About Us

Our Story

PeopleSERVE, Inc is a technology recruitment firm servicing the Boston market since 1999. As a result of the Management Buyout in 2018, PeopleSERVE has returned to its roots as a privately held provider. Headquartered in Boston, with satellite operations along the East Coast, our staff averages over 10 years of industry experience.

Meet the Team

Erik Schwartz

President

Biography

Erik is an industry veteran, committed to creating a mutual benefit for PeopleSERVE’s employees, consultants, and client partners.

In 2003, he started his professional career with a boutique staffing firm that expanded globally, eventually entering the public markets.

Erik held a variety of roles within its subsidiaries; starting as an entry level contributor and later transitioning into sales, operational, and executive management.

With an emphasis on delivering customer solutions, he was responsible for client acquisition/retention as the organization scaled core business revenues 4x from 2007-2014, before transitioning to executive management.

He led the Management Buyout of PeopleSERVE, Inc., in June of 2018, with the goal of leveraging Technology and Data Analytics to better understand the modern talent landscape.

His core competencies include post-acquisition integration, establishing specialty service offerings, and designing talent engagement/workforce solutions.

Leading from the front, Erik manages our ecosystem as a collaborative learning environment, committed to meeting the expectations of a people-centric modern workplace, and he envisions PeopleSERVE as a “lifestyle business” for all its employees.

Erik considers himself a mentor first, and an entrepreneur second, while operating in the business of Staffing.

He holds a BA from Ithaca College and maintains numerous memberships in Technology, Staffing and Philanthropic organizations.

He is a fitness enthusiast, golfer, reader, a passionate learner, and you can find him relaxing on his boat in Charlestown during the summer.

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Brianna Marin

Manager, Human Resources & Workforce Intelligence

Biography

Brianna joined PeopleSERVE upon graduation from Northeastern University. Having not worked in staffing prior, she brings new perspectives and experiences to the office. Her roles have always required her to wear many hats, as she does in her position here at PeopleSERVE.

Brianna grew up in Boston and currently lives in Norwood with her husband and two kids. In her free time (does that exist for moms?), you can find her cooking or playing outside with her little ones. In the summertime, odds are better you'll find her on the beach in North Truro!

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Karen Watson

Engagement Manager

Biography

As Engagement Manager, Karen will be charged with establishing a Talent Acquisition platform that will support PeopleSERVE’S growth while maintaining a consistent vision of our cultural future-state, and that PeopleSERVE is deliberate in respecting our organization’s core value system as we grow.

Karen began her career in Talent Acquisition while working at the world’s 2nd largest Technology staffing firm for 8 years where she ranked as the #1 Corporate Recruiter. Karen has helped build teams for small to mid size organizations, most recently playing a role in helping to build Boston’s #1 Fasting Growing Private Company.

Karen and her husband Russ live in Bellingham, MA along with their 10-year-old son and labradoodle Dusty. Karen enjoys coaching her son’s soccer team, listening to true crime podcasts and is always looking for inspiration for her next home improvement project.

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Shannon Collins

Director of Recruiting Operations

Biography

Shannon graduated from Bryant University with a degree in Business Administration. Early in her career, she spent nearly 8 years working in marketing before transitioning to the staffing industry. Shannon joins PeopleSERVE as a seasoned recruiter, having spent the last 9 years focused entirely on IT staffing with both large and small agencies.

A native New Englander, Shannon grew up in Southern New Hampshire and currently resides in Melrose, Massachusetts with her husband and three sons. When she isn't busy shuffling her boys to and from rinks and various sports fields, she enjoys a glass of wine with friends and family. Shannon loves the beach and is always counting down the days to her next trip to Wellfleet, Cape Cod.

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Management Value System

“We will practice servant leadership and perpetuate a culture of success and positive/verifiable outcomes for our internal and external stakeholders. We will practice diligence in promoting a culture of curiosity and innovation. We will cultivate a value system that rewards these key principles…100% or NOT AT ALL!”

Steve Thompson

Director

Biography

Steve brings over 20 years of experience placing professionals and executives throughout the nation. Most recently, Steve was on the executive team with Erik in their previous company. At PeopleSERVE, Steve and Erik are partnered in bringing our innovative data solution to market. Sharing his passion for technology and business, he specializes in consulting services, executive search, and career counseling within IT and finance. Steve has held various management and executive positions creating and building professional service organizations. He has also helped pivot companies to the public market. Prior to IT consulting services, Steve worked in a software start up and at Merrill Lynch/Bank of America.

Steve is from Simsbury, CT and holds a BS degree in Finance and Business Administration from the University of Rhode Island. Now living in RI with his wife Colleen and two boys, Steve has been able to build an extensive network throughout communities in CT, NY, MA, and RI.

On the weekends you will likely find Steve with his family enjoying Narragansett Bay, teeing it up on the golf course, playing with technology, or jamming on stage with his band.

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Devon Salvato

Director

Biography

Devon has thrived in and gravitated toward customer-centric roles throughout her career from retail management to consumer product industries, prior to finding staffing.

Devon’s foray into staffing was working with Erik Schwartz at their previous firm, where she supported Engineering client acquisition and cultivation. Throughout her tenure with that firm, Devon held various growth-focused roles and supported many industry verticals in this space, including IT, Engineering and Finance & Accounting.

Most recently Devon took on an entrepreneurial role with a boutique staffing firm, as VP Sales, where she drove new and existing client development, process optimization initiatives, and growth and development of the staff. She successfully doubled the revenues and increased profitability 3x, through both organic and acquisition channels.

Devon’s passions in this industry are around maintaining prioritization on the relationship with our clients & candidates, as well as creating unchartered career opportunities for those among her teams. She is a self-asserted student of life, always questioning, with the aim of improving and growing. Her experience and methodology have aligned her perfectly with PeopleSERVE and its core values.

Devon and her husband Jason live in Bridgewater, CT with their two kids and rescue dog, Duke. On the weekends, Devon can be found in her basement gym, at the hockey rink for her son or spending time with nearby family.

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Shayna Shirazi

Account Executive

Biography

Shayna comes to PeopleSERVE with 15+ years in hospitality and customer service. She has staffed and developed her own teams and was responsible for the placement, management, and training of all staff. Shayna is well known for her unique service techniques and the development of industry training programs.

Shayna is excited to bring her extensive customer service skills to PeopleSERVE and to help build long term mutually beneficial relationships.

Shayna lives in Watertown with her son and dog Tessie. When she is not working or volunteering at school you can find her outside playing baseball with her son!

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Meghan Weaver

Senior Recruiter

Biography

Meghan comes to PeopleSERVE with 10 years of experience in
IT contract staffing, mostly on the agency side with both local New England and national staffing teams. As a multi-year recipient of the President’s Club designation and a lifelong athlete, Meghan is a fervent subscriber to the belief 100% or nothing at all.

Meghan takes a consultative approach in her recruiting and is enthusiastic to join PeopleSERVE as transparency and integrity are just part of her day-to-day.

Meghan earned her Bachelor’s in Mass Communication from University of Delaware where she was a 4 year NCAA Division 1 Cross Country athlete and also completed an MA in Integrated Marketing Communications from Emerson College. She is a Maryland native who enjoys running around Boston (2x Boston and NYC Marathon qualifier) in her spare time as well as traveling with family and friends.

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Jennifer Ventolino

Recruitment Operations Specialist

Biography

Jennifer has an extensive background in IT Staffing back-office support working at the one of the largest IT staffing companies in the world. She is well versed in all critical back-office support functions including payroll for 250+ consultants, collections, invoicing and timecard processing.

Jennifer is passionate about delivering a high level of customer service and can always be found with a smile on her face, eager to take on her next project.

Jennifer is raising 2 boys; ages 14 and 4 and can be found in the stands of their football games cheering them on. When she is not watching her kids play sports, she is most likely entertaining a houseful of their teammates.

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Ashlee Williams

Senior Recruiter

Biography

Ashlee graduated from Roger Williams University with a degree in Business Management and started her career with staffing right out of college. Over the course of 8 years, she was heavily focused on recruitment, achieved President’s Club status, managed two teams, and developed client relationships for top revenue-producing clients. She has pivoted her career into the IT staffing space coming aboard with PeopleSERVE as a Senior Recruiter.

Ashlee resides in Stafford Springs, CT with her boyfriend and two dogs. Together, they love to go camping, hiking, and seizing the opportunity for adventure whenever possible. She is a big football fan (let’s go Pats!), enjoys hanging out with friends at breweries and visiting her family in South Carolina and Florida. She has also taken up golf and is always down to walk for 9 holes after work during the summer. Ashlee is passionately competitive both in and out of work and if there is a challenge, she’s always up for it!

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Melina Alessi

Executive Admin and Sales Support Consultant

Biography

Melina, a graduate of The State University of New York at Buffalo, joined PeopleSERVE as an Executive Administrative Assistant and Sales Support Consultant. Melina began her career as a small business manager in the health and wellness industry. After more than a decade in the service of entrepreneurs, she brings a wealth of experience and an undeniable passion for putting people at the center of everything she does.

A native Buffalonian, Melina said goodbye to New York winters and is a happy resident of South Florida. Living in West Palm Beach, FL with her husband Adam and their three children, they spend every spare minute outdoors and on the water. Melina loves volunteering at her children’s schools, cooking with her big Italian family, a good Starbucks latte, and walks with her miniature schnauzer, Coconut.

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Solutions Team Values

“We will consistently challenge the status quo, through the leveraging of technology and data analysis, to address complex business challenges while driving a people-centric business model.”

Compete and win your talent engagement through the leveraging of real time market analytics.

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Dedicated to understanding your goals and interests, and introducing you to the right opportunities.

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About Us

Our Story

Meet the Team

Erik Schwartz

Brianna Marin

Karen Watson

Shannon Collins

Steve Thompson

Devon Salvato

Shayna Shirazi

Meghan Weaver

Jennifer Ventolino

Ashlee Williams

Melina Alessi

Compete and win your talent engagement through the leveraging of real time market analytics.

Dedicated to understanding your goals and interests, and introducing you to the right opportunities.

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