About Us | Day Zero Talent

The Problem We Solve

Most recruiting firms hand you a resume and disappear. We've lived through the chaos of rapid hiring at tech startups. We've seen executives fail not because they lacked skills, but because nobody understood how to work with them.

That's why we built Day Zero Talent differently. We combine deep recruiting expertise with executive coaching and behavioral science to ensure your hires don't just start strong—they stay strong.

We're not order-takers. We're strategic partners who understand the stakes.

20+

Years Experience

100+

Executives Placed

$500M+

ARR Across Portfolio

90%

12-Month Retention

Three Pillars of Expertise

We don't just recruit. We build sustainable competitive advantages.

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Tech Startup Recruiting

We've scaled teams from Series A to IPO. We know how to find talent who thrive in ambiguity and move at startup speed.

GTM leadership (CRO, VP Sales, RevOps)
Engineering (VPs, Directors, Staff+)
AlienVault, Funding Circle, AT&T
Seed → Series C expertise
Remote-first team building

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HR & Compensation

We've designed comp structures, built HR systems, and managed global talent operations at scale.

Executive compensation design
Talent systems & infrastructure
Global staffing operations
Director-level HR leadership
Equity & incentive planning

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Executive Coaching

Certified coach using the Birkman Method to unlock leadership potential and build high-trust teams.

Certified Executive Coach (CRM)
Birkman Method practitioner
Leadership development programs
Team dynamics & conflict resolution
Ascend mentoring facilitator

Meet the Founder

Bringing 20+ years of talent expertise to every engagement

Scott Chong

Founder & Principal Consultant

Aloha. I'm Scott, and I've spent over two decades solving one problem: helping leaders build teams that actually work.

My career spans high-growth tech startups like AlienVault and Funding Circle, where I led recruiting and talent operations, to Fortune 100 companies like AT&T, where I managed global staffing and organizational turnarounds. I've seen what happens when you hire for skills alone—and what changes when you hire for the complete picture.

That's why I founded Kahawai Consulting and created Day Zero Talent. The name "Kahawai" means "carving the water"—in Hawaiian tradition, streams were carved to nourish fishponds and crops. I help leaders carve clarity and alignment into their organizations so that growth flows naturally.

I'm a certified executive coach, trained in the Birkman Method, and I've coached leaders across industries to build trust, resolve conflict, and unlock their teams' potential. My roots are in Hawaiʻi, and I bring that spirit of collaboration and care to every engagement.

Education & Certifications

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MBA, Pepperdine Graziadio Business School
Focus: Organizational Leadership & Strategy

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Executive Coaching Certificate
Creative Results Management (2024-2028)

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Birkman Method Certification
Behavioral Assessment & Team Development

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Former Roles: Director of Talent Acquisition (AlienVault), Principal Executive Compensation & Talent Systems (AT&T), US Staffing Manager (Funding Circle)

Our Growing Team

Strategic partners who share our commitment to long-term success

Audrey Beaty

Senior Recruiter

Audrey has expertise in hiring for GTM, Legal, G&A, Operations, Finance, and Technical roles. Audrey has a proven track record of building high-performing teams at fast-growing startups and is passionate about finding the right fit for both candidates and companies.

We've Been Where You Are