Clutch’s Co-Founders, Anne Descalzo and Rachel Zillner, have a long history of partnering to create innovative change and positive workplace cultures. From their executive roles in community banking to countless hours of volunteer leadership in Sacramento’s business community, they’ve worked together to help shape successful teams.

In the summer of 2019, Anne and Rachel came to the same conclusion: they wanted to see their values in action in a workplace that fit the culture they dreamed of. They loved seeing their impact on customers and colleagues, but they wanted something more.

Together, they sat down on the floor of Rachel’s kitchen with piles of sticky notes, dreaming up the values they believed were at the core of their dream job. Hundreds of sticky notes later, they realized a company like that just didn’t exist yet. It’d be something they’d have to create. At that moment, Clutch was born. Without a widget to sell or one specific service in mind, Anne and Rachel launched Clutch with three core values: Connection, Optimism, and Drive.

Seeing a tremendous opportunity to support government agencies with operationalizing their programs and services, Anne and Rachel leaned into government contracting to grow their business dreams. They felt that by pairing humans who embodied those core values with clients undergoing great change, Clutch could change the traditional model of consulting, providing a new approach to driving client success and innovation. Driven by results and committed to providing exceptional experiences, Clutch meets clients where they are, using a human-centered, data-driven approach that transcends the conventional start-to-finish model.

And it’s worked.

In nearly five years, Clutch has become one of California’s most successful professional service consulting agencies that does strategic consulting differently. Consistently setting records for growth and success, Anne and Rachel’s evolving curiosity continues to shine as their 150+ workforce grows and their business model expands to support public and private entities.

Having learned to lean into the unknown, they’ve become comfortable with the uncomfortable, understanding that growth and transformation can be extraordinary gifts life offers. Coming to the realization that Clutch’s core values have always been more than the original three, Anne and Rachel saw fit to revise. Now including Evolve and Curiosity, these unyielding values, known to Clutch as CODE-C, infuse integrity into daily operations and are the very essence of its identity and purpose.

BOLD is a a women’s empowerment speaker series designed by women. Each event features different topics to make up BOLD.

A space that redefines the conventional workspace, opening doors for diverse professionals to amplify their impact.

A venture fund dedicated to breaking barriers for underrepresented voices & entrepreneurs by bridging the gaps for equitable financial access, education, and mentorship.

A consulting agency focused on helping Community Banks, Credit Unions, and Fintechs improve the services, technologies, and experiences provided to their clients.

Let’s Transform Your Challenges Together 

We can’t wait to get to know you and debunk areas of the unknown together. We don’t just come through. We come in Clutch!