HR Consultants in New York City to Watch For in 2025

New York City HR Experts to Know in 2025

At Digital Reference, we’ve always believed that the power of a good HR consultant lies in their ability to shape not just a company’s hiring strategy, but its entire organizational culture. In a talent market as fast-paced and diverse as the New York City metro area, this is more important than ever. That’s why we’re excited to spotlight a curated group of standout HR consultants based in the NYC/Newark/Jersey City region—freelancers, firm founders, and firm-based strategists who are reimagining how businesses think about people.

These HR experts have shown incredible leadership across sectors including tech, media, education, retail, and healthcare. Our team at Digital Reference scoured the regional HR ecosystem—reviewing dozens of consultant websites, analyzing client feedback, tracking impact stories, and leaning on our unique network mapping tools—to compile this definitive list.

So if you’re a founder scaling your team, an HR leader looking for a strategic partner, or a people-first CEO navigating change, this is your go-to list of HR professionals to watch (and work with) in 2025.

How We Built This List

We don’t take lists like this lightly. Our methodology included:

• Deep analysis of local HR ecosystems across NYC, Newark, and Jersey City
• Direct interviews and extensive desk research on each consultant
• Evaluations of areas of specialization, client transformation stories, thought leadership, and community involvement
• Alignment with modern people ops principles like DEI, future-of-work trends, and talent development

For more on how Digital Reference thinks about HR strategy and talent ecosystems, check out our articles on navigating the NYC talent market and our methodology guide for identifying key players in people operations.

Let’s meet the professionals shaping the future of work in New York City.

Morgan Williams

Founder, Peak HR Learning & Consulting
LinkedIn | Website

Morgan Williams is a powerhouse in the learning and development (L&D) space. Through her firm Peak HR, she designs experiences that transform teams—not just by delivering knowledge, but by shaping behavior and driving performance.

Morgan specializes in:

• 🌐 Global L&D strategy for remote and hybrid organizations
• 📚 Instructional design with inclusive, accessible content
• 👥 Coaching and workshops for inclusive leadership and psychological safety

With a background in curriculum development and adult learning theory, Morgan brings academic rigor and creativity to every project. Her clients praise her for crafting experiences that empower employees and elevate organizations. Her north star? Learning that fuels equity, excellence, and engagement.

Corinne Jones

Founder, CJ | HR Services
LinkedIn | Website

Corinne Jones is a veteran HR strategist with a crystal-clear mission: to help small and mid-sized businesses lay a solid HR foundation that promotes compliance, equity, and growth. Her company, CJ | HR Services, is driven by the idea that great HR isn’t about putting out fires—it’s about preventing them in the first place with systems that reflect the values and goals of each unique organization.

Corinne’s approach is personal, practical, and deeply strategic. She leans on her decades of experience in senior HR roles—including her time as VP of HR—to guide companies through:

• 📍 Designing HR infrastructure from scratch, tailored to each company’s size and stage
• 📅 Developing compliant practices that align with local, state, and federal laws
• 🤝 Creating inclusive workplace cultures through clear policies and fair processes

She’s especially passionate about supporting mission-driven organizations—those trying to make a real difference in their industries and communities. Her calm, thoughtful presence is known to put both leadership teams and employees at ease. In a world of fast fixes, Corinne offers depth, sustainability, and heart.

Lena Alvarez

Founder, Park & Lex Business Solutions
LinkedIn | Website

Lena Alvarez is the ultimate people-first operator. Through her boutique firm Park & Lex, she partners with small businesses, nonprofits, and creative agencies to build infrastructure that balances operational excellence with human connection. Her belief? You don’t have to choose between your people and your processes—you can design systems that honor both.

Lena brings:

• 🙌 Over 20 years of HR and operations experience in diverse sectors
• 🪜 A strong commitment to equity, inclusion, and clear communication
• 👥 A track record of helping business leaders navigate restructuring, change management, and rapid growth

Clients love Lena because she shows up like a true partner: present, thoughtful, and always ready with a custom solution that meets the moment. Her values of transparency, trust, and authenticity shine through in every engagement, whether she’s rebuilding an org chart or coaching a founder through a tough people decision. She makes HR feel not just manageable, but transformational.

Lauren Laitman, JD

Founder, Bright Bulb HR
LinkedIn | Website

Lauren Laitman is a rare find in the HR world: an employment attorney and a talent strategist who can bridge the gap between compliance and culture. At Bright Bulb HR, she supports small businesses, nonprofits, and founders who want to get it right the first time—with smart policies, clear guidance, and people-focused leadership.

Lauren’s superpowers include:

• 🔒 Legal insight into employment law, handbook creation, and risk management
• 🖊 Designing training programs that resonate across levels and learning styles
• 🚀 Coaching founders and emerging leaders on the people side of business

She’s known for her ability to demystify complex HR and legal concepts, translating them into strategies that protect both people and the business. Her core value is empowerment—whether that means equipping teams with knowledge or enabling leadership to act with confidence. In Lauren, clients find a rare ally who brings brains, heart, and clarity to every engagement.

Gretchen Grottenthaler

Executive Coach & Founder, ENERG Coaching
LinkedIn | Website

Gretchen Grottenthaler is a transformational leader whisperer. Through her firm, ENERG Coaching, she works with executives and leadership teams to build alignment, improve communication, and drive long-term impact. With a background in education, consulting, and organizational development, she knows how to unlock leadership potential in a way that’s authentic and sustainable.

Gretchen offers:

• 🙋‍♂️ 1:1 coaching for executives in transition or growth phases
• 🛋️ Facilitated team offsites and culture-building sessions
• 🌍 Expertise in global leadership dynamics and cross-functional team building

Her coaching philosophy centers on listening deeply, asking the hard questions, and co-creating solutions that fit each leader’s unique context. She has a calm, grounded presence that encourages reflection—and results. In Gretchen’s world, leadership isn’t about titles—it’s about showing up, learning continuously, and lifting others.

Kiah Jones

CEO & Co-Founder, KKReset
LinkedIn | Website

Kiah Jones is the strategic HR partner every modern company needs. At KKReset, she leverages her extensive background in employee relations and workforce planning to create smart, scalable, and human-centered HR solutions. Her work is both data-driven and deeply empathetic—an uncommon and powerful mix.

Kiah excels in:

• 📊 Designing performance management systems that motivate, not frustrate
• 💡 Identifying talent gaps and building strong pipelines
• 🧑‍💼 Coaching leaders through high-stakes conversations and organizational shifts

Her clients love that she brings clarity and confidence to every engagement. She’s not afraid to address sensitive issues and always does so with compassion and transparency. Her core value? Respect for people’s experiences and identities, which informs every policy she writes and every team she supports.

Karen Robinson

CEO & Co-Founder, KKReset
LinkedIn | Website

Karen Robinson is a deeply experienced HR consultant who brings structure to the chaos and empathy to the process. As a Senior Consultant at KKReset, she partners with companies facing growth, change, or crisis—and helps them turn challenges into opportunities for alignment and growth.

Karen specializes in:

• 🚒 Developing responsive and people-centered HR policies
• 🏋️‍♀️ Coaching leaders to build trust, manage conflict, and scale with integrity
• 📈 Navigating compliance and risk without creating unnecessary bureaucracy

Karen’s approach is centered on clarity and care. She builds long-term relationships with clients, becoming a trusted voice in moments when stakes are high. Her strong sense of justice and commitment to fairness make her a vital ally in creating equitable and sustainable workplaces.

Joe Rosenbaum

Founder, Potentialist Advisors
LinkedIn | Website

Joe Rosenbaum founded Potentialist Advisors with one mission: to help companies unlock potential through organizational design and talent strategy. He works with clients across industries and scales, helping them align people, purpose, and process.

Joe brings a rare systems-thinking mindset to HR. His strengths include:

• 🔮 Designing org structures that enable scale and reduce friction
• 🤔 Connecting people data to business outcomes
• 🌟 Partnering with executive teams to define and operationalize culture

What makes Joe stand out is his ability to synthesize information and see what others miss. He takes the long view, anticipating growth pains and opportunities before they arise. His work is deeply strategic and rooted in integrity, which makes him a trusted advisor to founders and leadership teams alike.

Cynthia Patterson

Founder, PeopleOpsHow
LinkedIn | Website

Cynthia Patterson is on a mission to bring joy, justice, and operational excellence to people operations. Through PeopleOpsHow, she helps organizations transform HR from an administrative burden into a strategic advantage.

Cynthia focuses on:

• 📊 Embedding people analytics into decision-making
• 🌿 Building equitable systems that foster inclusion and retention
• 🤜 Creating learning and development programs that stick

Her clients consistently say she brings a fresh energy to HR work—balancing thoughtfulness with action, systems with soul. She’s an advocate for rethinking outdated processes and building workplaces where people thrive, not just survive.

Miraque Hicks

Founder, Miracle Recruiting
LinkedIn | Website

Miraque Hicks believes recruiting should feel like a miracle—but one built on process, empathy, and deep listening. At Miracle Recruiting, she helps companies find high-impact, culturally aligned talent that sticks.

Her approach includes:

• 🚀 Rapid, responsive recruiting processes for growing orgs
• 🤯 Employer branding and messaging that resonates
• 🛍️ Personalized candidate journeys that build trust and excitement

Miraque’s background spans corporate, nonprofit, and startup environments, giving her insight into what makes each hiring process successful. She sees recruiting not just as filling roles, but as a chance to shape culture and drive momentum.

Jayme Gruetzmacher

Founder, Human Rae
LinkedIn | Website

Jayme Gruetzmacher brings radical care and design thinking to HR. At Human Rae, she blends her background in education, trauma-informed practice, and business strategy to help organizations create systems that truly support their people.

Her expertise includes:

• 🌾 Trauma-informed, equitable HR infrastructure
• 🌐 Designing inclusive policies with a DEIB-first lens
• 🚀 Launching programs that increase morale, belonging, and retention

Jayme’s approach is relational, values-driven, and informed by real lived experience. She’s especially powerful in organizations undergoing cultural change or looking to center justice in their people operations. Clients describe her as a “culture healer” who brings structure, insight, and compassion.

The NYC HR Ecosystem Is Thriving—and Evolving

We say this a lot at Digital Reference: you don’t have to shout to shape a workplace. And in New York City, that couldn’t be more true.

The region’s HR consultants are quiet revolutionaries. They’re bridging equity gaps, rebuilding teams post-crisis, mentoring new leaders, and designing policies that scale—and they’re doing it with precision, heart, and a fierce commitment to the people behind the process.

Whether you’re leading a media startup in Brooklyn, running a healthcare nonprofit in Newark, or growing a fintech company in Jersey City, the consultants we’ve featured are the kind of partners who show up, roll up their sleeves, and get the work done right.

A Note from Digital Reference

At Digital Reference, we don’t just write about talent — we help power it. By creating verified, structured video testimonials, we make it easier for consultants, operators, and founders to showcase their work and stand out online. 

We believe that HR isn’t just a support function—it’s the engine that powers a company’s culture, alignment, and growth. And we’re building a different kind of talent ecosystem: one that champions operators, celebrates strategy, and surfaces the unsung heroes behind thriving teams.

If you want to learn more about what HR consultants really do, check out:

• HR Consultants in the USA to Watch
• What Do HR Consultants Do, Really?
• What Are Human Resource Professionals, and What Do They Do?

We’ll be updating this list over time—so if you know a standout HR consultant in the NYC area who should be featured, send them our way.

And if you’re an HR consultant who wants to be part of this conversation? You’re already in the right place.

Know someone who should be featured in our next regional spotlight? Reach out to the Digital Reference team—we’re always listening.

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