Built & Backed, Episode 19: Emmaline Swanson

Emmaline Swanson is a 2x founder and startup operations specialist who has spent over 10 years building operational infrastructure as a founding team member and Chief of Staff at early-stage tech companies across healthcare, crypto, fintech, big data, GRC, logistics, and AI.

She takes a data-driven approach to operations, but what sets her work apart is applying behavioral science to design systems that actually work with how humans operate. The result: intuitive processes that people actually follow, making compliance and operations less of a nightmare and more of a competitive advantage. Her focus areas include strategic HR, business operations, data privacy and security, and compliance.

Currently, she runs two companies: Frameworks Labs, providing fractional operations, compliance, and HR support for early-stage startups, and Privacounsel, offering HR compliance guidance and advocacy for employees navigating workplace issues.

Emmaline specializes in the critical business processes every company needs but typically dreads. Her work helps founders establish operational rigor without sacrificing the speed and flexibility required to scale. She builds foundations that last, so startups can focus on what they actually care about: building their product and growing their business.

During this episode, we discuss:

Being a self-proclaimed founder
What made her want to start Frameworks Labs
How she juggled her full-time job and business
Why you should not move fast and break things
How she got the idea for her second company, Privacounsel
Her process for balancing both companies
How she transitioned out of burnout
Why 9-9-6 isn’t impressive or necessary
What the invisible foundation of a company is
The value in working with someone fractionally
Advice for finding success in tech
Her shoutout to Bryan Singleton of FlowGuide.io

And more. Tune into this episode as we dive into all things HR and compliance!