Our
Story
Not consultants—your fractional team.
Get to Know Us
We bring strategic HR leadership to the moments that matter most.Rhizome was founded by Sarah Kydd and Robyn Leduc, two senior people leaders who saw firsthand how even the best companies can get stuck without the right support at the right time.
We’ve worked with founder-led startups, investor-backed scaleups, and portfolio companies preparing for acquisition—and we know the moments where HR isn’t just helpful, it’s mission-critical.
That’s where we come in.
The Team
Our Founders
Sarah Kydd
Founding Partner, Strategy & Growth
Sarah has over a decade of experience in C-suite roles at private equity-backed companies. She’s led through scale, transformation, M&A, and preparation to exit—giving her a rare combination of operational depth and people-first instinct.
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Her work has spanned mergers and acquisitions, leadership team development, and organizational design to support both growth and sale-readiness. She's not only helped grow companies—she’s helped get them ready for sale.
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Sarah holds an Executive MBA from Kellogg-Schulich and is currently completing a Chief Strategy Officer certificate from Wharton, bringing a sharp strategic lens to every engagement.
416-278-9371
Robyn Leduc
Founding Partner, Operations & Talent
Robyn is a seasoned HR leader with over 15 years of experience helping high-growth companies build the foundations for sustainable success.
She’s supported 200+ startups through some of their most critical moments—from first hires and rapid scaling to restructuring, culture shaping, and everything in between.
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Robyn is known for her clear, grounded approach to organizational strategy, leadership coaching, and operational HR, blending empathy with execution. She brings deep expertise in helping early-stage companies stabilize fast and scale with intention.
289-921-0954
Our Team Members
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Our Fractional CHROs are seasoned HR leaders with over a decade of experience successfully guiding startups, scaleups, and founder-led businesses through rapid growth and change. They’ve built high-performing teams, led complex organizational transformations, and established scalable people strategies that drive results. With a strong track record of partnering with founders, venture capital, and private equity firms, our CHROs bring the insight, credibility, and execution needed to support your next stage of growth.
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What Drives Us
Vision
To be the most trusted growth partner for founders and their investors—from first funding to final exit.
Mission
We partner with founders to strengthen what they’ve built—bringing executive HR capacity that accelerates growth without compromising vision or values
Values
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Grit: We bring resilience and relentless follow-through
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Radical Accountability:We do what we say we'll do - and more
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Outstanding: We hold ourselves to elite standards
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Winning Mindset: We're here to help you win
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Simplicity: We cut through complexity
Why the Name Rhizome?
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A rhizome is a root system that grows horizontally beneath the surface — strong, interconnected, and capable of creating new growth at multiple points.
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It’s not just a plant metaphor — it’s a powerful symbol for how we think about people strategy.
The Metaphor Behind the Name:
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Resilient & Adaptive: Rhizomes grow underground and can survive tough conditions — just like strong teams with the right HR foundation.
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Scalable Infrastructure: A rhizome creates multiple growth nodes, not just one upward stem. That mirrors how we help companies build scalable orgs with distributed leadership, succession planning, and talent depth.
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Rooted Growth: Healthy growth happens beneath the surface first — in the culture, structure, and people systems. Rhizome HR focuses on that unseen but essential foundation.
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Non-linear Paths: Rhizomes don’t grow in a straight line — they spread. Just like startups, growth doesn’t follow a predictable pattern. Our job is to help you stay grounded while adapting.
🌿 People Strategy Meets ESG
We align HR strategy with ESG principles—because building resilient, equitable, and well-governed teams drives stronger outcomes for everyone.
How we Embed ESG in our Work
Environmental
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We operate as a fully remote company, reducing the carbon footprint of travel and office infrastructure​
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We prioritize digital tools and sustainable practices wherever possible
Social
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We help companies build inclusive hiring practices and equitable compensation frameworks
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We support psychological safety, leadership diversity, and team wellness through strategic HR design
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We partner with founders to shape people-first cultures that scale
Governance
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We establish HR systems that support ethical decision-making, transparency, and compliance
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We ensure role clarity, leadership accountability, and clean documentation—critical for exit readiness
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We support succession planning and leadership transitions that align with long-term strategy
We help investor-backed companies embed ESG-aligned people practices from early stage through exit—making teams not only scalable, but sustainable.
Ready to connect?
Whether you're a founder feeling the weight of people leadership—or an investor looking to de-risk your portfolio—we’d love to talk.
