Brannon Skillern ’06

Overview

Founder & CEO, Carnelian Collective
Vienna, VA

• BA, French and Francophone Studies, Vassar College

Brannon Skillern (she/her) is an HR leader and founder focused on helping growing companies build modern, scalable people operations. As CEO of Carnelian Collective, Brannon leads a team that partners with startups and mid-size organizations to design talent strategies, strengthen leadership teams, and modernize day-to-day people practices. Carnelian Collective also offers AI enablement training and immersive programs, builds internal AI-powered tools tailored to client workflows, and develops software that applies AI thoughtfully within HR and people operations. On a daily basis, Brannon’s work spans advising executive teams, guiding organizational design, supporting hiring and onboarding efforts, and overseeing the development of AI-driven solutions that help teams work more effectively. Prior to founding Carnelian Collective, Brannon held senior HR and operations roles in venture-backed growth stage technology companies and advised companies navigating rapid change. A Vassar alum, Brannon is passionate about helping students explore career paths at the intersection of people, technology, and impact.

Advice to Students:

You don’t need to study business to succeed in business. Skills like critical thinking, clear writing, thoughtful questioning, and the ability to articulate ideas are more valuable—and rarer—than you might expect. Focus on learning how to analyze problems, navigate ambiguity, and communicate with confidence. Seek out as much exposure and hands-on experience as you can to better understand what energizes you and what doesn’t. Careers are built through experimentation and reflection over time, not by choosing a “perfect” path early on.