Nerissa Irizarry

Prior to joining PH Workplace Law Corporation, Nerissa most recently served as the Head of People Relations and Operations at Gusto, where she led a multi-functional organization of 92 professionals. In this role, she was responsible for high-performing teams across Employee Relations, People Operations, and Invite (Talent Acquisition), proving her ability to lead at scale while maintaining a focus on individual connection. Her career includes foundational experience at world-class organizations like Google and UC Berkeley, where she honed her ability to navigate complex environments. Whether she is architecting a new HR function or transforming an established one, Nerissa’s approach is grounded in the belief that systems should always serve the people who use them.

Nerissa is committed to a respect-based, human-centered approach to organizational design. She is energized by the space where leadership meets human connection, thinking deeply about the evolving workplace to identify how teams can grow with clarity, purpose, and impact. As a certified mediator and HR Compliance expert, she doesn’t just build processes for the sake of efficiency; she architects them to foster operational excellence and empowered decision-making. By grounding her interactions in curiosity and data-driven insights, Nerissa creates a framework for high performance, ensuring that every system she builds or reinvents is rooted in both operational rigor and professional integrity.

Nerissa’s path to People leadership was a non-linear journey that allowed her to master the full lifecycle of the employee experience. Her early career in the non-profit sector, including her time as a Reproductive Justice Fellow at the Positive Women’s Network and her work at Bay Area Legal Aid, deepened her commitment to equity and the ability to navigate sensitive dynamics. As she moved into global tech and large-scale institutions, she expanded this foundation into a comprehensive HR toolkit that spans compensation, M&A, and operations.

Nerissa has a proven track record of managing the unique complexities of exempt, non-exempt, and unionized workforces, and she is particularly adept at leveraging technology and AI to modernize traditional People functions. She leverages her diverse professional history and inherently intersectional lens to bridge the gap between business requirements and human needs, ensuring that every system she builds is optimized for both high-level performance and inclusive impact.

Nerissa received her law degree from Mitchell Hamline School of Law. She graduated magna cum laude from Loyola Marymount University with a B.A. in Sociology.

When she’s not advising on organizational culture, Nerissa enjoys spending time with her wife and daughter, exploring local trails, and achieving her next weight lifting goal.