January 21, 2022
The Challenge
ELSA (English Language Speaking Assistant) is an AI-powered English speaking coach based in San Francisco and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. The app uses speech recognition technology to help non-native speakers speak English more confidently and fluently, helping with pronunciation training and accent reduction. Last year, ELSA raised $15 million in Series B funding from VI (Vietnam Investments) Group, SIG, Google’s Gradient Ventures, SOSV, Monk’s Hill Ventures, Endeavor Catalyst, Globant Ventures, and U2’s David Evans. ELSA, which was founded in 2015, has more than 13 million users, and the voice data from those users helps train ELSA’s AI model.
Natalie Do, director of international expansion and growth at ELSA, needed to hire a head of growth for India, South Asia, and the Middle East and an Indonesia country manager to continue to grow ELSA’s business. She was having a hard time finding the right people to hire on her own, so she turned to Alariss.
The Solution and Results
Alariss promptly sourced several candidates for Natalie to review. Natalie ended up hiring Atul Mohan as head of growth for India, South Asia, and the Middle East. He is a Cornell MBA graduate based in Bangalore, India, and previously worked as a consultant for Deloitte, director of business development and sales for a manufacturing app company, and chief business officer at a company that helps students find other people to study with. She also hired Yasser Syaiful as Indonesia country manager. He is an experienced founder and executive based in Jakarta, Indonesia. Alariss continues to handle payroll for Atul and Yasser on ELSA’s behalf.
Client Feedback
“Alariss helps us source high-quality candidates for key positions quickly. The platform is easy to use, and the seamless connection between email and the Alariss platform has been a big help!” Natalie said.
