about the candidate as it is about my team and I, so I ask the candidate what questions they have and assure them I will answer in a transparent and direct way.

What did you do before starting your own business?

I am a serial exited founder and product leader with a masters in compSci and a concentration in forensics.

What made you take the leap to start your own business?

I have operated in the startup and venture ecosystems for many years and decided to give back to other founders and builders.

Do you have any recent wins?

I raised $35M from Tier 1 venture capital firms.

What's one app on your phone that you cannot live without?

My calendar ;)

Who are your customers?

Founders, entrepreneurs, executives, high net worth individuals

What's your top productivity tip?

Resource yourself and your business so that you can spend your time on your highest and best priorities to achieve your goals.

What's your favorite business tool?

Anthropic - it has radically changed what people and teams are capable of delivering.

What's your approach to work-life balance?

Full court press, and full speed ahead. Building in venture and the AI space demands no less.

How do you avoid burn-out?

Be passionate about what you do and remain true to yourself.

What advice do you have for aspiring Entreprenistas?

Know what you want and who you are and do not apologize for it. You are valuable and your perspective matters, stand firm and stand strong. You've got this!

What's next for your business? What can we expect to see over the next few years?

Everest will continue to be the backbone and champion of growing businesses, from nonprofits to tech unicorns. It is an honor to build alongside the founders who have placed their trust in me and my team.

Jenn's story is a reminder that the most generous thing a serial exited founder can do is build the kind of operating partner she once needed for herself, and that referral-only is not a marketing tactic, it is a quiet way of saying the work has to be good enough to be talked about. We are so glad to have her in the Entreprenista community and cannot wait to watch Everest continue to grow.

Want to connect with founders like Jenn? Visit the Entreprenista League to explore our community and discover more stories of women building businesses that truly matter.