For startups and small businesses,
a full traditional HR team can feel like too much, too soon.
With Carnelian Collective, you get exactly what you need, exactly when you need it. Without stretching your resources.
Top-caliber support and experts that understand your business, scales with your growth, and leverages cutting-edge technology and AI to enhance human potential and efficiency.
About Carnelian Collective
Hello, I’m Brannon Skillern, founder of Carnelian Collective. As a former Chief People Officer at multiple startups, and now a small business owner myself, I truly understand what startups and small businesses are all about.
Carnelian Collective is a diverse team with deep HR expertise in startups and small businesses—united by a shared purpose for making organizations tangibly better. Better for people. Better for business. We believe that catalyzing human potential is the surest way to grow your business.
I know what it’s like to be in your shoes. We don’t always need a full team on staff, but we do need access to expertise when it matters most. That’s why I built Carnelian Collective—to help you build your business on your terms. We partner with CEOs to develop high-performing teams and scalable people operations through tailored strategy, hands-on execution, and smart use of technology and AI. All delivered via a flexible, fractional model that grows with you.
What We Do
We offer a range of support, tailored and integrated to meet your needs.
Strategic HR
Unlock strategic expertise to help you navigate change and build a thriving team and culture.
Custom AI Accelerators
Harness the power of AI designed for your business to enhance people's capabilities and optimize efficiencies.
Operational HR
Tap into reliable, hands-on HR support to manage your people, processes, and performance.
Essential HR
Access dependable service for the essentials that keep your business running smoothly.
Our Clients
We are trusted by businesses everywhere success matters.
"Brannon has been part of our leadership journey for years—first in-house, and now through Carnelian. Her steady hand has helped us navigate hiring surges, culture shifts, and strategic transitions with clarity and care.”
Tobias Peggs, CEO
Square Roots
"Carnelian set up everything we needed from scratch—payroll setup, HRIS, ATS, handbook, hiring plan—and made it all feel manageable. It gave us the structure we needed but didn't have the bandwidth or expertise to do ourselves. Working with Carnelian allowed us to focus on building the business while knowing the people function was bullet proof."
Laurence Latimer, CEO
Dinara
“Carnelian has helped us modernize every aspect of HR, while also supporting our leaders through coaching and systems that actually work. Their blend of strategy, tech, and people insight has made a lasting impact.”
Kristen Clark, President + COO
Kalibri
What Our Clients Say
