AI, data & engineering
At LiveRamp, he partnered across Data Science, Analytics, AI/ML, Product, and Engineering—supporting hiring strategy, technical sourcing, and recruiter development.
The person behind StaffAI
StaffAI was started by Johnel Ellison.
Johnel is a talent acquisition leader who has spent his career helping ambitious technology companies find exceptional people—and building the recruiting teams and systems that make that possible.
Talk with StaffAI A builder's perspective
A career building teams at pivotal moments.
Before starting StaffAI, Johnel spent more than a decade working across AI, SaaS, data, engineering, and product recruiting. He partnered with executives and hiring managers at high-growth companies, combining hands-on sourcing with practical hiring strategy.
His experience ranges from establishing recruiting functions from the ground up to leading searches for specialized technical talent. Along the way, he has built recruiter teams, developed hiring playbooks, improved candidate experiences, and helped companies grow through consequential moments.
That experience shapes StaffAI: stay close to the people doing the work, understand the real requirements, and make every part of hiring more thoughtful for clients and candidates.
Selected experience
Built on real recruiting work.
Johnel's experience spans hands-on technical recruiting, building in-house teams, and advising leaders as their organizations grow.
Recruiting from the ground up
At Medium, he established the company's first in-house recruiting function, hiring a core recruiting team and putting scalable processes in place.
Teams through rapid growth
At ThinAir Labs, he was the first full-time recruiter and helped hire the first 53 employees. At Zignal Labs, he recruited more than 50 engineers in a 12-month period.
Hiring through change
Across early-stage, scaling, and acquisition environments, he has worked closely with leadership to align hiring plans to evolving business needs.
Background
People insight, backed by technical fluency.
Johnel's foundation in information technology and database management complements his experience recruiting for complex technical teams.
Education
Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, Database Management
University of Phoenix
Professional credential
AIRS Certified AI and Sourcing Recruiter (CASR)
Community
Member of the American Staffing Association and founding member of Black Men in Technology.
Built around people
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