Our Story
The CAZA Collective was born from a deep passion for connecting talented individuals with opportunities that enable them to thrive in their careers. Founded by Sonia Chavez, the company’s journey is rooted in decades of recruiting, staffing, and talent acquisition experience. Sonia’s career began over 20 years ago as an IT recruiter on the agency side. Her path led her through various agency and corporate roles until she found herself at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), where she led the Talent Acquisition team. It was at GIA that Sonia truly fell in love with the intricacies of the industry. Building a dynamic team and forging lasting relationships were among the most fulfilling aspects of her time there. When her chapter at GIA concluded, Sonia thought her time in this fascinating industry had come to an end.
However, the entrepreneurial spirit within Sonia had always been strong, and the desire to create her own business lingered. In September 2022, she took the leap and founded The CAZA Collective. The name “CAZA,” inspired by her Latin heritage, means “hunt” in Spanish, a reflection of the recruiter’s relentless pursuit of top talent. Initially, the CAZA Collective was envisioned as a broad recruitment agency, leveraging the team’s diverse experience. But an “aha” moment shifted their focus. Sonia’s former GIA colleague, Zaudy Miranda, joined as a business partner, and reminded Sonia of the significant gap in the market and a lack of specialized recruiting resources for the gem and jewelry field. It became clear that the CAZA Collective could fill that void by focusing exclusively on this unique industry.