Say hello to our Founding Product Manager, Asha Hardy!

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Asha has joined Holly to define how our product evolves, shaping the ways we’re able to serve the public sector and deepen Holly’s impact. Their path to Holly was far from conventional. They’ve been a diplomat, a founder, and, of course, a product manager.

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They’re certain to lead Holly’s product to new heights, and they took the time to tell us about their history, their hopes for Holly, and exactly what vegetable they think is best.

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What drew you to working for Holly?

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I actually have been watching Holly for a whi;e. More than a year ago, I actually cold-emailed Brendan about a product role that they hadn’t even posted yet. I’ve been a stan since I first learned about the mission, and it’s kind of a perfect fit between my career in public service and my love for product. I love seeing something out in the world, that’s making a meaningful difference in people’s lives and Holly is spot on with that.

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What drew you to product?

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I like hard problems. I like getting as close as possible to the users doing the work, finding out the actual problem, and building. The founding PM role at Holly was really the trifecta: mission driven work, making real time tradeoffs, and shaping what product becomes as Holly grows.

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What’s something about your background that might surprise people?

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I think that people are always a bit surprised by the fact that I was a diplomat! The US diplomat to start-up product arc is kind of cray, but the throughline is less random than it sounds. Both worlds involve navigating complicated systems, getting people aligned, and figuring out things with no playbook.

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What are you most excited about in your time at Holly?

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Honestly, I love that I have the opportunity to build something useful enough that people can trust when the stakes are high – and doing that alongside a team that is customer obsessed.

What could you give a TED talk on impromptu?

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35 Reasons Why Corn is the MVP of Vegetables

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What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

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“AI can help us make almost anything – but wisdom is knowing what is worth making in the first place.”  AI is fantastic about producing a lot, but it cannot substitute for judgement about what is actually worth building – or the human connection that gets lost + swallowed up in a Claude chat.

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If your job at Holly was a meal, what would it be?

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Not sure if this answers the question, but it’s kind of a really good, slightly chaotic dinner party: lots of ingredients flying everywhere, high heat, some sweet treats, with no one totally sure how it will come together – but better because everyone brings something to the table. The goal isn’t perfection, it's about making something thoughtful enough that people want to stay at the table.



Asha, we're grateful to have you on board!

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