# Nick Cromydas

> Nick Cromydas is the Chicago-based co-founder and CEO of Hunt Club, an executive-search firm built around a simple observation: people respond differently when an opportunity arrives through someone they trust. A former Vanderbilt tennis captain and Northwestern volunteer coach, he moved through KPMG and venture building before turning a summer of successful introductions into a recruiting company that pairs human relationships with software and AI.

- **Role:** Co-Founder & CEO at Hunt Club
- **Organizations:** Hunt Club, New Coast Ventures, KPMG, Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University
- **Education:** Degree in Communication Studies; minor in Managerial Studies, Vanderbilt University
- **Known for:** Co-founded and leads Hunt Club., Raised a $40 million Series B for Hunt Club in December 2022., Hunt Club reported more than 1,000 leadership placements and 156% year-over-year revenue growth from 2021 to 2022.

## Career timeline

- **2005-2009** — Played varsity men's tennis at Vanderbilt University for four years, served twice as team captain and graduated in 2009.
- **2009-2010** — Worked as a volunteer assistant coach for Northwestern University's women's tennis team after graduating into the recession.
- **2009-2010** — Co-created Athliance with Scott Kacyn to connect college athletes with alumni; Northwestern and Vanderbilt became its first two paying customers.
- **2010s** — Joined KPMG in strategy and performance management consulting after using his early product-building experience to make the career transition.
- **2014** — Founded New Coast Ventures, a Chicago venture studio and digital innovation company that started or invested in more than 40 early-stage companies.
- **2014-2015** — Developed Hunt Club after repeatedly making successful candidate introductions for an executive-recruiter friend; the company operated in closed beta before its 2015 launch.
- **2016** — Was recognized on Forbes' Chicago 30 Under 30 list.
- **2018** — Hunt Club announced a $1.8 million funding round and a referral network of more than 4,000 business leaders.
- **2022** — Hunt Club raised a $40 million Series B co-led by WestCap and Sator Grove after reporting 156% year-over-year revenue growth.
- **2025-2026** — Published and spoke about AI-native professional services, arguing that search firms should combine shared data, technology, recruiter judgment and network trust.

## Achievements

- Co-founded and leads Hunt Club.
- Raised a $40 million Series B for Hunt Club in December 2022.
- Hunt Club reported more than 1,000 leadership placements and 156% year-over-year revenue growth from 2021 to 2022.
- Founded New Coast Ventures, which started or invested in more than 40 early-stage startups.
- Recognized on Forbes' Chicago 30 Under 30 list in 2016.
- Earned four varsity tennis letters at Vanderbilt and served twice as team captain.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — Discussed unusual senior-career moves and argued that leaders are increasingly choosing work, team and impact over conventional title progression.
- **2026-07** — Appeared on Private Equity FunCast to discuss how a difficult private-equity market and AI are changing executive search.
- **2025-12** — Published 'Talent Market Fit' on Hunt Club's blog.
- **2025-10** — Published an interview-driven piece about the operating discipline behind lower-middle-market rollups.
- **2025-04** — Published an essay arguing that search firms need shared systems, compounding data and AI-enabled relationship management.

## Links

- Website: https://www.huntclub.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cromydas/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/nickcromydas
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp707gZzV3w

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/nick-cromydas
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-09-28