Vanessa Garcia

Vanessa Garcia is the Founder and CEO of Performant Scout, a full-cycle recruiting firm specializing in connecting organizations with exceptional talent through a high-touch, relationship-driven approach. With more than a decade of experience building and scaling teams across diverse industries, Vanessa brings deep expertise in human resources strategy, talent acquisition, employee engagement, and organizational development, all anchored in integrity, communication, and performance.

A first-generation Dominican American, Vanessa was born in Washington Heights, New York, and raised in the Adirondacks of upstate NY. She is now proud to call the Phoenix Valley home. A graduate of Penn State University with a Bachelor’s in Applied Psychology, Vanessa also studied abroad in Sydney, Australia, which sparked her lifelong interest in cultural exchange and global connection.

Vanessa currently serves on the Los Dbacks Hispanic Council, where she contributes to community engagement and multicultural initiatives that celebrate diversity and strengthen cross-cultural understanding. This experience deepened her commitment to advancing global awareness and building bridges between communities - values that align closely with Global Ties Arizona’s mission of fostering international collaboration and citizen diplomacy.

Her leadership and impact have been recognized widely - she has been featured in Phoenix Magazine, The Produce News, The Packer, The Know Book Phoenix, City Lifestyle Magazine, and was named an Outstanding Woman in Business honoree by the Phoenix Business Journal in 2024. She is an active member of the International Fresh Produce Association and serves on its Talent Advisory Committee, helping guide strategies to attract and develop the next generation of industry leaders worldwide.

Beyond her business, Vanessa is a passionate community advocate, lending her expertise and energy to organizations such as The American Cancer Society, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, TGen, Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels, Social Venture Partners Arizona, Goodwill’s Excel Center (Board Member), Valleywise Health Foundation, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Seed Spot, and the Arizona Community Foundation’s Latinas in Philanthropy and Service.