We handle the hard stuff
so you can focus on your business
Payroll. HR. Compliance. Benefits. Workers’ Comp.
We Put Small Businesses First.
EssentL was born when our founders, successful entrepreneurs themselves, got tired of traditional providers’ red tape and service models.
We believe small businesses deserve the same level of attention and service as bigger businesses. Because what you’re building matters.
Meet The Humans Behind EssentL
Crystal Jackson
Co-Founder & CTO
Before essentL, Crystal was juggling life as a content creator and former Intel engineer. She knows firsthand the struggle of finding insurance that actually works for small businesses, because she couldn’t find it herself. Her frustration became our mission.
Chris Jackson
Founder & CEO
As a physicist-turned-entrepreneur with three startups under his belt, Chris brings the perfect mix of analytical thinking and creator empathy to essentL. When he’s not strategizing how to enable insurance for small businesses, he’s sharing his UC Davis MBA wisdom.
Jack Pachacz
COO/CFO
Jack is our financial maestro with 15+ years in strategic finance and PEO. Now he’s on a mission: transforming complex financial structures into systems built for small businesses. When not optimizing operations, he’s enjoying time with family or perfecting his golf game.
Dawn Scarfo
Head of HR & Product
Dawn has spent 30+ years in HR leadership supporting teams at companies like Acclaim and Reuters, always with a focus on people-first and compliance across complex state lines. At EssentL, she’s helping bring top-tier HR know-how to the small business world.
John Komadina
Head of Sales
John’s spent 8 years championing small businesses’ best-kept secret: the PEO. He’s helped hundreds of companies—big and small—stay focused on growth while HR, payroll, and benefits get handled. Off the clock, he’s playing zone defense with three kids under 3.
Kristoph Oedman
Marketing Advisor
Kristoph is the former Director of Marketing at Zynga and founder of Designteam, the top fractional marketing & design agency for startups.
What We're Building
Imagine having all the protection and services you need in one place. And imagine getting it all at prices previously available only to big companies with hundreds of employees. That’s EssentL – your PEO partner with corporate-quality benefits at small business-friendly prices. One connected plan that grows with you.
HR Services
HR compliance and payroll simplified – built for business owners focused on their core mission, not paperwork.
- HR Services
- Payroll Services
- HR Compliance
- Payroll Tax Compliance
EmployeeBenefits
High-quality benefit plans – providing small business employees and families with the same protection as large corporations.
- Time Tracking
- Employee Benefits
- Health, dental & vision
- Life & AD&D
- Accident, Critical Illness & Hospitalization
Risk Management
Workers’ comp coverage, compliance, and support that scales with your payroll—without the drama.
- 401(k)
- Risk Management
- Pay As You Go Workers' Comp
- Annual Audits
- OSHA Guidance
- Claims Administration
Join Us
EssentL is ready to serve you and your small business.
Join us and get access to payroll, HR, premium employee benefits and workers’ comp, all built for small businesses like you.
Start today and get the service you deserve