Ben Candea

Fractional Chief of Staff for Climate Tech Companies | Operations and Strategy

I'm a fractional chief of staff who frees at least 20 hours a week for early-stage climate tech CEOs so they can focus on growth. I help founders drowning in operational chaos shed the work that only looks urgent and important, enabling them to prioritize strategy, fundraising, and product.

I own back-office operations, lead special projects, and build systems that let you focus on what only you can do: driving your company forward. I embed in mission-driven Seed and Series A companies, using shared project management tools to keep you informed without endless meetings.

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Companies I’ve Worked With

"Ben's a huge help...all of the stuff he does is like a full-time job in and of itself, and it's hard to imagine how I did it without him."

Chris Ricciuti, CEO and founder of Noteworthy AI
"Ben has been a huge help to me and the team at Monterra. He's a true self-starter who consistently identifies and takes the right tasks off my plate even with minimal guidance -- freeing me up to focus on building and growing the business."

David Kim, CEO and cofounder of Monterra
"What I love about Ben is he anticipates what needs to happen next and just handles it without being asked. I'd recommend him to any CEO who wants someone they can truly rely on to get things done."

James Johnston, CEO and cofounder of Piclo
"I really appreciate Ben's thoughtfulness, thoroughness, and willingness to operate in a bit of an uncertain environment. He pays attention, he anticipates — I really appreciate and value those traits in the partnership we've built. Ben has become an indispensable factor in NTM Advisory’s success."

Mike Ellerhorst, CEO and founder of NTM Advisory
“Ben’s support and expertise let me focus on the most important things. I'd recommend him to anyone."

Clara Zou, CEO and founder of Arken Solutions

My Expertise

Common tasks requested by my clients.

Support principal's prioritization to make them more effective.
- Execution
- Investor relations
- Communication strategy
Streamline processes to enhance productivity.
- Project management
- KPIs and OKRs
- Recruitment and onboarding
Lead strategic initiatives from inception to delivery.
Gain insights to make informed business decisions.
- Go-to-market development
- Identify opportunities and threats
- Competitive analysis
Boost brand visibility and increase credibility.
- Writing
- Editing
- Social media
Optimize finances for profitability and stability.
- Budgeting
- Forecasting
- Cash flows

Benefits

Tasks

Add as many task requests to my to-do list.

Monthly Rate

Pay the same fixed price each month.

Flexibility

Scale up or down as needed.

Strategic Partner

Hands-on support from an experienced partner.

Simple Pricing

Plans that scale to your business and suit your needs.

Embedded into your business
Easy payment

Need something else? Let’s talk and figure out the ideal solution for you.

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80 hours / month

$11,300/mo

60 hours / month

$9,100/mo

40 hours / month

$6,500/mo

Special projects

Rate dependent on scope

Frequently Asked Questions

A fractional chief of staff is an experienced strategist and operator who works for you part-time on an hourly rate or flat fee retainer. Fractional COO/CoSs often help organizations design systems and processes, achieve growth, execute strategy, or raise new capital.
The primary benefits of a fractional chief of staff include:
Strategic alignment: I help align teams and projects with your business goals so that everyone is working toward the same direction.
Operational efficiency: I execute tasks that would otherwise eat up your time, allowing you to focus on high-impact activities. If I'm doing my job well, I can save you up to 20 hours per week.
Improved communication: I act as a hub for internal communication, ensuring better knowledge and information flow across teams.
Project oversight: I manage and oversee key initiatives from beginning to end, collaborating with various stakeholders to successfully execute.
Decision support: I provide data-driven insights and analyses to support you in making more informed decisions.
If the bullets below resonate with you, you likely need a CoS:
- Struggling to find time for critical priorities
- Stalled and often reacting to fire drills
- Missing the support you need to think strategically and execute
- Spending time on tasks that exhaust your energy
- Becoming a decision bottleneck
Hiring a full-time chief of staff can cost upwards of $300k when considering salary, benefits, and time spent interviewing and recruiting. The fractional model is typically more cost-effective, especially when considering you're only paying for expert support when you need it.
Onboarding is comprehensive, so we can deep dive into your company's mission, values, and goals. I embed into the company, instead of working from afar, and regular check-ins ensure continued alignment.
Of course! The fractional model offers flexibility -- whether your business is scaling or facing unforeseen challenges, my support can adjust to meet your specific needs at any given time.
Most founders and CEOs eventually need a full-time CoS. I'm happy to help source, interview, and onboard your next CoS to ensure a seamless transition.
COOs are focused on the overall health of the business, while a CoS is meant to support the principal. The CoS’s responsibilities often include communications support and driving, and aligning priorities. The CoS role is more behind-the-scenes than the COO, which can be more outward-facing. In small/early-stage companies, the work is typically similar.