About Us
Redefining professional networking through authentic relationships
At Authentified, we believe trust is the foundation of every meaningful relationship. Professionals don't need thousands of shallow connections; they need trusted allies who can support their growth and open doors.
Leadership Team
Meet the people behind Authentified
Shilpi Padhy
Founder and CEO
"Meaningful Connections, Not Cold Contacts"
Shilpi Padhy is the Founder of Authentified Inc., with over 18 years of experience across global technology companies and innovative startups. Over the past decade in San Francisco, she has built and scaled digital platforms, led high-performing engineering teams, and driven partnerships across the global innovation ecosystem.
Shilpi began her career in engineering and product development, serving as an Engineering Manager and leading in-house development teams for high-growth digital businesses. Her technical background spans machine learning, digital innovation, and enterprise automation, where she contributed to building intelligent systems that enhanced workflow efficiency and user engagement.
With extensive hands-on experience in scaling product-led technology platforms and managing the growth of complex digital systems, Shilpi continues to apply her foundation in applied machine learning, technical leadership, and innovation to build scalable, technology-driven products with global impact through Authentified.
Jochen Kleinknecht
Co-founder, COO
Jochen Kleinknecht is a seasoned executive and operating advisor with deep experience across technology, finance, and customer operations. He currently serves as an Operating Advisor to Blackstone Credit & Insurance, advising on financial and operational strategy for a $60B technology portfolio.
Previously, Jochen was Vice President at Cisco, leading strategy, acquisition success, risk assurance, and AI adoption for the $14B ONEx organization, overseeing 30,000 employees. Earlier in his career, he was Head of Customer Operations at LinkedIn, managing global teams across four business lines and driving over $60M in small business sales.
Jochen brings expertise in strategy, business transformation, digital operations, and scaling high-growth organizations to drive sustainable success.
Our Core Values
The principles that guide everything we do
Put members first
Our community drives every decision and innovation.
Act as owners
Long-term thinking with highest accountability standards.
Move fast
Speed matters, but trust and quality come first.
Earn trust
Through transparency, respect, and consistent reliability.
Continuously learn
We grow with our members, always evolving.
Be authentic
Real connections over vanity metrics.
Connect
Connect — Where real connections happen. A curated, in-person experience that introduces professionals with aligned KPIs — turning every introduction into a strategic opportunity for customer growth, partnerships, and measurable success.
Insight
Your personal relationship intelligence hub. It helps you prioritize key connections, stay on top of follow-ups, and even suggests personalized actions and emails — so you can nurture relationships that truly move the needle.
Anish Srivastava
Venture Partner at Swisscom Ventures
Interaction History
Angel investors from
Backed by Visionaries
Our angel investors come from NVIDIA, TikTok, Foothill Ventures, and Swisscom Ventures.
Would you like to invest? Reach out to us at invest@authentified.io
Ready to Build Authentic Relationships?
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