MEET OUR TEAM
AT ATHARI RECRUITING WE ARE COMMITTED TO BUILDING A DIVERSE AND DYNAMIC TEAM. WE BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF OUR PEOPLE AND KNOW THAT OUR VARIED BACKGROUNDS AND EXPERIENCES MAKE US THE BEST TEAM WE CAN BE.
HAZEL ESTWICK HURLEY
CO-FOUNDER & CEO
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Hazel is a Registered Nurse and Attorney. She has years of experience as a litigator in her prior role as House Counsel for a major insurance carrier. Her experience has made her a master negotiator and advocate for her clients. She believes that these skills are essential for successful recruiting. She has a passion for helping others through her work in various community service organizations. Her passion to help others is the guiding factor that lead her to co-founding Athari Recruiting. Hazel is a graduate of Syracuse University with a B.S. in Nursing and a J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law.
ISAAC WERE
CO- FOUNDER & PRESIDENT
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Isaac is an experienced recruiter and entrepreneur. He began his career as an Army Officer. He later had the opportunity to work as the North East Diversity Recruitment Officer for the United States Military Academy at West Point. In this role, he helped bring in the most diverse class in West Point's 220 year history. This experience of helping diverse candidates realize their potential, ignited a passion for recruiting within Isaac which eventually led to him co-founding Athari. Isaac graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering.
ALEX WESSER
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
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Alex is a New York City–based creative and activist with a history deeply rooted in community organizing, non-profit development, and program creation. Committed to the marriage of these pillars, her career has traversed creating film production curricula for justice-impacted youth, founding mutual aid organizations in the wake of George Floyd’s murder and the resulting protests, and joining the Board of Directors and officer team for Ride to DC, a startup non-profit devoted to advocating for Black lives. Alex is a logistical wizard and enjoys creating experimental media, cooking, and traveling with her partner.
MICHELE BAPTIST
LEAD RECRUITER
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Michele Baptist is an HBCU graduate from Shaw University, holding three Master Degrees in Industrial Labor and Relations, Media Management, and Sports Management. A catalyst for positive candidate experience and an advocate for candidate success, Michele prides herself on being a best in-class recruiter. With over 10 years of recruiting experience in varied industries, she's been an instrumental part of every aspect of the HR and hiring ecosystem. She is a Brooklyn native who enjoys spending time with her son and bringing the biggest smile to our office.
ALBAN MANISHIMWE
LEAD DEVELOPER
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Alban is a seasoned Data Scientist and Software Engineer with over 7 years of experience. He has demonstrated strong leadership skills through various projects, including the Fortune 500 Klub Application and a Mobile Application based on Machine Learning. Alban serves as a Data Scientist for the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, a national statistical agency responsible for collecting, processing, and disseminating official statistics in Uganda.
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In addition to his work, Alban has extensive consulting experience with both government and international institutions. His consulting services have been invaluable to a wide range of clients, providing them with the data analytics and software engineering expertise they
need to succeed. Alban also plays an active role in the tech community. He is the convenor of the Kampala Tech-Talk, a tech policy sandbox of the Kampala Analytica. In this role, he leads national and global discussions on Artificial Intelligence Policy.
OUR ADVISORY BOARD
MEET THE TALENTED MINDS THAT HELP INFORM ATHARI'S UNIQUE APPROACH TO BUILDING DIVERSE TEAMS.
GENE WADDY
CEO, ALPHA BUSINESS SOLUTIONS
Gene C. Waddy is a visionary entrepreneur and owner of Alpha Business Solutions, a minority business enterprise that provides payroll and staffing solutions to Fortune companies. Prior to launching Alpha Business Solutions in 2017, Gene co-founded DIVERSANT, which grew to become the nation’s largest African American owned IT staffing firm. After serving as CEO for 16 years, he sold DIVERSANT in 2021. In many ways, both companies reflect Gene’s professional expertise, tenacity, and commitment to helping others. Gene shares his knowledge and entrepreneurial best practices with other minority business owners via his UNITY mentorship program.
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Gene is active in several community service organizations, including the Zeta Epsilon Lambda Chapter (ZEL) of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated. He also serves on the Board of Wildcat Service Corporation in New York City and The Fulfill Food Bank in his hometown of Neptune, New Jersey. Gene graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck New Jersey where he earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and now serves on the Board of the Silberman School of Business. Gene resides in Manalapan New Jersey with his wife and college sweetheart Kim, daughter Ashley, and son Gene.