Gaia Human Capital’s Leadership Team

Dawn Dzurilla
Founder & Managing Partner
dawnd@gaiahumancapital.com
415-535-3496
San Francisco, CA

PRACTICE AREAS:
Functional:
* Diversity Board Executive Search
* C-Suite Executive Search
* CSO (Chief Sustainability Officer)
* Private Equity / Venture Capital Executives
Industries:
* Climate Technology
* Private Equity & Venture Capital
* Higher Education, Foundations, Non-Profits
* Corporate ESG / Sustainability
* Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging
* Leadership Assessment

Lizandra Vega
Managing Director
lizandravega@gaiahumancapital.com
914-419-6565
New York, NY

PRACTICE AREAS:
Functional:
* CHRO / Human Resource Management
* CMO (Chief Marketing Officer)
* CRO (Chief Revenue Officer)
* CIO / CTO
Industries:
*
Corporate ESG / Sustainability
* Private Equity & Venture Capital
* Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging

* Consumer
* Circular Economy

Gaia’s Human Capital’s Leadership Team Biographies

  • Dawn E. Dzurilla

    Founder & Managing Partner
    dawnd@gaiahumancapital.com
    415-535-3496

    Dawn Dzurilla is a recognized leader in executive search, talent leadership, and acquisition within the green economy. Since founding Gaia Human Capital Consultants in 2007, she has built a reputation for connecting top talent with a wide range of companies, institutions, higher educational institutions, investors and nonprofits focused on ESG, sustainability, climate technology, cleantech and renewable energy.

    With over 25 years of experience, Dawn brings a wealth of knowledge, personal and professional experience to every client and partnership engagement. She has led numerous successful searches for CEOs, C-suite executives, directors, subject matter experts and diverse & inclusive leaders across several impactful sectors, including climate tech, cleantech, renewable energy, financial institutions, entrepreneurial ventures, higher educational institutions, ESG / sustainability, NGO’s and nonprofit organizations.

    She served as Senior Talent Acquisition Partner at Recurrent Energy, a leading solar energy development firm and as Director of Recruitment & Talent Acquisition for a leading Professional Services company.

    Prior to Gaia Human Capital, Dawn Co-founded H3 Capital Management, a pioneer in impact investing and wealth management firm.

    Dawn held leadership positions at a boutique search firm in New York City, focused on the Financial Institutions' industry and non-profit leadership roles. She played a key role in the development of a medical waste technology company.

    She began her career in the Investment Banking Industry as a Financial Analyst at Smith Barney (now Morgan Stanley Wealth Management).

    Beyond her core expertise, Dawn is a passionate advocate for sustainability, diversity and inclusion. Dawn served as the inaugural National Chair of Human Capital for The Cleantech Open, mentoring early-stage cleantech companies to scale. She has served on several boards, including Solstice Solar, StartOut SF (Chairperson), SFGSL, faith-based institutions, the San Francisco United Democratic Club, Alice B. Toklas Club and Uncloseted Media.

    Dawn earned a degree from St. John's University in New York and continues to pursue ongoing professional education and development. Dawn resides in San Francisco, enjoys life with her adorable Havanese puppy, Penny.

  • Managing Director
    lizandravega@gaiahumancapital.com
    914.419.6565
    New York, NYC

    Lizandra Vega is Managing Director & Executive Search Consultant for Gaia Human Capital Consultants. In this capacity, she provides retained executive search and leadership & advisory services to a broad range of clients within: private equity, venture capital, and their portfolio companies. Lizandra’s mission and vision are focused on identifying more qualified women (particularly women of color) for board positions and executive leadership roles, as well as partnering with companies where ESG, sustainability, social justice, and corporate governance are integral to the fabric of each specified corporate culture. Creating balanced boards and executive teams, by engaging diverse members that reflect upon an organization’s strategic direction, leadership, and perspective, is the essence of Lizandra’s consistent collaborative success.

    Lizandra’s approach to executive search derives from 20+ years of combined experience in high-volume recruitment of emerging talent, in-house global talent acquisition, entrepreneurship & leadership as co-founder of a NYC search & staffing start-up, as well as retained search for specialty boutiques and global talent advisory firms. As a retained search consultant of top executives and C-suites, Lizandra is inspired to identify, assess, and attract leaders that contribute cognitive diversity, to ensure Gaia’s clients’ business objectives and goals are achieved with the highest integrity.

    Lizandra is the author of The Image of Success: Make a Great Impression and Land the Job You Want (AMACOM Books, May 2010). Through marketing & publicity for her book, she gained notoriety as “The Career Confidante,” while blogging, presenting, and appearing as guest expert on TV, radio, and other media platforms that reached Spanish and English-speaking audiences.

    Lizandra has always served as the voice of under-represented individuals and groups. She has invariably executed searches with a zoom lens on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging as a result of her personal experiences as a Latina, raised in The Bronx, who triumphed above language and cultural barriers.

    Lizandra is a graduate of Wesleyan University, with a Bachelor of Arts in Theater and English Literature. She has earned certifications in DEI&B for HR from Cornell University and Entrepreneurship from Wharton Executive Education. Additionally, she has served on boards that appeal to her creative interests: The Association of Image Consultants International and as Co-President of The Westchester Ballet Company.

    Lizandra currently resides in New Canaan, Connecticut with her husband and two children.

    PRACTICE AREAS:

    Functional:

    * CHRO / Human Resource Management

    * CMO (Chief Marketing Officer)

    * CRO (Chief Revenue Officer)

    * CIO / CTO

    Industries:

    * Corporate ESG / Sustainability

    * Private Equity & Venture Capital

    * Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging

    * Consumer

    * Circular Economy