Meet Our Leadership Team

Erica McMannes

Erica has been a leader in the military community for more than two decades, holding various roles within the Department of Defense and private sector. In 2016, Erica founded Instant Teams with Liza Rodewald. Together, they created a talent marketplace that uses innovative technology, career development, and a focus on skills-based hiring to create employment solutions for companies and remote careers for military and veteran spouses.

Instant Teams been recognized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, RemoteTech Breakthrough, Blue Star Families, and Hiring our Heroes. Instant Teams has secured more than $15M in Venture Capital funding, most of which was done virtually. In 2022, Instant Teams made the Inc. 5000 List as No. 208 overall, No. 13 in the HR Industry, No. 9 in North Carolina.

Prior to starting Instant Teams, Erica was a consultant for veteran-owned startups in Silicon Valley, specializing in remote team development and management, brand distribution, and content creation. Erica is an alumna of the Patriot Boot Camp and V-WISE programs, and is a two-time winner of grant-led startup pitch competitions. She is a prominent voice in conversations on military spouse employment and remote team leadership and culture. She’s been highlighted at HubSpot’s INBOUND Conference, Amazon’s Women in Operations Leadership Summit, and is a three-time presenter at the Military Influencer Conference and the Department of Defense’s Annual Military Spouse Employment Partnership Summit. Erica serves on the Board of Directors for Hampton Roads Start Peninsula.