Top Athena Alternative for Remote Talent

4 reasons to switch to pearl talent

Athena is a VA agency. Pearl is a Talent Engine.

Hires across operations and day-to-day administrative support

6-step vetting process

General matches from large talent pools

Salaries optimized for affordability and efficiency

Hires across operations, client success, sales, engineering, finance, and more

10-step vetting process

Tailored matches from exclusive micronetworks

Salaries optimized to attract and golden-cuff top talent

WHY top Founders switch from athena to Pearl

We pay more, place smarter, and build teams that last. Our 90% retention proves it.

From Founders of $100M funded companies to SMB owners, our clients have the most demanding jobs. That’s why we rigorously filter talents who can best support you and match your pace.

Anjie Liu

Founder, Kiwi Biosciences
(backed by YC)

Working with Pearl has been a fantastic experience. They helped us hire a candidate who’s not just very intelligent but also kind and professional. She’s taken initiative and embodies a growth mindset, which we truly appreciate.

Excited about more successful placements withPearl, and I’ve already recommended them to my founder friends!"

Mike Ng

Founder, Ambience Healthcare ($106M raised from A16Z, Open AI, Kleiner Perkins)

"I cannot recommend Pearl’s services enough. The quality of candidates they were able to provide us with was unmatched.

The EA we hired had high integrity, problem-solving horsepower, and a desire to deliver excellence. Consequently, she was able to upskill quickly and take a lot more work off my plate than I originally thought possible."

Julian Shapiro

Founder, Julian Capital

Over the last few months, they've helped the team with tons of work projects and taking work off our plate. She’s proactive and really cares.

Better than most people I've ever hired.

The Pearl Talent
Satisfaction Guarantee

Our job doesn’t end when a talent has joined your team. We ensure that they’re fully integrated and actively contributing to your company’s growth. If a hire doesn’t meet your expectations, we’ll work with you to understand why and replace them at no additional cost.

Start Hiring in Under 24 Hours

HOW PEARL WORKS

We go where Athena stops — selecting the most driven, curated candidates for our partners.

A Hiring Process Built Around You

We identify your team’s gaps and align on role goals, non-negotiables, and success metrics. Endorsements in as fast as 14 days. No lock-in required, just a one-time kick-off fee to launch sourcing.

Thorough Vetting to Surface Top Talent

Every candidate goes through a rigorous vetting process assessing skills, experience, communication, IQ, EQ, and cultural fit — sourced from exclusive networks in prestigious universities and companies to ensure only the top 1% make it to you.

Retention Backed by End-to-End Support

From onboarding to coaching, we set talent up for success beyond their 30-60-90 milestones through regular performance tracking, upskilling, and feedback loops. Guaranteed hands-on support for long-term ROI, post-match.

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