Some entrepreneurs build businesses. Kathleen Quinn Votaw built a philosophy. As founder and chief executive officer of TalenTrust, she has redefined how organizations approach talent—not as a resource, but as a relationship. Her journey has been less about filling roles and more about transforming mindsets around what it truly means to build a people-first organization.
Over the past two years, Quinn Votaw has guided her company and herself through profound transformation. Amid personal loss and professional uncertainty, she chose to embrace discomfort as a catalyst for growth. That decision shaped her most powerful achievement: leading with vulnerability. By showing up authentically through grief and challenge, she deepened trust across her team and clients. The outcome wasn’t just resilience—it was elevation. Quinn Votaw created a culture where others could also lead from their truest selves, and in doing so, fortified the very foundation of her firm.
The ethos at TalenTrust reflects her personal values: courage, candor and kindness. These aren’t corporate buzzwords. They are practiced behaviors that shape every client engagement, internal meeting and hiring recommendation. Quinn Votaw understands that culture isn’t a perk—it’s a performance driver. Her firm helps businesses shift from reactive hiring practices to strategic, long-term talent alignment, often unlocking growth by addressing what many companies overlook: the human experience at work.
That focus is rooted in experience. Since launching TalenTrust in 2003, Quinn Votaw has worked with leaders across industries to solve chronic hiring issues by addressing deeper organizational patterns. Her approach blends strategic advisory with a deep understanding of people, bridging the gap between culture and capability. Clients turn to her not just for recruitment solutions, but for insight into how to create workplaces where top talent thrives.
Over the next five years, Quinn Votaw envisions scaling TalenTrust in a way that sustains its soul. She is actively shaping an ownership transition that will extend her impact without diluting her principles. That includes mentoring internal leaders and ensuring the firm continues to grow with integrity. For her, future success isn’t just about expanding reach—it’s about expanding relevance in a world where the rules of work are constantly shifting.
Her recognition as a Titan 100 Hall of Fame Honoree is more than a milestone. It affirms her role as a thought leader who champions business as a force for good. Quinn Votaw has never followed a template. She has written her own playbook—one that prioritizes emotional intelligence, strategic clarity and an unrelenting commitment to purpose.
To future leaders, her message is as honest as it is practical. Growth requires introspection. Feedback is a tool, not a threat. And leadership begins the moment you realize perfection is not the goal—progress is. She encourages leaders to surround themselves with people who challenge them and to always operate from a place of self-awareness.
Quinn Votaw is not merely helping companies find people. She is helping them become places where people want to stay, grow and lead. Through TalenTrust, she’s building something far more enduring than a staffing firm—she’s cultivating a movement.
