Hoppier Leadership Spotlight Series - Danika Chilibeck

Hoppier Leadership Spotlight Series

Featuring Danika Chilibeck, Co-Founder & CEO of Bahia.ai

At Hoppier, we love celebrating the leaders shaping the future of work — the ones building people-first cultures, thinking differently about growth, and inspiring us to be better teammates and founders.

For our first feature in the Hoppier Leadership Spotlight Series, we sat down with Danika Chilibeck, Co-Founder and CEO of Bahia.ai. Danika is on a mission to fix broken recruiting systems — not just to make hiring faster, but more human. She blends radical candor with operational brilliance, and she’s not afraid to challenge outdated playbooks. Her leadership style? Unfiltered, practical, and deeply people-focused.

🧠 Leadership & Purpose

What inspired you to start your current company?
I’ve always been obsessed with productivity and efficiency — and in my previous role at Rewind, I oversaw recruitment and found that it seriously lacked both. The traditional recruitment playbook just felt broken. So I started Bahia to fix a problem that personally drove me a little crazy. On a personal level, I also wanted more control over my outcomes — and starting a business is the most direct way to get that.

What’s the mission that drives your work today?
At Bahia, our mission is to help fast-growing teams find the right people faster. That means helping amazing people find amazing jobs — and doing it way more efficiently than the status quo.

How do you define great leadership in today’s workplace?
Great leadership means seeing people’s strengths and giving them the chance to thrive. Instead of focusing on what someone lacks, I believe in doubling down on what they’re great at — and aligning those strengths with opportunities where they can have the biggest impact.

🌱 Team & Culture

What do you do to build connection and culture on your team?
For me, it’s all about recognizing the small things. People often think recognition needs to be big or public, like raises or shoutouts. But the moments that stuck with me most as an employee were the small, frequent acknowledgments — when someone noticed the little things I did and took the time to appreciate them personally.

How do you keep your team engaged and motivated — especially remotely?
We share everything we’re working on and celebrating — openly. I believe in setting mini-goals, like in fitness. Constantly hitting milestones and seeing progress builds momentum. When everyone sees the wins — big and small — they feel like they’re part of something that’s moving forward every day.

What’s one small perk or ritual that’s made a big impact?
We’re a remote team and use Hoppier for meal vouchers occassionaly which is great, but we also support in-person meetups when people want them. We’ll cover expenses so teammates can connect in real life. It’s still early days for us, but we know how valuable those moments are.

💡 Lessons & Insights

What’s a hard lesson you’ve learned as a leader?
If someone’s underperforming, you have to give clear, honest feedback — early and often. One framework I use is OIA: Observation, Impact, and Action. It keeps feedback objective, actionable, and unemotional. I’ve learned that most terminations happen too quickly or without giving people a fair chance. That’s a mistake I won’t repeat.

What advice would you give to someone building a more people-first culture?
Treat people how you want to be treated — not how they treat you. That’s a mindset shift. Just because someone isn’t warm or expressive doesn’t mean you shouldn’t show up with kindness, appreciation, or clarity. Long-term, that approach builds trust and culture far more than any formal policy.

What’s something more companies should be doing for their people — but aren’t yet?
Be transparent. So many employees don’t have a clue how their company is actually doing — financially or strategically. It’s a missed opportunity. When people understand the bigger picture, they feel more ownership and meaning in their work.

⚡ Personal & Growth

What’s one habit you can’t live without?
I shower morning and night. It’s how I reset and recharge — especially as a founder. I also try to move outside for 45 minutes every day. No matter how busy I get, that’s non-negotiable.

What’s your favorite way to reward yourself or your team after a big win?
Dinner and drinks are always fun, but honestly — time off is the real reward. After a sprint, I encourage everyone to take an afternoon off, go recharge, and come back fresh. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

What’s something people are surprised to learn about you?
I’m super direct — maybe more than most leaders. I speak my mind, I’m an open book, and that can catch people off guard. But it’s also how I build closer relationships and keep communication real.

🔗 Want to connect?

Check out Bahia.ai to learn more about Danika’s work, or follow her on LinkedIn.

If you enjoyed this interview, stay tuned for more from the Hoppier Leadership Spotlight Series — where we highlight the people building the future of work.