About us
Verge Talent Partners came together in 2020 because we saw that even incredible people need help with the people part. Our work is about bringing divergent perspectives together to converge on the path forward — toward growing an inclusive team, tackling new challenges with purpose, or building a diverse and resilient organization. To learn more about our “why” read a message from the founders.
Our values
The companies, nonprofits, and government teams we work with have one thing in common: they know even the most intractable problems become opportunities when you bring together ambitious people with clarity and intention. Our deep experience in hiring, recruiting, human resources, operations, and strategy has given us the tools to help organizations build progressive, people-centered systems, whether they’re making their first big hire or helping an existing team or program shift gears.
Be open. To nuance, context, and all the messy — not to mention fun! — complexity of humanity. Even as we embrace technology and process, we use empathy to keep people at the center of it all.
Harness difference. For ourselves, and other people-focused organizations, one size fits all is rarely ever the appropriate solution; we meet people where they really are and seek opportunities to mind-meld, always with compassion and flexibility.
Be iterative. We’ve seen enough to know that transformation often starts small, and happens incrementally, step by intentional step. Bold outcomes are our north star. The steps we take toward them can be large or small.
Stay present with conflict. We do ourselves a disservice when we don’t wrestle with different perspectives and possibilities in a respectful, curious way. We aim to share how we’re interpreting information, and guide each other through challenging conversations.
Build sustainably. The systems and processes we build and implement are designed to outlive the next big hire, crisis, and even our engagement. We want your organization to be capable of great things both with, and after us.
The Verge Team is a pleasure to work with, highly organized, and always in tune with our needs. Throughout the engagement, we always sensed Verge was centrally interested in securing a great outcome, rather than going through the motions of a pre-canned process. They were true partners.
Micah McCutchan
Managing Director in SentinelOne's strategic advisory group, PinnacleOne
Formerly Krebs Stamos Group
Meet the team
Jen Tress
Jen is a systems thinker and connection-maker who brings a consultative, collaborative approach to all she does. With 20 years of experience in consulting, strategy, operations, and human resources, she’s guided countless organizations through startup and high growth cycles, problem resolution, and significant change. She knows that work is full of challenging power structures, and aims to keep everyone's humanity in mind by bringing joy and respect to every interaction.
She’s held leadership positions in the federal government and the private sector, and has overseen complex engagements with several federal government cabinet agencies, the State of California, FedEx, Delta Airlines, Nationwide Insurance, the Nature Conservancy, and multiple nonprofits. During her time at GSA’s Technology Transformation Services (TTS), Jen led 18F’s Talent Team as the org grew from 60 to 215, then stepped up as the TTS Chief of Staff to help guide the organization through significant change. Outside of work hours, comedy and hiking are her favorite ways to recharge.
PRINCIPAL, CO-FOUNDER (she/her)
Abdul is a passionate advocate for building meaningful employee experiences. He has worked in deep collaboration with organizations to design and build sustainable and inclusive processes that support talent acquisition, engagement, and retention. He knows that understanding and designing employees' experiences (from posting through employment) can create the belonging and connection that unlock truly creative teams.
He has 20 years' experience in recruiting, hiring, and talent operations, and has helped grow teams across a wide range of disciplines in creative agencies, non-profits, digital consultancies, and grassroots organizations. When he's not thinking about the big picture of organizations, you might find him getting a new perspective through a camera lens or from a bicycle seat.
PRINCIPAL, CO-FOUNDER (he/him)
Abdul Smith
Eloise is an HR leader who's seen firsthand how people-centered strategy is the best foundation for growth. Over her two decades working in talent and HR, she's created employer brands, built hiring strategies, advised executives and managers, assessed compensation and performance strategies, driven engagement, and mentored HR talent. Her imaginative and creative approach balances qualitative and quantitative stories to approach problems from a fresh perspective.
Eloise has served as HR business partner and executive in a wide range of sectors, from healthcare to branding, from software to manufacturing. No matter the field, she connects the human side with the business side to help both succeed. Away from work, she's just as content toiling in her garden as she is with a paintbrush in her hand.
MANAGING PARTNER (she/her)
Eloise Thome
Dana Tzegaegbe
Dana is a skilled operations manager with a proven track record of streamlining processes and improving organizational efficiency. With 8 years of experience in nonprofit and startup operations, she is passionate about using her skills in operations and management to help organizations run smoothly and efficiently so they can focus on their mission. Dana is a strong advocate for social justice and equity and is committed to making a difference in the world.
Dana has led operations for the Innovation Team at international nonprofit organizations like CARE, local nonprofits like The Algorithmic Justice League and tech startups like SIRUM. Outside of fighting the good fight, you’ll find Dana jet-setting to the nearest beach or sunbathing in her front yard.
OPERATIONS MANAGER (she/her)
Other great folks we work with
At Verge we endeavor to create a space for skill and mission-aligned individuals to do meaningful and impactful work in partnership with our clients, whether on a periodic basis, or for longer term durations. Through our extended network, we are fortunate to have access to some of the smartest minds in our field and in their respective disciplines. We know that people operations and talent work intersects with all aspects of an organization, and these incredible humans have joined our team in various capacities to deliver for our clients.
Amina Makhdoom Lynch
Training and development, change management, process design
Daniella Rosenthal
People operations, process design, recruiting & hiring
Joanna Serna
Recruiting & hiring, talent & culture, creative operations
Dr. Mary Barnes
Workforce & leadership development, strategic planning, change management
Ann Le
Strategy, operations, finance
LaRita Jones
HR, federal government hiring, org development
Carlene Mahanna
Talent Acquisition, Recruitment Marketing