Tamara Dawn grows Velocity Consulting into a multimillion-dollar workforce firm

Tamara Dawn, founder and CEO of Velocity Consulting Services, has turned a 2020 startup into a multimillion-dollar staffing firm serving high-tech industries from Charlotte, North Carolina. The company’s rise underscores rising demand for specialized talent in semiconductors, life sciences, electric vehicles and advanced manufacturing.

Why it matters: - Velocity Consulting Services is targeting the labor gaps that can slow major industrial projects across high-tech sectors. - Tamara Dawn says the company’s model is built to connect skilled workers with employers in engineering, skilled trades and advanced manufacturing. - The firm’s growth shows how specialized staffing can become a strategic partner for companies facing complex hiring needs.

What happened: - Tamara Dawn founded Velocity Consulting Services, LLC in 2020. - The Charlotte, North Carolina-based firm grew into a multimillion-dollar business within five years. - Dawn built the company after more than 25 years in recruiting and talent acquisition. - VELO serves clients across semiconductors, life sciences, environmental services, construction, electric vehicles and green manufacturing. - The company is minority-owned and certified as WOSB/WBE and MBE.

The details: - VELO specializes in staffing and workforce solutions for engineering, skilled trades and advanced manufacturing. - Dawn launched the company with a people-centered goal focused on respect, opportunity and long-term career impact. - Dawn said she started the business as a single mother with seven months of savings in reserve. - Before VELO, Dawn served as National Vice President of Recruiting at INT Technologies. - In that role, Dawn led national recruitment strategy and managed distributed teams. - Dawn also developed training and coaching programs tied to performance. - Earlier roles as a National IT Recruiter and Performance Development Manager gave Dawn direct experience in technical recruiting and staff augmentation. - Dawn views recruiting as a process that must align company goals, skill needs and candidate aspirations. - Dawn also spends time researching market trends, tracking industry shifts and building relationships through conferences and professional networks. - Dawn says workforce planning must look beyond current hiring needs to anticipate future demand. - A data center growth cycle, for example, requires planning not just for facility construction but also for the infrastructure and related engineering and manufacturing work that follow. - Dawn says integrity and work ethic guide both her business and personal life. - Dawn also emphasizes humility and generosity, including teaching her children to help people in need when possible. - Dawn has continued leading after losing a daughter to fentanyl four years ago.

Between the lines: - Dawn’s message to employers is that a talent shortage is not always the full story. - Qualified workers may exist, but companies may not be reaching them through current recruiting strategies. - That view positions staffing firms like VELO as extensions of internal recruiting teams rather than outside vendors. - Dawn’s advice to young women in recruiting centers on confidence, risk-taking and refusing to let others define their limits. - Her recurring career lesson is Wayne Gretzky’s line, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” - The company’s story blends business growth with a personal narrative about resilience, legacy and ethical leadership.

What’s next: - Dawn said VELO will keep tracking demand across semiconductors, life sciences, electric vehicles, green manufacturing, construction and advanced infrastructure. - The company plans to stay ahead of changing labor needs as those industries expand. - Dawn intends to keep building a workforce solutions firm that connects people with opportunity and helps businesses access specialized talent.

The bottom line: - Velocity Consulting Services is more than a staffing firm; it is a bet that specialized recruiting, market foresight and values-driven leadership can scale in fast-changing industrial markets. - Dawn measures success by revenue, but also by the opportunities the company creates and the example it sets for her children.

More information: Influential Women profile