Today we’d like to introduce you to Dana Tzegaegbe.
Hi Dana, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Dana Tzegaegbe is an operations, people, and talent leader whose career has been shaped by a deep commitment to equity, community-centered design, and building organizational systems that allow teams to thrive. With experience spanning global nonprofits, mission-driven startups, and creative ventures, Dana brings a rare blend of strategy, empathy, and hands-on execution to every environment she steps into.
Dana began her career in international development and social innovation at CARE USA, where she served on the Research & Design Team within the Innovation Department. In this role, she co-led global storytelling workshops in Atlanta, Nairobi, and Burundi, helping teams articulate impact through human-centered narratives. She played a key role in launching the $75K Change Champion Venture Fund, managing 20–25 early-stage projects across eight countries. Toward the end of her tenure, she focused on elevating the local presence of the CARE Atlanta Global Innovation Hub, a role that strengthened her skills in community engagement, program operations, and cross-cultural collaboration.
After CARE, Dana transitioned into operations and people management roles that allowed her to build more equitable internal systems. At AJL, she supported a fully remote team, leading the research, selection, and implementation of new communication platforms to improve workflow and connection. She designed organizational rituals—including internal learning sessions—that strengthened team belonging and reduced operational friction.
Dana later joined SIRUM, a high-impact healthtech startup, where she deepened her experience in talent acquisition, onboarding, and People Operations. As the organization rapidly scaled, she led recruitment for technical and non-technical roles—including Senior Product Managers and Career Success Managers—while managing hiring metrics, optimizing HR processes, and strengthening the onboarding experience. She served as a cultural steward, helping maintain alignment and belonging during periods of growth. Her work at SIRUM also included handling sensitive information with HIPAA-aligned discretion and compliance.
In addition to her organizational roles, Dana has built a robust independent consulting practice supporting creative brands, community-driven ventures, and events across Atlanta. She has partnered with organizations like PVO, Mashup Sessions Verge Talent Partners, BASTA and Kai Collective, managing operations, event execution and production, vendor coordination, and pop-up experience design. Her work spans venue sourcing, staffing, logistics, inventory flow, and customer experience—all grounded in her signature blend of precision, warmth, and cultural fluency.
Throughout her career, Dana has embraced intentional pauses—periods of reflection and recalibration that have allowed her to realign with roles and missions rooted in justice, creativity, and human connection. These moments have strengthened her clarity about the environments where she does her best work: places where mission drives decisions, teams operate with care, and operational excellence fuels collective liberation.
Today, Dana is pursuing roles that allow her to merge her experience in People Operations, talent, community-centered programs, and organizational infrastructure. Her career is guided by the belief that strong, values-aligned operations are not just logistical—they are a pathway to dignity, impact, and sustainable change.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Smooth? Definitely not—but every bump has taught me something.
My career path has been anything but linear. Moving between global nonprofits, fast-paced startups, fashion brands, event companies and community-rooted creative work required me to constantly adapt and reinvent myself. Each transition brought its own set of challenges—learning new systems, finding my footing in unfamiliar industries, and navigating the emotional weight of mission-driven environments where the work often outpaced the structure.
There were moments when I felt under-resourced or stretched thin, especially in roles where I was building processes from the ground up while still trying to honor the organization’s vision. I also had to navigate the reality that not every workplace embodied the equity or care it claimed to champion. That disconnect pushed me to develop stronger boundaries, clearer communication, and a deeper commitment to aligning myself only with spaces that truly reflect their values.
But I see those struggles at the heart of my growth. Every challenge made me more intentional. she reflects. It helped me understand what kind of leader I want to be.
The road hasn’t been smooth, but it has been transformative. It sharpened my resilience, clarified my purpose, and shaped the people-centered, equity-driven approach I bring to every company, organization and team I supports.
As you know, we’re big fans of Gaps and Plantains. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
At my core, I am an Operations and People Leader who specializes in bringing clarity, structure, and humanity to mission-driven organizations and creative brands. I’m known for stepping into environments that are growing quickly or operating without enough internal infrastructure. I then build systems that are not only efficient, but deeply aligned with the organization’s values. Whether I’m improving HR processes, designing onboarding experiences, recruiting top talent, or managing and producing complex events and activations, I bring a blend of strategy, empathy, and execution that helps teams work better and feel more connected.
What sets me apart is my ability to move fluidly between sectors and still deliver high-level operational guidance rooted in care. I’ve worked across global nonprofits like CARE USA, health-tech startups like SIRUM, and creative fashion and event brands like Kai Collective, Todd Patrick, Mashup Sessions and PVO. That range allows me to translate structure into any environment—while honoring culture, community, and storytelling.
Brand-wise, I’m most proud of the reputation for being a true Atlantan who is both a strategist and a doer. I don’t just recommend solutions, I implement them. I’m often brought in during moments of transition, growth, or uncertainty, and I’m proud that people trust me to stabilize operations, elevate the experience for staff or customers, and ensure that the “behind the scenes” is just as strong as the outward impact.
For readers, I want you to know that my work is rooted in partnership. I help organizations streamline their operations, strengthen their people practices, and deliver thoughtful, inclusive events and experiences. My services include people & culture strategy, recruiting, onboarding design, HR operations, event management and production, program logistics, and end-to-end project management. I love working with teams who care about equity, storytelling, and community—and who want their internal systems to reflect those values.
At the end of the day, my brand is built on alignment, integrity, and the belief that operations are more than logistics—they’re the foundation of trust, belonging, and long-term success.
Any big plans?
Looking ahead, I’m focused on expanding my consulting practice and taking on larger-scale operational and event production projects. I’m leaning deeper into partnerships with fashion, lifestyle, and mission-driven brands—especially those that value intentional experiences and strong team infrastructure.
I’m also excited to grow a roster of recurring clients so I can support them year-round, not just during launches or events. Long-term, I’m planning to build a small but mighty operations studio that offers everything from hiring support to full-service production. Big changes are definitely on the horizon, and I’m looking forward to creating even more meaningful systems and experiences for the brands I work with.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gapsandplantains/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dana-tzegaegbe-48866839/
