Aye Kalenok has spent more than eight years working in the field of Human Resources and recruitment, and today, she leads Kala Talent, a company focused on helping North American startups and small to mid-sized businesses build their teams in Latin America. In her role, Aye works closely with CEOs and founders, helping them understand exactly what kind of talent they need and building smart hiring strategies to find those people. Her work is not just about filling roles—it’s about creating strong, lasting teams that support business growth in real ways. At EliteX, we are proud to have Aye Kalenok as part of the edition: Prominent HR Leaders to Follow, 2025.
Aye Kalenok | Founder & CEO | Kala Talent
From the beginning, Aye was drawn to HR because she has always been fascinated by how people come together to work toward a shared goal. To her, HR is about more than policies and procedures—it’s about connecting a company’s mission with the individual strengths and motivations of its people. She believes that when there is real alignment between a business goal and the people behind it, great things can happen. In her eyes, having the right team in place is just as important as having the right product or strategy.
“Growth is a process, not a one-time thing. It belongs to both the company and the individual.”
Her journey in HR began with traditional roles in recruitment and people management. Over the years, she worked with a wide range of companies—from major consulting firms like the Big 4 to solo entrepreneurs—and these experiences showed her that a one-size-fits-all approach to hiring doesn’t work anymore. Businesses are moving faster, and talent strategies need to evolve to keep up. That realization led her to create Kala Talent, with a mission to help companies move beyond simple hiring checklists and build teams that are dynamic, diverse, and deeply aligned with their goals. Aye’s work across international markets opened her eyes to how powerful diversity can be. She’s seen how fresh ideas and new ways of thinking transform teams, and she wants more companies to experience that kind of growth.
For Aye, leadership in HR today means being a driver of change. It’s about making sure that people and company goals are moving in the same direction. HR leaders aren’t just support staff anymore—they’re key players in shaping company culture and performance. Aye believes that building a strong culture isn’t about making everyone think the same way. It’s about welcoming different voices and creating a space where those differences help the whole team succeed.
As HR continues to evolve in 2025, Aye sees one of the biggest challenges as trying to meet many different needs at once. Business changes are happening so quickly that it’s hard to keep up using old methods. She explains that HR professionals need to balance speed, quality, and long-term impact. Sometimes, if you spend too much time planning, the moment passes and your solution is already outdated. So being flexible and quick to act is more important than ever.
One of Aye’s top priorities is helping companies build inclusive cultures. For her, inclusion isn’t just something that businesses should do—it’s something that makes them stronger. Inclusive teams bring a variety of backgrounds and mindsets to the table, and that leads to better decisions and better products. If you’re building something for a wide range of customers, having a team that reflects that diversity is a huge advantage. She admits that it can feel easier to hire people who are all alike, but when leaders begin to see the value in different perspectives, it changes how they think about hiring altogether.
When it comes to managing talent and keeping employees engaged, Aye believes in the power of listening. People want to be heard, but she also knows it’s not always possible to act on every idea. So for her, it’s about setting expectations clearly, being open in communication, and knowing which suggestions can be implemented and which cannot. That kind of honest dialogue helps build trust, even when tough decisions need to be made.
“Inclusive teams bring diversity, and diversity means different ideas and executions—that impacts the final work of everyone.”
Supporting career development is another area where Aye places a lot of focus. She encourages team members to be self-aware and open to learning all the time. She works to create an environment where people feel safe to ask questions, try new things, and even make mistakes. Growth, in her view, is a shared responsibility between the company and the individual. It’s not just a task for HR—it’s a mindset for everyone. When people take ownership of their own learning journeys, they not only grow faster but also feel more connected to the company’s success.
Technology plays a major role in Aye’s work as well. She sees it as a helpful tool, especially when it comes to operational tasks. Tools like AI can help save time and streamline processes, but she’s careful to use them the right way. Aye warns that relying too much on technology can make all companies look the same, and what really makes a team special is the human connection. The goal should be to use tech to support great people—not to replace them. Change is something Aye handles with transparency and context. When something shifts in the company or a new idea is being introduced, she believes in explaining the “why” clearly. People can adapt to almost anything if they understand the reason behind it. She has learned that change is not just about announcing a new plan—it’s about getting the team involved so they feel ownership and pride in making it happen.
One of the projects Aye is most proud of is Kala Talent’s work helping North American companies expand into Latin America. Many of these businesses started out unsure of how to build international teams. With Kala’s guidance, they’ve created high-performing remote teams that are truly making an impact. Aye finds it especially rewarding to help small companies go global early, rather than waiting until they’re already large. It opens up new possibilities and often gives them a competitive edge.
Balancing employee needs with business goals is always a challenge, but Aye sees it as a matter of alignment. It starts with honest conversations about what the company needs and what people value. Sometimes those things overlap perfectly, and sometimes they don’t—but the goal is always to find a healthy middle ground. That balance, she says, is the foundation for lasting trust and performance. When hiring future HR leaders, Aye looks for curiosity, adaptability, and empathy. She believes that HR is about understanding people, and without empathy, it’s hard to make real connections or bring lasting value. Curious and adaptable professionals are also more likely to stay relevant and effective as the industry changes.
For young professionals who are just getting started in HR, Aye’s advice is simple: stay curious and keep learning. The world of HR is evolving fast, and those who are open to new ideas and willing to grow will thrive. She encourages new HR professionals not to be afraid of change, but instead to see it as an opportunity to build something better.
Throughout her journey, Aye has been inspired by founders and business leaders who truly understand the role of HR. She’s grateful to have worked with people who see HR not just as an administrative task but as a core part of business growth. These mentors have shown her that strong people practices are not just “nice to have”—they are essential for any company that wants to grow and succeed over time.
“Having the right team in place is just as important as having the right product or strategy.”
Today, as she continues to lead Kala Talent, Aye Kalenok remains committed to helping businesses grow stronger through better teams. She believes that when you connect the right people with the right mission, everything else starts to fall into place. For her, HR is not just a job—it’s a way to make a real difference in the lives of people and the success of companies around the world.
