West Virginia Executive Spring 2018 | Page 92

Zach Abraham Principal and Co-Founder AlignHR, LLC ALICIA ELKIN Photo by Mind Merge Design. ZACH ABRAHAM , principal and co-founder of AlignHR, LLC, has many personal and professional goals, but for him, the one that rises above all others is helping West Virginia become a thriving economic state. “This is where I was born and raised, and it’s the place I call home,” he says. “I work in West Virginia and focus on helping the state because I see all of its wonderful qualities, including, but not limited to, its people, natural resources and the untapped potential for innovation, entrepreneurial spirit 90 WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE and opportunity for businesses to flourish. There is no place like West Virginia.” Abraham grew up on a 100-acre hobby farm in Triadelphia, WV. As a young boy and an aspiring athlete with a competitive spirit, he wanted to go to the Olympics to compete, and he dreamed of earning a spot on a Wheaties cereal box. His first jobs included helping a local retired general contractor care for his property and being a member of the garden team at Olgebay Resort in Wheeling. Those first jobs taught him the