Video: Fireside Chat with Clutch Cofounders
Startup Grind Sacramento in Partnership with Startup Folsom and Granite City Coworking hosted a fireside chat with Clutch Cofounders Anne Descalzo and Rachel Zillner on January 26, 2023.
In 2019, Anne Descalzo and Rachel Zillner co-founded Clutch, a consulting and management services firm supporting public entities, private businesses, and non-profit businesses as they strive to meet and achieve their goals. She now serves as the company’s CEO, leading the strategic direction for the nearly 200-employee organization.
About Rachel Zillner
Born and raised in the Sacramento Region, Rachel Zillner worked nearly two decades in the banking industry before shifting to full-time business ownership and management - although she has always led with an entrepreneurial spirit.
In 2019, Rachel co-founded Clutch, a consulting and management services firm supporting public entities, private businesses, and non-profit businesses as they strive to meet and achieve their goals. She now serves as the company’s CEO, leading the strategic direction for the nearly 200-employee organization.
Rachel has a knack for finding great talent and bringing the right people together to tackle challenges big and small. She has an impeccable reputation for finding innovative approaches to significantly improve processes, decision-making, and value. Rachel is known for her fearless leadership, and financial savviness, and carries the unofficial world record in trying to create more than 24 hours in a day.
Rachel is a longtime supporter of the Sacramento business community, having served as the chair of the Sacramento Metro Chamber Foundation Board of Directors and Metro EDGE, as well as a past member of the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and Executive Committee. She was awarded the Sacramento Business Journal’s 40-Under-40 in 2015 and in 2018 was recognized as the Executive Woman of the Year by the National Association of Women Business Owners.
She graduated from California State University of Sacramento in 2009 with a degree in Business Management and obtained an MBA in 2012 from the University of Phoenix.
Rachel loves to travel the world with her two beautiful daughters: Paisley (9) and Pepper (7), and her supportive husband and business partner, David.
About Anne Descalzo
Anne Descalzo is a champion of building relationships, developing culture, and conquering challenges. Known for her human-centered approach to leadership, Anne focuses on the power of individual wellness that leads to organizational well-being. She took a leap of faith in February 2020— two weeks before the pandemic— to go heads down on the creation and building of what is now a successful scaling organization known as Clutch.
As the co-founder of Clutch, Anne provides strategic guidance and coaching at all levels, encouraging employees to lean into team strengths and build emotional intelligence, all while cultivating the core values of connection, drive, and optimism. She also is the co-founder and executive producer of BOLD, a speaker series focused on women telling vulnerable and empowering stories to inspire others.
In the community, Anne served as the 2019 Metro EDGE Program Chair, is a past Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce board member, and past board member for the Folsom Chamber of Commerce. In 2011, she received her BA from Sacramento State in Journalism, with a minor in Business. She graduated from Leadership Sacramento, class of 2015, and was honored by the Sacramento Business Journal as a “40 Under 40” in 2018.
In her precious free time, Anne enjoys spending time with her husband and two children and loves the tranquility of being outdoors – hiking, listening to podcasts, and raising a garden. She is often heard saying “I have a good podcast for that,” as a supportive tool for friends and family. Her passion lies in connecting others to the resources and people on their journey to success.
