Professional Services

Mike Tognotti’s decision to start his own company proved to be the best choice for not only his career, but for many others’ as well. Raindance Partners is a national recruitment company that is a genuine reflection of both Mike’s personal expertise and his desire to help others reach their own career goals.

Tognotti is a former Vice President Sales of a biotech company based in Seattle and prior to that, he worked for Illumina, one of the largest DNA sequencing companies in the world. But in 2008, he saw a unique opportunity in which he could combine his industry knowledge with that of his technical scientific background and decided start Raindance Partners.

At the time, Mike and his wife had three kids in diapers, and while it was risky to make such a bold move in that economic climate, he says he had the full support of his wife, and that together they believed in his vision. Thankfully, he did well in his first year and was able to grow his team, proving that he had a solid model and that the need for his service was substantial.

The focus of Raindance Partners, as Mike explains, is nationwide executive placement. They work for companies that are looking for qualified individuals for specific positions, often in the technology and biotechnology industries. Mike says he thinks of the bulk of the work they do as conducting “career consultations” with people. With corporate headquarters in Santa Barbara and offices in the Bay Area, they plan to expand to Asia and Europe in 2017-18.

Coming from an academic background in molecular and cell biology, he gravitated toward biotech and research early on, but eventually evolved his career into selling and marketing biotech products. He realized that he really loved finding rare and exceptional talent for companies that result in gainful, long-term fits. Mike says that helping people is a great passion of his, and nothing gives him more gratification than making these connections for both the employee and employer.

The desire to be of service extends to his team as well. Mike explains that Raindance Partners is built upon three core values that drive decisions and create the company culture: family, health, and helping others. “Almost all of our employees are family people with kids. They have technical degrees and backgrounds, but many have stopped to have a family. They still want to contribute, so they work on their own time from wherever they are.” Mike says he is committed to his team being able to live their lives and take care of their families first, while still making a good living.

Bruce Willard, Territory Ahead Founder

“he Talks abouT The west Coast as being one of The hoT spoTs for innovation. sanTa barbara in parTicular, is a hub for experienced execuTives and highly educaTed people”

Repurposing the scientific method

Today, Mike explains that he utilizes his background in science in his recruiting business. Because many of the positions he recruits for are technical, he uses a scientific approach to finding the right people and vetting them appropriately. The formula he’s developed for matching people to companies is repeatable and is in fact based on the scientific method’s approach to finding solutions. The team builds relational mapping between candidates and the positions that employers are looking for. Mike explains, “It’s not about the transaction – it’s really about the equilibrium, the fit on both sides. We are thorough and specific, and we have good intentions throughout the entire process.”

Mike sees the California coast as “one big Silicon Valley” in regard to the talent pool from which he draws on his clients’ behalf. Over the years, they’ve built their own proprietary database that they combine with other resources, such as LinkedIn. He talks about the West Coast as being one of the hot spots for innovation. Santa Barbara in particular, is a hub for experienced executives and highly educated people. All this makes Santa Barbara a great central location for Raindance Partners.

Lighting up Social Impact

Mike Tognotti has larger visions for his company, and he’s particularly excited about getting to the point where the company can grow its philanthropic capacity to make an impact in the larger community.
One example already underway involves a collaboration with Impact Hub member, Megan Birney, the president of local nonprofit Unite to Light, which makes small solar-powered portable lights and phone chargers intended for developing nations and those in need. While feeding the homeless with his church, Mike learned that many homeless women feel insecure when they’re unable to charge their cell phones, or don’t have access to light at night. So Mike and Megan decided to figure out how to distribute Unite To Light’s solar powered phone charging devices to homeless women in Santa Barbara. They are currently in the planning phases and want to expand this effort in 2017.

For More Information Visit :raindancepartners.com

In 1989, Steven Shulem started Strictly Vacations, a boutique travel agency that specializes in exotic locations and specialty cruises. Steven’s clients come to him when they want to take unique, extraordinary vacations that require inside knowledge and artful logistical coordination. Steven and his team work with locations all over the world, providing customized, high-touch experiences to their clientele.

Take a minute on the Strictly Vacations website and you’ll find an advanced search page with highly customizable filters. Through the site, customers can select specifics such as destination, mode of travel, price point, and level of luxury in which they desire to travel. Steven and his team are confident in their ability to arrange any dream vacation or adventure that their clients can imagine.

There’s a growing demand, sTeven explains, for advenTurous Trips and vacaTions ThaT add a social good componenTTo The iTinerary. more and more, people of all ages wanTTo make Their Travels more meaningful in This way.

A co-working success story

Strictly Vacations has been in Santa Barbara since its inception in the 1980’s, but has recently made a new home at Impact Hub. One of the reasons the team of four made the move from a large, plush office a few blocks away is because, thanks to technological advances, they simply don’t need the kind of space that they used to.

“I can run my company from anywhere now,” Steven explains. “I don’t need a big, luxurious office anymore because no one needs to come to my office; everything is done over the phone and via email.” Indeed, gone are the days of massive filing cabinets and paper trails; now Steven’s team uses voice-over IP phones, which need only an internet connection and allow them to communicate as if they were in the same office sharing the same telephone lines. “My phone bill went from $700 per month to $100,” he says. Between the phone bills, utilities, and rent, the company saves money by being at Impact Hub, and his team has the freedom to work from anywhere, which they do. Indeed, the world has gotten smaller and bigger at the same time.

Steven explains that the Impact Hub space was on his radar for awhile, and once he came for a tour he was bowled over. Later, when he found out that one of his long-standing clients, Paul Orfalea, was involved, he says that he gained even more confidence in the co-working vision.

To the future and beyond

Steven says he’s looking forward to getting more involved with the Impact Hub community, and that he has plans for special travel promotions and offerings for its members through his agency. The agency specializes in cruises, which they say can often be a cost-effective and worry-free way to travel. “Cruising has become so much more popular these days, even with the younger people.”

While the bigger, more ornate trips are what Strictly Vacations has been doing really well for decades, their offerings will soon be expanding. Looking into the future, Strictly Vacations is interested in promoting trips for young people that are adventurous and affordable. Many are even centered on service. There’s a growing demand, Steven explains, for adventurous trips and vacations that add a social good component to the itinerary. More and more, people of all ages want to make their travels more meaningful in this way. Strictly Vacations is doing this by partnering with a company called G Adventures that reaches this demographic very effectively. By the same token, Steven is a very active contributor to the Dream Foundation in Santa Barbara.

Further, Steven says he wants to be a resource for Impact Hub members who have travel-related questions big and small. “I want it to be an open door; people can come in and ask us anything about travel.”

While there’s a lot of information for travel enthusiasts on the web these days, Steven explains that there’s still a lot to be said for utilizing services that can dial you in, find you the inside deals, and organize logistics in a way that most people would likely want to leave to an expert. And there’s no question that Steven is precisely one of those experts.

For More Information Visit: strictlyvacations.com