How Menaka Chang Built MC Advisory to Help Founders Build the People Foundation They Scale On

Meet Menaka Chang, founder of MC Advisory, a fractional people leadership consultancy helping high-growth companies build the people foundation they scale on. Before launching MC Advisory, Menaka spent years in-house building people functions at high-growth companies, including helping CB Insights grow from 20 to 300+ employees and supporting Coursera through its growth and IPO.

What makes Menaka's perspective unusual is the breadth of her vantage point. After four years of running MC Advisory across tech startups, nonprofits, schools, and professional services firms, she will tell you the through line is always the same: people need clarity, good managers, and systems that actually work. That conviction, sharpened across very different organizations, is what makes her a true strategic partner rather than just another consultant.

Please share a brief introduction and your business:

I run MC Advisory, a fractional people leadership consultancy. I help high-growth companies build the people foundation they scale on: compensation frameworks, performance management, organizational design, and AI enablement for people teams. I work alongside founders and leadership teams as a true strategic partner, which means my clients get senior-level thinking and someone deeply invested in their success, without a full-time hire.

Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

In some ways, yes. My dad was an entrepreneur so I grew up watching what it looked like to build something of your own, and that definitely shaped how I think about work. MC Advisory is actually not my first business either. I was a personal trainer for ten years before moving into HR/People, so owning my own thing has always felt more natural to me than not. When I launched MC Advisory, it felt less like a leap and more like the next logical step.

Are you a mamaprenista?

With three kids, the thing that's helped most is letting go of the idea that you can do everything perfectly on the same day. Some days you're a great mom. Some days you're a great CEO. Occasionally, you're both. That's enough.

What accomplishments are you the most proud of to date in your business?

Two things. First, being four years into running MC Advisory and seeing just how transferable great people work really is. I've worked across tech startups, nonprofits, schools, and professional services firms, and the through line is always the same: people need clarity, good managers, and systems that actually work. That's been a really cool thing to witness across so many different organizations. Second, being able to bring people I've worked with before back into my world as collaborators on client engagements. When people choose to work with you again, that means something.

What is one thing you wish you had known when you started your Entreprenista journey?

That referrals would be everything. I spent a year on content that went nowhere, and the clients were always just a conversation away.

When hiring, what is your go-to interview question?

Tell me about a time things didn't go as planned and what you did about it. How someone talks about failure tells you everything.

What did you do before starting your own business?

I have an economics background from NYU and spent years in-house building people functions at high-growth companies. I helped CB Insights grow from 20 to 300+ employees and supported Coursera through its growth and IPO. Those experiences gave me a deep understanding of what growing companies actually need at every stage, and that's the foundation of how I work with clients today.

What made you take the leap to start your own business?

I wanted more leverage on the impact I could have. In-house, you're solving one company's problems at a time. Going out on my own meant I could work with multiple companies simultaneously, stay close to the work I find most energizing, and build something that genuinely reflects how I think great people strategy should work. It was a bet on myself, and I'm really glad I made it!

Do you have any recent wins?

The biggest win, honestly, is how many directions the business has grown in. I've expanded into different industries, placed a fractional leader with one of my clients, and am launching my first cohort course this summer. Four years in and I'm still finding new ways to deliver value I didn't anticipate when I started, and that's really exciting.

What's one app on your phone that you cannot live without?

Claude. I use it every single day across my client work, my course, and my business operations. It's genuinely changed how I work.

Who are your customers?

Startups and scale-ups, typically 20 to 400+ employees. A lot of my clients are first-time founders who are scaling fast and realizing their people's practices haven't kept up with where the business is going. I love working with leaders who are energized and ready to build something great for their teams.

What's your top productivity tip?

Batch similar work together and protect your deep work time from meetings. I also use AI heavily to get first drafts done fast so I can spend my energy on thinking (not typing).

What's your favorite business tool?

Claude for being my sparring partner and Google Workspace for helping me manage my business operations from calendaring to client deliverables.

What's your approach to work-life balance?

I aim for integration (vs. balance). Some weeks the business gets more, some weeks the family does. What keeps it sustainable is being really honest with myself about where I'm at and adjusting accordingly.

How do you avoid burn-out?

I work out daily, and I'm intentional about food and travel. Those aren't rewards, they're maintenance. I also know my warning signs and take them seriously.

What advice do you have for aspiring Entreprenistas?

Stop planning and go get one client. Everything you think you need to figure out first, you'll actually figure out faster once someone is paying you. One client tells you more about whether your business idea works than any amount of prep ever will.

What's next for your business? What can we expect to see over the next few years?

A few things I'm excited about: launching my first cohort course this summer for people leaders at startups, continuing to grow the business, and deepening my work across industries. The more I work outside of tech, the more I see how much these companies need and how well this model translates. Lots of runway ahead!

Menaka's story is a reminder that the most useful people leaders are the ones who have actually built people functions inside fast-scaling companies, and that great fractional advisory work is less about a clever framework and more about being deeply invested in someone else's success. We are so glad to have her in the Entreprenista community and cannot wait to watch MC Advisory continue to grow.

Want to connect with founders like Menaka? Visit the EntreprenistaLeague to explore our community and discover more stories of women building businesses that truly matter.