Meet our team
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As the CEO and Founder of Talent Vine, May Babraitis is a fearless problem-solver with an unparalleled passion for finding solutions. With 10+ years of experience helping early and growth stage tech companies hire top talent, May doesn't just work in fast-paced and complex environments — it’s where she feels most at home.
Prior to founding Talent Vine in 2021, May developed her unique skills and perspective as the founding recruiter for three separate startups — where she built the infrastructure, processes, and frameworks necessary to scale without friction. She’s worked for top names across the private and public sectors (both in the U.S. and overseas) including Liberty Mutual, Salsify, and Palantir (pre–IPO) — where she was responsible for leading global recruiting efforts. At Palantir, May also developed her enthusiasm for the Defense Industry, working closely with leadership to identify talent in one of the toughest domain spaces. Today, May uses this niche expertise and her wide network to support a growing list of defense tech clients.
Talent Vine was born during Covid with a mission to transform recruiting’s reputation through integrity, results, and an unwavering obsession for helping tech companies grow their teams and establish strong roots. Talent Vine is an “anti-agency” recruiting firm that prioritizes quality over quantity, and collaboration over competition. A firm where clients are treated more like friends, where egos aren’t tolerated, and where truth and transparency reign supreme.
May currently lives in New York alongside her husband and two dogs, Rory and Pretzel. When she's not busy supporting startups, she can be found at her ski house in Colorado or checking the next destination off of her travel bucket list.
Matt McKay, Partner
Ariana Verdu, Executive Recruiter
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Matt McKay is a Partner at Talent Vine, an innovative recruiting firm revolutionizing the hiring process for early and growth stage companies. With a focus on empowering organizations to discover the perfect talent for their needs, Matt brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the team.
Originally starting his career in sales, Matt moved from the Midwest to NYC in 2015. His journey began with Yext, where he developed essential skills that laid the foundation for his success in the world of headhunting. Transitioning from sales to recruiting, Matt further honed his skills at Palantir Technologies, crossing paths with Talent Vine CEO, May Babraitis. Initially specializing in technical recruiting for college programs in the US and Europe, Matt later broadened his scope to business recruiting. He played a crucial role in supporting hiring needs in finance, operations, and legal departments.
Following his impactful tenure at Palantir, Matt played pivotal roles in scaling two additional startups - Trialspark and WorkFusion. At WorkFusion, he led and built a global recruiting team, overseeing the growth of both technical and non-technical teams on a global scale.
Drawing on his valuable in-house experience across multiple startups, Matt joined forces with May Babraitis at Talent Vine. As a Partner in the firm, he collaborates closely with May and the Talent Vine team to provide clients with unique services and offerings tailored to their needs.
In 2021, after seven years in NYC, Matt moved to South Florida. Outside of his professional endeavors, he finds joy in spending time at the beach, working out, and participating in outdoor activities.
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Ariana Verdu holds a firm belief that exceptional talent is the key to organizational success. With a decade of recruiting expertise gained in high-growth mission-driven companies, Ariana's professional journey has been marked by significant contributions. Notably, at Palantir Technologies, where she crossed paths with Talent Vine's CEO May Babraitis, Ariana led client-facing global hiring both before and after the company's IPO.
Her specialization lies in executive search and the development of inclusive hiring processes. Ariana thrives on collaborating with founding teams, leveraging her skills to unearth those exceptional unicorn candidates that can truly elevate a company.
Based in New York City, Ariana also embraces her global connections and can often be found in Barcelona, visiting her family.
