Our Story
Built on Real Relationships. Rooted in the North.
Neon North Talent is a boutique recruiting firm founded on a simple belief — that the best hires happen when a recruiter actually takes the time to listen.
Alyssa Knodel
Founder & Managing Partner, Neon North Talent
Meet the Founder
Alyssa Knodel
Alyssa Knodel has spent her career at the intersection of people and opportunity. With a background spanning healthcare, operations, education, labor relations, and leadership hiring, she brings a rare depth of experience to every search she takes on.
Before founding Neon North Talent, Alyssa worked across industries that don't often share a table — healthcare systems, educational institutions, labor organizations, and corporate operations. That breadth wasn't accidental. It gave her something most recruiters don't have: a genuine understanding of what different kinds of work actually demand from the people doing it.
She started Neon North Talent because she kept seeing the same problem from both sides. Employers were frustrated with recruiters who sent resumes without context. Candidates were frustrated with recruiters who disappeared after the placement. She knew there was a better way — and she built a firm around it.
Based in Superior, Wisconsin, Alyssa is deeply connected to the Upper Midwest — its industries, its communities, and its work ethic. That local knowledge, paired with a nationwide network, is what makes Neon North different.
Why Neon North
We Started This Because the Industry Needed It.
Too many recruiting firms treat hiring like a transaction. Send a resume, collect a fee, move on. We built Neon North Talent to be the opposite of that — a firm where every search gets real attention, every candidate gets honest communication, and every employer gets a partner who actually understands their business.
How We Work
Our Values
Relationships First
We don't place people and disappear. We build long-term relationships with both employers and candidates — because the best referrals come from people who trust you.
We Actually Listen
Before we ever send a resume, we take the time to understand what you actually need — not just what the job description says. That's what separates a good match from a great one.
Local Roots, Nationwide Reach
We know the Upper Midwest — its industries, its culture, its pace. And we've built a network that extends well beyond it. You get both.
Honest Communication
We tell you what we know, what we don't, and what we think. No spin, no overselling. Just straight talk from someone who's invested in getting it right.
Where We Work
Superior, WI — and Everywhere You Need Us.
Neon North Talent is headquartered in Superior, Wisconsin, on the shores of Lake Superior. We serve employers and candidates across Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the broader Upper Midwest — and we take on searches nationwide when the fit is right. The North is in our name for a reason. It's where we're from, and it shapes how we work.
Ready to Work Together?
Whether you're hiring or exploring your next move, we'd love to connect.