Meet Our Founder –
Danielle McLaughlin

Danielle was inspired to launch 18C after over a decade of working in the technology space and a desire to see women succeed in a male dominated market.

Danielle was introduced to the technology market as a child when her mother was working as a software engineer in San Francisco and would frequently take her to work. After graduating from S.D.S.U. in 2011, she took frontend coding classes at U.C.S.D. in her spare time before making the switch to work in the tech recruitment industry.

With over a decade of experience in engineering talent acquisition, Danielle has played a pivotal role in building technical teams at some of the most prominent brands in technology. Her career began in boutique executive search in the higher education industry where she mastered the fundamentals of leadership search strategy. Since then she has been specialized in engineering recruiting for fast growing brands like Square, Waymo, Lyft, Blend and Fitbit, and become an expert in recruiting for high bar technical teams.

Danielle has held leadership roles as the Head of Talent at a few early stage ventures like Fast and smlXL, and also advised & built 0-1 communities for technical women.

Our mission is to drive meaningful change in the tech industry.

We are not just a boutique recruitment firm; we are advocates for diversity, equity, and inclusivity. At 18C, we believe that the future of tech is not only innovative but also diverse and balanced.

Our Partners

  • Girl geek x

    Community & Events

  • Leopard

    Agency Partner

The Story Behind the name "18C"

Why "18C"? The name is a powerful reminder of the ongoing gender pay gap in the tech industry, where women earn 18 cents less per dollar than men on average in the US. It symbolizes our commitment to closing this gap and creating an industry where talent is recognized and rewarded, regardless of gender.

At 18C Partners, we see this not just as a challenge, but as an opportunity – to build tech teams that are rich in diversity and creativity. Our work goes beyond just placing candidates in roles; it's about forging pathways for women to step into leadership positions, receive fair compensation, and ultimately, reshape the technology landscape.