About Belmar Advisory
A modern advisory firm for the way organizations actually grow.
We help scaling, mission-driven organizations build the workforce and organizational infrastructure that's strategic, sound, and built to last.
Our Approach
Belmar Advisory was founded on a simple observation: most growing organizations build their workforce reactively — one policy, one hire, one problem at a time — until informal processes can no longer carry the weight of the business.
We take a different approach. We treat workforce strategy as core business infrastructure: the systems, governance, leadership capability, and modern tools that let an organization scale without losing what makes it work. From compliance foundations to compensation strategy to AI-enabled modernization, we bring the rigor of a strategic advisory firm to the part of the business that matters most — its people.
Why Belmar?
Great organizations are built intentionally — on strong foundations.
Belmar is my maiden name — the name under which I earned my undergraduate degree in Business Administration and my MBA, and the name tied to the earliest foundations of my career. But it stands for something bigger than a personal milestone.
My father was an accountant who exemplified integrity, discipline, organization, and accountability. Through his example, I learned that sustainable success is built deliberately — through thoughtful planning, strong systems, attention to detail, and doing the right thing even when no one is watching. Those principles shaped every stage of my career, and they became the foundation of this firm.
That's the thread running through everything we do. We don't fix problems in isolation; we build the foundations beneath them — the workforce and organizational infrastructure that lets mission-driven, growth-stage organizations scale sustainably. Compliance work becomes durable infrastructure. Recruiting becomes leadership capability. Modern tools become lasting modernization.
The name Belmar is a reminder that lasting success is built on strong foundations. Strong foundations, sustainable growth. Better workplaces, better business. That's why Belmar exists.
— Soley Van Lokeren, Founder & Principal
Leadership
Soley Van Lokeren
Founder & Principal
Organizations are made up of people.
Soley Van Lokeren is the Founder and Principal of Belmar Advisory. A senior People and Human Resources executive with more than 25 years of experience, she has built and scaled People functions across public companies, high-growth startups, and complex multi-entity organizations.
As a Chief People Officer and SVP of People, Soley has partnered closely with CEOs, executive leadership teams, and boards of directors as a trusted advisor — known for a collaborative leadership style, a deep care for people, and the ability to coach leaders through complexity while delivering strong business outcomes.
At Zevia (NYSE: ZVIA), she established and led the People function from inception through the company's IPO and into public-company operations. She served as management's liaison to the Board's compensation committee, reduced staffing expense from 14% to 10% of net sales, maintained zero SOX audit exceptions across four consecutive years, consistently delivered P&L results below budget, and sustained employee engagement participation above 85% with year-over-year improvement.
Soley currently serves as an Advisor to Jumpstream.ai, partnering with founders to build scalable people infrastructure, strengthen leadership effectiveness, and shape culture and organizational design to support growth. She founded Belmar Advisory to bring that same executive-caliber people strategy to scaling, mission-driven organizations — building the workforce infrastructure that lets both people and performance thrive.
Core Expertise
- CEO & Board Advisory (Compensation Committee, Governance)
- Executive Compensation & Total Rewards Strategy
- Organizational Design & Workforce Planning
- Performance Management & Culture Architecture
- IPO Readiness, SOX & Human Capital Disclosure
- HR Transformation (HRIS, ATS, People Analytics, AI)
- Talent Strategy & Succession Planning
- Change Management & Restructuring
- DEI&B Strategy & B Corp Governance
- Enterprise Risk & Compliance
- P&L Ownership & Budget Leadership
Education & Credentials
- SHRM — Specialty Credential, AI + HI (2026)
- Cornell University — Diversity & Inclusion Certification (2021)
- California State University, Northridge — M.B.A., Business Management & Marketing
- California State University, Northridge — B.B.A., Human Resources Management
A Network of Specialists
You get a founder — and a full bench.
Belmar Advisory is led by Soley, but you're never limited to one person's expertise. Over 25+ years, she has built a trusted network of specialists across the workforce, talent, and HR landscape and brings in the right partner whenever an engagement calls for it — so you get senior, fit-for-purpose support exactly when you need it, without carrying it on your payroll.
One point of contact, a whole network of resources — coordinated by Belmar around your goals.
Our Network Includes
- Insurance & benefits broker partners
- Executive and leadership coaches
- Organizational development and training specialists
- Compensation experts
- Labor & employment attorneys
- AI coaches and implementation specialists
- HR systems and technology contacts
What Guides Us
Our work is grounded in a clear point of view about what makes organizations healthy and resilient.
People-centered
We focus on businesses that care about their people, because that's where culture and performance grow together.
A clear “why”
Every recommendation comes with the reasoning behind it, so your team can carry it forward.
Built to last
We create systems and tools that hold up as you grow, not quick fixes that unravel.
Partner, not placeholder
We teach and coach so your team leaves stronger, not more dependent.