Kirsten Lovely, Phantom’s Head of People, has spent her career scaling teams, driving growth, and shaping company cultures—primarily in healthtech, where access and impact go hand in hand. She's built teams that not only fueled business success but transformed how people access essential services, making medical resources easier to navigate. After years in high-growth startups, she sought something more—not just another leadership role, but an opportunity to shape how an emerging industry builds and scales.
"I've always been drawn to industries that merge innovation with impact—where building great teams means enabling people to do their most meaningful work. In healthtech, we tackled real access challenges by removing friction between people and services. When I first started dabbling in crypto, I realized there was a similar shift happening on an even bigger scale. This wasn't just about improving an existing system; it was about redefining access, ownership, and control from the ground up. I’m talking a real shift that could change global economies."
For Kirsten, crypto presented both massive opportunities and challenges. The space attracted some of tech's brightest minds—builders eager to push boundaries and disrupt traditional systems. However, with its cyclical nature, speculative highs and lows, and history of bad actors, many companies struggled to maintain stability and long-term engagement. While talent would flood in during market peaks, it would quickly churn out. The key challenge wasn't merely attracting top talent—it was creating an environment where they would stay, build, and drive real impact beyond the hype cycles.
That's what led Kirsten to Phantom.
"When I joined, Phantom was the fastest-growing wallet, making crypto more accessible and approachable in unprecedented ways. In an industry that often felt exclusive and complex, Phantom stood out. It was a fresh approach that excited me. The leadership team valued not just innovation, but the people driving it forward. Culture wasn’t an afterthought—it was a competitive advantage. They were speaking my language.”
Top talent can work anywhere—So we have to be the best
For Kirsten, one truth remains central to her approach: Top talent has options.
“Let’s be real. Top talent can work anywhere. They know they’re great, they know what they bring, and they want to work with the best.” So, the question isn’t just why they join Phantom—but why they stay.
The answer? Because Phantom is built for high performers to thrive.
This isn’t a company for people who want to coast, rely on rigid systems, or wait to be told what to do. Phantom is for the builders, the problem-solvers, and the thinkers who aren’t just looking for a job—they’re looking for a challenge, an opportunity, and a team that pushes them to be their best.
Phantom is a place where high performance isn’t an exception—it’s the expectation. Every hire is intentional. Every team is built for impact. The company operates on high accountability, where autonomy is a given, and responsibility comes with it. If you own something, you drive it forward and deliver excellence.
But most importantly, Phantom is where top talent thrives because they are surrounded by other exceptional people—people who challenge, push, and inspire them to level up every day.
"I didn’t just want to join another high-growth company—I wanted to help build a culture where top talent knows they’re in the right place. And when they get here, they feel it. We aren’t just competing with other crypto companies—we’re competing with the best places to work and we play to win. Period.”
Scaling a culture that plays to win
At Phantom, scaling isn't about getting bigger—it's about getting better. A high-performance team isn't built by simply adding more people; it's built by ensuring every new hire raises the bar.
For Kirsten, growth without intentionality is one of the biggest mistakes companies make. She's seen firsthand how rapid hiring can dilute impact, slow decision-making, and create unnecessary complexity. That's why Phantom takes a deliberate approach to hiring—focusing on maintaining talent density and keeping the bar high. "We don't hire just to hire—we hire for impact. The right people don't just fit into the team; they make the team better. Everyone brings the intensity, the grit, the grind. They have that Mamba Mentality that makes everyone around them better. We play to win."
Phantom believes that a small, highly-skilled team will always outperform a large, slow-moving one. Rather than measuring success by headcount growth, Phantom measures it by how effectively they're building, executing, and pushing the industry forward.
“The best hires don’t just execute; they push, challenge, and bring a standard of excellence that inspires everyone around them. At Phantom, I get to work alongside people who constantly challenge me, and that’s what makes this exciting.”
This philosophy extends beyond hiring—it's built in to how Phantom approaches leadership and development. Managers don't dictate every move; they set direction, remove roadblocks, and create an environment where high performers thrive. "Great leadership isn't about control—it's about setting clear priorities and giving people the space to execute at their highest level."
At Phantom, career growth is earned through execution, not tenure. Employees take on meaningful challenges, ownership, and responsibility from day one. Instead of waiting for opportunities, top performers create them—demonstrating impact, taking initiative, and continuously leveling up. "The best people don't wait for permission to grow—they step up. Our job is to give them the environment and clarity to make it happen."
Leading as a woman in crypto
For Kirsten, joining senior leadership in a crypto company wasn’t just about taking on a new industry—it was about showing up as a leader in a space where women are still underrepresented.
“This industry moves fast. There are endless ways to stay dialed in. I’d be lying if I said I’m super well-versed in crypto. Every day I learn something new—a term, a meme, some deep blockchain reference. The beauty of crypto? We’re all figuring it out together. So, I just ask questions.”
Crypto has historically skewed heavily male, especially in leadership and technical roles. But rather than focusing on the barriers, Kirsten has always focused on raising the bar—by bringing a strategic, high-performance mindset to the table. “I’ve never seen that as a reason to hold back. If anything, it’s fuel.”
“I don’t lead differently because I’m a woman. I lead the way I do because I'm confident about what it takes to build great teams and great companies. But I also know that representation matters. The more women we see in leadership, the more we normalize it—so the next generation doesn’t see it as an anomaly, they see it as the standard.”
Engaging a globally-distributed team
At Phantom, high performance isn’t just about execution—it’s about energy, connection, and shared purpose. With a team spread across 16+ countries, Phantom ensures employees don’t just work together—they take pride in what they build and who they build it with.
For Kirsten, engagement isn’t about surface-level perks or one-off initiatives—it’s about creating an environment where people are genuinely excited to show up every day. She knows that high performance doesn’t happen in isolation—it happens when people feel challenged, supported, and personally invested in what they’re building.
“The best teams don’t just grind through work—they get fired up about it. When people believe in what they’re building and trust the people beside them, that’s when the magic happens.”
That’s why Phantom is deliberate about engagement. “So many companies don’t take this seriously. And it shows,” Kirsten said. “We don’t take shortcuts here.”
We bring our team together for global offsites—not just to align on strategy but to build relationships, celebrate wins, and re-energize as a team. These moments fuel creativity, deepen collaboration, and make remote work feel anything but disconnected. “When we bring people together, we don’t waste the moment. It’s not about small talk and icebreakers—it’s about sparking ideas, breaking silos, and reminding everyone why they’re here. When people leave an offsite, they’re hype!”
Engagement at Phantom goes beyond offsites—it’s embedded in how the company operates. Employees have real ownership over their work, direct access to leadership, and a culture where feedback drives action. The biannual engagement surveys aren’t just a formality; they lead to team and company-wide commitments that shape how the organization evolves.
“We want Phantom to be so compelling that when someone slides into their LinkedIn DMs, they’re not even interested.”
Balancing work and life: High performance without compromise
As a leader in a fast-moving, high-performing and high-accountability environment, Kirsten is also deeply committed to her family. With a busy household and children who are actively engaged in competitive sports and activities, she understands true high performance means excelling in both work and life—not choosing between them.
“At Phantom, we believe in creating an environment where people don’t have to compromise between career growth and being present for what matters most. It’s not about balance—it’s about being fully committed to the things that drive you forward, both personally and professionally.”
The same principles that drive success—discipline, commitment, and continuous improvement—are the foundation of both career and family life. High performers don’t compartmentalize excellence; they apply it to everything that matters. That means structuring time intentionally, maximizing impact, and making space for what truly counts.
“People want to feel fulfilled both at work and at home without sacrificing growth to do that. At Phantom, high performance doesn’t mean burnout. It means operating with clarity, autonomy, and the support to excel—not just in work, but in every aspect of life.”
“At Phantom, I don’t miss a beat when it comes to my family. Oh, we have a tournament out of state? I’ll be there. There’s an award ceremony at school? I’ll be there. This isn’t just a philosophy—it’s how we operate. Everyone at Phantom deserves that same level of balance and fulfillment. Whether you’re leading a team, growing your career, or showing up for the people who matter most to you, we’ve built a culture where you don’t have to choose—you can thrive in all aspects.
Building the team of tomorrow
“The people here are what make Phantom special. We’re not just hiring for skills—we’re hiring people who raise the bar higher, who challenge each other, and who bring that fire every day.”
“If you’re excited by ownership, high impact, and being part of a team that moves fast and delivers real results, this is the place for you.”
If you’re ready to work at a company where culture isn’t just an afterthought—it’s a competitive advantage—Phantom is where you belong. Join us in building the future of crypto, redefining consumer finance, and creating an environment where high performance and fulfillment go hand in hand.
