Kathe Yamagata is the Founder and CEO of Purple Squirrel Enterprises, where she brings over three decades of experience transforming how companies approach talent acquisition and HR. With a career spanning agency recruiting, in-house HR leadership, and serving as Vice President of Human Capital for high-growth organizations, Kathe has seen firsthand how people—not processes alone—are the driving force behind business success.During the past 18 years, Kathe has helped startups scale into thriving businesses with multiple successful exits by delivering flexible, on-demand HR and recruiting solutions that keep leaders focused on growth while ensuring their teams are supported. Under her leadership, Purple Squirrel Enterprises has expanded to support hiring and HR needs in more than 23 countries, offering everything from global talent acquisition to employee experience, compliance, payroll, and leadership coaching.

What sets Kathe apart is her human-centered philosophy: she believes technology, automation, and efficiency are powerful tools, but they must always serve the people who build, create, and innovate. Her mission is simple but bold: to put the “human” back in Human Resources and Talent Acquisition, and to help organizations build cultures where people—and businesses—thrive.