The Athena Alternative for DTC Brands

Why pay Athena prices for an assistant when you can staff your whole team?

Activate Talent embeds full-time, pre-vetted offshore specialists directly into your Slack — EAs, CX, ops, creative, dev, and more. Trusted by Thrive Causemetics, HexClad, Jones Road Beauty, and Fashion Nova.

Get Matched in 48 Hours → No contracts. Replace anytime.

Athena vs. Activate Talent

Both are great. One is built specifically for ecommerce operators.

 
Athena
Activate Talent
Executive Assistants
CX, Ops, Creative, Dev, Media Buyers
Limited
✓ Full bench
DTC / Ecommerce specialization
Generalist
✓ Purpose-built
Talent pool
Philippines
PH + LatAm + Pakistan
Embedded in your Slack
Add-on
✓ Standard
Starting rate
~$3,000/mo
From $9/hr

More than an assistant.
A whole team extension.

Athena places one role. We staff the entire back office of modern ecommerce brands.

Executive Assistants

Inbox, calendar, travel, ops.

From $9/hr

Customer Experience

Gorgias, Zendesk, Kustomer pros.

From $9/hr

Media Buyers

Meta, TikTok, Google Ads.

From $15/hr

Email & Retention

Klaviyo specialists, flows, campaigns.

From $12/hr

Creative & Design

Figma, static ads, UGC editing.

From $11/hr

Developers

Shopify, Liquid, React, Next.js.

From $15/hr

Amazon & Marketplace

Brand managers, PPC, listings.

From $12/hr

Bookkeeping & Ops

QuickBooks, inventory, logistics.

From $10/hr

Trusted by ecommerce leaders

Thrive Causemetics HexClad Jones Road Beauty Portland Leather OSEA Kitsch Fashion Nova

How it works

01

Tell us the role

15-min scoping call. We understand your stack, tools, and what "great" looks like.

02

Meet 3 top candidates

Pre-vetted, ecommerce-experienced, ready to interview within 48 hours.

03

Embed in Slack

They join your channels, your standups, your team. Day one.

04

Scale or swap

Need another? Add a seat. Not a fit? Replace free. No long contracts.

Common questions from Athena shoppers

How are you different from Athena Assistants?

Athena places premium executive assistants, primarily from the Philippines, at a higher price point. We place full-time specialists across the entire ecommerce function — not just EAs — from multiple regions, embedded directly into your Slack, at a lower bill rate.

Are these full-time or part-time?

Full-time, dedicated to your business. No shared resources, no pool model. Your hire works your hours.

What does it cost?

Bill rates start at $9/hr for EAs and CX, up to $15–20/hr for specialists like media buyers and developers. Most clients save 60–70% vs. US hires.

What if it's not a fit?

Free replacement, any reason, any time. You never pay for a bad match.

How fast can I hire?

Most roles: 3 vetted candidates within 48 hours. Start date within 1–2 weeks.

Skip the Athena waitlist.

Get matched with a pre-vetted specialist in 48 hours.

Book a 15-Min Call →