EcstaSHE Spotlight: Zuza Henshaw
In our latest edition of EcstaSHE Spotlights, we are excited to speak with Zuza Henshaw, a Web3 executive recruiter who has been connecting top talent with leading blockchain companies since 2021. From placing CEOs and other C-level execs to building G2M teams across sales, marketing, and partnerships, Zuza has developed a reputation for connecting companies with the talent they need to scale. And.. we love connecting! We spoke with her about executive hiring, the state of the Web3 job market, and why great leadership is about far more than offering a competitive salary. Read on.
At Thrilld Labs, we believe that the future of our industry is built thanks to connections, expertise, and proactive collaboration, not in the last place amongst women! That’s why we launched EcstaSHE, a business group for female Web3-oriented professionals, leaders, and execs.
Through the EcstaSHE Spotlight Series we feature women across our network who build the industry. 'Let’s hear about their careers and business insights', we thought.
In this edition, we're excited to shine the spotlight on Zuza Henshaw, Business Manager for Web3 at Talanoa and an executive recruiter specialising in C-level search and go-to-market hiring. Having been in the space since 2021 and working closely with early-stage Web3 companies, Zuza helps founders define the leadership that they need, craft narratives to attract top talent, and build executive and commercial teams.
Her work at extends well beyond and includes advising companies on organisational challenges and talent strategy as they scale.
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What’s the biggest misconception other people might have about your work, and what’s a misconception founders and execs may hold when they are looking for talent or fellow C-suites to join their companies?
I’m building an executive search practice focused on helping Web3 companies hire C-level leaders and high-performing go-to-market teams. The biggest misconception about my work is that executive search is about finding candidates.
The real work is understanding the business, challenging the brief, and identifying the person who can solve the company’s next set of problems.
The most valuable part of working with well-established, industry recruiters is that we act as advisors, helping companies save money by showing them how to approach things differently, drawing on our exposure to many actors across the industry and our broad perspective on what options exist, what has worked in the past, and how to incentivise, negotiate terms, and attract top-tier talent.
Founders often think that bringing a successful C-level executive is about throwing more money at them, a better incentive package. In reality, professionals who have been highly successful bring their reputation to a growing business; they add credibility to that venture, so they need conviction that they are joining a product/team that is capable of being a market success.
My advise it to speak with them as if they were investors, and pitch them the company. After all, they do invest their personal brand and reputation.
How is the 2026 Web3 job market different from prior years? And how can talents and those hiring adjust to this new reality?
The 2026 Web3 job market is more mature and far more selective. Companies are no longer hiring large teams simply because funding is available. They want fewer people who can deliver measurable results.
- Location also matters more. Fully remote work is still common, but senior teams are increasingly forming around hubs such as Dubai, New York, and Hong Kong.
- AI fluency is quickly becoming a basic expectation rather than a specialist skill.
- More companies are now looking for business development leaders from outside Web3 who can bring established relationships with enterprise clients and financial institutions.
What’s the most valuable business tip you’ve learned, and how has it influenced your professional growth?
It was less a business tip and more a principle I call customer-centricity. Once you focus on your customers’ needs rather than your own product, you are on the right track. It has taught me to keep improving my service as my clients’ needs evolve.
What change(s) would you like to see in the Web3 industry, like asap?
Stop speaking in technical jargon.
I recently spoke with Keli Callaghan, a talented marketer who is now an investor at Arrington Capital, and strongly agreed with her point: we need more marketers who are willing to do the hard work of understanding the product first, then turn it into a clear and compelling story that anyone can understand.
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Thank you, Zuza (connect with her here), or check out Talanoa Digital!
To read more on how Web3 is bringing more and more female leaders to the surface or what we’ve called a Fifth Wave of Feminism… check out our article here → Women + Web3: About a Merit-Based Space, Some Systemic Challenges, & a Fifth Wave of Feminism.
Join EcstaSHE
EcstaSHE seeks to connect action-oriented, professional female decision-makers in and around Web3 to enable networking and business collaborations.
EcstaSHE members get prioritized access to conference tickets where Thrilld Labs provides giveaways. We also actively build speaking gigs, interviews, and business opportunities (at times) provided by our partners, whilst we also publish articles and interviews about business topics. We welcome women from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and expertise levels
To learn more about EcstaSHE and how to get involved, read more here or apply here.
