Forging New Paths
Savvy women leaders leverage unique strengths to drive change, build community and revolutionize the status quo
Meet the panelists
Whether their professional calling led them to improve the standard of medical care, revitalize the neighborhood or connect job candidates to dream
careers, the female leaders headlining this year’s Smart Women Breakfast & Awards panel have blazed trails through traditionally male-dominated fields. On July 10, these accomplished women will take the stage to share their leadership insights with the goal of inspiring other businesswomen.
This year’s panel will feature:
■ Lisa Yerian, MD, executive vice president and chief clinical & operational improvement officer at Cleveland Clinic
■ Lillian Kuri, president and CEO of the Cleveland Foundation
■ Buffy Filippell, founder of TeamWork Consulting and TeamWork Online
Although each woman’s career path and profession are unique, the panelists all share a common passion for connection. By uniting teams to implement organizational change, collaborating with partners to spark community engagement or playing matchmaker for employers, these women have shown how much they care about convening the people around them. Showcasing their unique personalities, perspectives and leadership styles, the Smart Women panel discussion will explore the peaks and valleys that all professional women face while navigating their careers.
“It helps to know that you’re not alone in experiencing some of the things you experience as a woman leader,” Yerian, says. “We don’t always take the time to develop and replenish ourselves or to connect with others, so having a safe space for women to come together and learn from each other is really valuable and powerful.”
The following profiles provide a glimpse into the inspiring stories that shaped the way this year’s panelists approach leadership. Join us for this year’s Smart Women Breakfast & Awards on July 10 to dive deeper into the life lessons these women have learned while forging their career paths. ●
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Embracing Unique Perspectives
Buffy Filippell revolutionized sports recruiting by carving out her own career path
Early in her career, when Buffy Filippell began managing product promotions for Wilson Sporting Goods in the late 1970s, her boss led her into her new office and said, “Here’s a desk. Here’s a phone. Make something happen.” And did she ever.
Filippell went on to become the first female agent at IMG, a global talent marketing company managing athletes and other celebrities, and then became one of the first recruiters to focus on sports at the worldwide search firm, Korn Ferry. Leveraging this background experience in executive search, Filippell founded TeamWork Consulting in 1987, the first company to focus exclusively on recruiting sports executives.
Then in the late 1990s, Filippell watched recruiting firms and job boards like Monster.com shift toward digital platforms, as online dating sites like Match emerged, and she knew she had to digitize her business.
“If you can find your sweetheart online, clearly you can find a job online,” Filippell says. “That was the vision.”
Inspired to create an online matchmaking portal tailored to the sports industry, in 2000 Filippell launched TeamWork Online, a first-of-its-kind mobile talent recruiting system designed to connect employers to candidates seeking careers in the sports and entertainment industry.
Today, her online database draws more than 1,500 employers representing 85 percent of all major league sports organizations, minor leagues, college sports, golf, tennis, motorsports, mixed martial arts and other major events. To date, more than 300,000 candidates have been hired through the platform, making TeamWork Online the most engaged talent community in the sporting world.
“We are both a recruiter and an applicant tracking system,” she explains. “We’re not just using job boards and crossing our fingers, but we’re using all these techniques to share jobs with people. I don’t think anyone has this same vision of recruiting for an industry that we do.”
Working her way up the corporate ladder in a male-dominated field, Filippell didn’t have many female executives to mirror. While plenty of men mentored her and offered sound leadership advice, she wasn’t sure how to look or act as a woman in business.
“Most of the women at IMG were secretaries, so who do I emulate? Well, you try to look like the guys,” she recalls, remembering photos of herself sporting a Dorothy Hamill haircut with ribbons fastened into bow ties to accentuate her suits.
Then, she received some compelling advice from a CEO while working with the Calgary Flames hockey team in Canada.
“He told me, ‘It gets really lonesome at the top. But one of the things that you can do as a woman that I can’t do is when you meet someone, you can hug them,’” she recounts. “That was incredibly powerful. It became a bit of a trademark. That’s what women can do: we can care.”
That formative advice taught Filippell the importance of personal connection in leadership, a trait she first saw modeled by the president of Wilson’s Sporting Goods, who shocked her by remembering her name when she was “just a little peon.”
Now, proud to embrace her unique perspective in a competitive field, Filippell is eager to encourage other women who are carving out career paths in nontraditional sectors.
“It’s OK to think differently,” she says. “As women, we have abilities that men don’t. We don’t need to be men.” ●
Convening the Community
Lillian Kuri builds toward a future of vibrant growth opportunities through the Cleveland Foundation
president and CEO
Cleveland Foundation
As a first-generation American born to Lebanese immigrants, Lillian Kuri’s upbringing played a central role in shaping her approach to leadership and philanthropy. Now, as the first female president and CEO of the Cleveland Foundation — the world’s first community foundation and one of the largest — Kuri’s values are clearly reflected in her commitment to community-wide collaboration.
Growing up in rural Portage County, Kuri’s family farm became “the U.S. hub for family and friends” and other Lebanese immigrants who visited or relocated to Northeast Ohio, as her parents frequently hosted picnics and other gatherings.
“The farm became a destination of welcoming and bringing people together,” says Kuri, who worked for the City of Cleveland as director of Cleveland Public Art before joining the Cleveland Foundation. “It really shaped my values of how to engage people and build relationships across sectors.”
Today, Kuri sees similarities between this “big tent” farm mentality and the Cleveland Foundation’s recent relocation to Cleveland’s historic Hough neighborhood — particularly with the grand opening of its adjacent MidTown Collaboration Center in May. The $32 million, 98,000-square-foot mixed-use development aims to bridge downtown Cleveland and University Circle by uniting multiple sectors under one roof.
“The move to MidTown encapsulates the idea of not just building a building, but creating a district to bring partners together,” Kuri explains. “We wanted to manifest a more open and welcoming foundation, a place where we’re engaging in the community to harness our impact.”
Tenants of MCC include JumpStart, Case Western Reserve University Center for Population Health Research, Cleveland Institute of Art Interactive Media Lab, The Sixty6 music venue, Pearl’s Kitchen and Black Frog Brewery. The space creates a new model of community engagement and revitalization by providing access to financial capital, innovation, health, arts, culture and more.
“Our role as a community foundation is to invest in growing the region, and our vision is to create a vibrant Northeast Ohio where no Clevelander is left behind,” Kuri says. “To do that, we want to ensure that people are connected to prosperity.”
Achieving this vision requires collaboration, as is evident in the name and function of the new MCC.
“I hope the next era of the Cleveland Foundation is one of collaboration, because we can’t solve these problems by ourselves,” Kuri says. “But we can be a partner and bring people together to create opportunities that will help drive growth.”
While leading transformative community-based projects, Kuri emphasizes the importance of bringing her whole self to each interaction.
“I bring the perspectives I have — as a woman, as an immigrant, as an architect, as a leader and as a parent — to the way that I approach my leadership style within the institution and out in the community,” she says. “I’ve learned not to shy away from being a female leader, but to lean into it.”
As the first female president and CEO of the Cleveland Foundation, as well as the first woman to be appointed chair of the Cleveland Planning Commission in 2022, Kuri understands the importance of setting a strong example for other women leaders to follow.
“So many people helped me get here; men and women who were willing to mentor me or open doors for me,” she says, “so we should also lift up others who might be coming after us.” ●
Leading Change with Purpose
Lisa Yerian, MD, drives continuous improvement at Cleveland Clinic by diagnosing and solving problems
Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical & Operational Improvement Officer
Cleveland Clinic
As a pathologist and Chief Clinical & Operational Improvement Officer at Cleveland Clinic, Lisa Yerian, MD, approaches organizational problem-solving in the same way she diagnoses tissue specimens under a microscope.
“During my rotations in medical school, I found that I really liked solving problems. In surgical pathology, I could look under the hood to understand what was going on, make a diagnosis and see progress quickly,” Yerian says. “In many ways, continuous improvement is the same thing: I look at a problem, dig in to understand the root cause, and then implement a solution to make things better.”
Soon after joining Cleveland Clinic as director of hepatobiliary pathology in 2004, Yerian got pulled into meetings regarding lost or mislabeled specimens. She quickly realized that the organization didn’t have a good process for solving these problems, as the same issues kept recurring. She started to examine how other organizations were approaching process improvement, and discovered lean practices originally used to eliminate waste in Japan’s automotive industry.
“As a clinician, I could only help 50 patients a day,” she says. “But if I could change a process, I could make things better for thousands, even millions, of people.”
By 2009, Yerian joined Cleveland Clinic’s continuous improvement team, which formed in 2006. Initially, the team focused on tackling change one project at a time before “realizing that we weren’t going to make enough progress in a piecemeal fashion,” she explains. To embrace change systematically across the organization, they knew they had to transform the culture.
The first step of this transformation was anchoring continuous improvement in the organization’s purpose.
“We’re not just improving things randomly; we’re getting better at living our purpose of delivering the best care in the world and making Cleveland Clinic the best place to work,” Yerian says. “You can’t become the best unless every caregiver is capable, empowered and expected to make improvements every day.”
Whether working with teams inside Cleveland Clinic or offering advice to other organizations beyond health care, Yerian offers three simple steps for driving change. First is “being really clear about the purpose of the change,” she says. “If you can anchor into a common purpose, it’s a powerful step to unlock the dialogue.”
The second piece is “reflecting with integrity” by thoughtfully listening to feedback from the team tasked with implementing change, because they often have the best perspectives of how to work through hurdles.
“You might be delivering a better service or product,” she says, “but if it’s creating other problems for your team, you need to hear that.”
The third step is “solving with empathy” by understanding how change impacts individual roles and workflows. ●
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From our presenting sponsor …
Huntington is proud to partner with Smart Business to present the Smart Women Awards, recognizing the impressive achievements of women entrepreneurs and leaders making a difference in our community.
Women own 42 percent of all companies in the U.S., and 50 percent of all women-owned businesses are minority-owned. But women still face challenges achieving equal pay, access to capital and equitable opportunities compared to their male counterparts. Women forge their own path to success, creating 1,817 new women-owned businesses every day.
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I am proud to work for a company that has a long track record of caring about our customers, colleagues and the community.
Huntington is proud to join with the Smart Women Award winners and champion your success. Congratulations to all of the winners for your well-deserved achievements. ●
Carrie Carpenter
Senior Vice President, Regional Director of Community Philanthropy and Engagement
Huntington Bank
1Source: Huntington National Bank Leads Nation for SBA 7(a) Loan Origination by Volume, For Fifth Consecutive Year (prnewswire.com)
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Smart Women Awards
2025 Progressive Entrepreneur Honorees
Sonya Rarey, President, Birchway Title Agency, LLC
Sonya Rarey built a distinguished career through resilience, innovation and an unwavering commitment to leadership. Rising through multiple industries, she continually demonstrated an ability to identify inefficiencies, implement strategic solutions and drive meaningful change.
Rarey’s career began in highly complex industries, where she navigated operational challenges and honed her ability to lead teams through transformation. These experiences equipped her with the skills to identify gaps in business processes, manage high-stakes transactions and enhance the customer experience.
Transitioning into the title industry, she immediately recognized the need for modernization in an industry reliant on paper-heavy methods. One of Rarey’s greatest challenges was proving that innovation could coexist with compliance and tradition. She faced skepticism from those hesitant to embrace change, yet she remained steadfast in her vision.
Through Rarey’s leadership as founder and president of Birchway Title Agency have implemented digital solutions that enhance communication, streamline transactions and improve client satisfaction. By prioritizing education and transparency, she has helped clients and partners adapt to these advancements, further reinforcing the value of her approach. Rarey’s steadfast dedication has advanced her career and paved the way for future leaders in the title and real estate sectors. ●
Jackie Wachter, Co-founder and Creative Director, FOUNT Leather LLC
Jackie Wachter is the co-founder and creative director of FOUNT Leather LLC, a design and production house of heirloom-quality leather handbags and accessories.
Wachter founded FOUNT with her husband, Phillip Wachter, in 2014. The company was born from the creative team’s desire to craft high-quality, lasting leather handbags and goods. Wachter started making leather goods for fun, but business boomed fast. In 2016, the company was selected to be on Lebron James’ reality show, Cleveland Hustles, on CNBC, and was featured in Country Living magazine.
With five retail storefronts and a warehouse, FOUNT’s footprint has extended beyond its Ohio headquarters to Texas and Georgia. The company continues to expand, with a new location outside Atlanta opening this summer.
Each bag is designed with intention in Cleveland and handcrafted by skilled artisans in Ohio, the Dominican Republic and Leon, Mexico. FOUNT uses the finest ethically sourced leather and materials to craft classic American heritage goods that consumers carry and enjoy for years. Most products feature full-grain Italian leather. The company partnered with an Italian tannery founded in 1865 to choose the weight, colors and characteristics of its signature leather. FOUNT also utilizes British hides — a food industry byproduct — to help reduce waste and keep leather hides out of landfills. ●
Angela Sharpley, Founder and CEO, Pipe’N Hot Grill LLC
A single mother, Angela Sharpley left a lucrative career as a master hairstylist to be present for her daughter, Stesia. “My mother made miracles out of nothing,” says Stesia. “She accepted our new life of just the two of us, and with pride, she raised me alone.”
Sharpley founded Pipe’N Hot Grill when Stesia was seven years old. The award-winning seafood restaurant became a household name in its original Cleveland Heights location.
During her first spring in business, a teenager driving drunk after prom crashed into the restaurant. Sharpley turned her initial pain into purpose, creating Bamba Tea, a line of delicious cocktail mixers that help aid with the side effects of alcohol.
Today, the mother-daughter duo continues to serve fresh, delicious seafood from their University Circle location. They also invest in their surrounding neighborhood, offering employment, mentorship and fundraising initiatives.
Sharpley graduated from Edwin’s Leadership and Restaurant Institute and worked with Chef Michael Symon’s COO, Sam Lindsley, who honed her restaurant operation skills. Building an award-winning brand from the ground up, she has won multiple entrepreneurial awards, gained acceptance into a national platform and entered a retail partnership with Meijer Fairfax Market. ●
Valdia Burns-Frazier, Founder and CEO, Rogers Home Healthcare
Valdia Burns-Frazier is a self-made mogul whose rise to prominence was fueled by her humble beginnings in East Cleveland. She saw the good and bad early in life and knew from a young age that she wanted to own her own business and be the voice for underserved children, families and the elderly.
Burns-Frazier is an African-American entrepreneur and founder of several Cleveland-based small businesses: Rogers Retirement Center, Inc./Rogers Home Healthcare (1998), Family Intergenerational Day Care, Inc. (2004), Burns Kids College Ltd. (2005), Famico Retirement Center, LLC (2013) and VMPR LLC (2013). Employing over 100 individuals, her enterprise’s economic impact on the Cleveland community is profound.
As Founder and CEO, Burns-Frazier identified that an area of great need in Cleveland was the lack of quality services for economically disadvantaged people. Many community members live well below the poverty line and lack access to quality services and resources for health, education, food and other social services. This is one of many reasons she stayed committed to the Collinwood community for almost 30 years, serving children, families and aging adults. Her organizations provide high-quality early education for children, resource support for families, and quality living services for aging adults so that they can live with dignity. ●
Melanie McGee, Co-Founder, SkillSpout
Melanie McGee is a visionary technologist and co-founder of SkillSpout, where she helps small and midsize organizations adopt emerging technologies like AI through a groundbreaking Tech Training + Change Management Implementation model. Her team’s flagship program, MomentumAI, has fueled rapid growth, positioning the bootstrapped startup to reach $1 million in revenue within its first year while making emerging technology accessible to all.
McGee’s entrepreneurial journey is a story of forging new paths where none existed with a spirit of collaboration, innovation and inclusion. Alongside her co-founders, she has helped shape a company that democratizes access to the transformative power of AI and emerging technologies for small and midsize businesses in a safe, structured and accessible way.
Building over two decades of leadership in tech innovation and education, McGee envisioned SkillSpout as a bridge between knowledge and action, especially for organizations historically underserved by tech innovation. In addition to SkillSpout’s core services, she helped champion partnerships with organizations, including Ohio’s TechCred program, allowing Ohio-based organizations to fund much of their technology training and change management implementation at significantly reduced or no cost. Through these partnerships, SkillSpout enables companies to accelerate digital transformation affordably and sustainably, removing traditional financial barriers to innovation. ●
2025 Progressive Organization Honorees
Cuyahoga Community College
Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C®) is unwaveringly committed to providing women with an inclusive and supportive environment. Various initiatives, advancement programs and policies put this commitment into practice, empowering women with opportunities for continuing education and career advancement, and creating a family-friendly workplace.
One notable Tri-C program was the Women in STEM panel discussion, which featured panelists from diverse backgrounds and industries, and aimed to encourage young women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics — traditionally male-dominated fields.
Tri-C hosts regular workshops, seminars and conferences, including the annual Women’s Summit, which brings together a diverse group of accomplished women from various industries to share their knowledge and experiences. Among those on the Women’s Summit Committee was Tri-C Chief of Staff Dr. Radiah Blanton.
Additionally, the Women’s Leadership Initiative offers a series of leadership training, networking opportunities and career-development resources tailored to the challenges women face in the workplace. This initiative has helped many women move into leadership roles.
Tri-C has also established partnerships with local businesses and organizations to create internship and job placement opportunities for women. These collaborations ensure that women can access real-world experiences and build professional networks supporting their career advancement. ●
Rock Entertainment Group
Rock Entertainment Group (REG), the umbrella entity encompassing the Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Monsters, Cleveland Charge and Rock Entertainment Sports Network, is deeply committed to supporting women.
REG’s rally cry, “For the Love. For the Land.”, is based on a foundational belief that every team member belongs and should be empowered to bring their authentic selves to work. This philosophy is embedded in everything REG does for team members and the community. Through organization-wide offerings that foster an inclusive culture and foundational programming led by women, for women and for the benefit and celebration of women, the organization demonstrates and validates its support for women at every level of the organization.
REG advances women and girls in the region through high-impact events and initiatives. REG leaders serve the community through involvement on various boards such as The Hunger Alliance, The Greater Cleveland Food Bank, Cleveland Clinic Children’s Council and Project NICU.
The Cavaliers Community Foundation has granted over $27 million to nonprofits throughout Northeast Ohio to support initiatives advancing education, wellness, food security and safety. The Cleveland Monsters Community Foundation has made a measurable and growing impact on Northeast Ohio as well by investing in initiatives such as STEM programming and education. ●
The Women’s Journal
The Women’s Journal was founded in 2004 by Linda Kluter with a mission to “empower women through knowledge.” The free magazine is published today by owners Kelli Wagner and Barbara Daniel. The journal focuses on local products and services designed to help women with their professional lives, businesses, physical and mental health, and families. Other topics include finance, recipes, gardening, social media, AI, books, women’s events, fundraisers and charity walks.
Originally a print magazine distributed to hundreds of locations throughout Cuyahoga and Medina counties, The Women’s Journal evolved into its current digital format. The journal has consistently championed women-based initiatives through its multi-platform approach, including social media, e-series wellness events and — most recently —The WJ: Beyond the Magazine podcast.
For over 20 years, the journal’s leaders have remained rooted in their mission to empower women through knowledge, create informative events, curate content and seek contributors who aim to uplift, educate and inform women in ways that enhance their lives. The Women’s Journal’s reach and influence have expanded beyond the publication, developing a strong network of businesses and organizations, fostering a trusted circle of referrals that continues to grow and support the community. ●
2025 Progressive Woman Honorees
Trina J. Bediako, CEO, New Horizons Baking Company
A second-generation owner, Trina Bediako is the CEO of New Horizons Baking Company/NHB Holdings LLC and its subsidiaries. During her 19 years as an NHB employee, Bediako has served in several corporate positions, including director of human resources, vice president of sales, president and now CEO.
NHB has served its customers as a reliable baking partner for over 55 years, offering turnkey solutions, flexibility, customizable resources and the capacity to cut complexity. The company’s family of brands delivers quality baked goods, foods, blends, mixes and formulations, backed by a team of expert food scientists and industry innovators, that elevate the quality and consistency of its customers’ products.
In her current position, Bediako is the corporate leader responsible for managing full alignment with NHB’s primary customers’ sales, quality and operations programs and initiatives. She has led the management team through record-breaking growth and earnings.
Bediako exemplifies strong leadership, decisive decision-making, strategic thinking and successful achievement of cost savings, operational goals and profitable growth. She serves on several boards, including Ronald McDonald House Charities, the American Baker’s Association, McDonald’s U.S. Supplier Advisory Council, McDonald’s Bakery Council, the McDonald’s Supplier Network and the Huntington Bank Cleveland Advisory Board. ●
Bethany Bryant, Regional Managing Director, The Glenmede Trust Company, N.A.
For over three decades, Bethany Bryant has been a forward-focused leader and resilient change agent in the financial services industry. She established a clear vision, strategy and direction for attaining high levels of growth, client satisfaction and employee engagement.
In 1995, Bryant co-founded The Private Trust Company, a nationally chartered bank based in Cleveland that focused on serving and preserving wealth for multi-generational, high-net-worth families by providing administrative trustee services and implementing family estate plans. The model was unique because clients could retain their preferred investment professionals. The bank would partner with those investment advisers in an open architecture approach. At her departure, the bank had nearly $2 billion in personal client assets and $400 billion in custodial IRA assets.
In 2023, Bryant joined Glenmede Trust Company, returning to her roots serving families’ complex legacy planning needs. As the Regional Managing Director of Glenmede’s Cleveland and Pittsburgh offices, she quickly made an impact by implementing alignment and accountability across the organization, and fostering a culture of inclusivity.
Bryant is distinguished by her growth mindset and ability to influence positive change. She has an exceptional understanding of the complexities of investment and wealth management, always providing thoughtful care and a white-glove experience for Glenmede’s clients. ●
Dr. Jacklyn Chisholm, President and CEO, Step Forward
Dr. Jacklyn Chisholm is a leader whose journey is defined by resilience, vision and a commitment to positive change. From her humble beginnings in a single-parent household to becoming the President and CEO of Step Forward, Chisholm has spent her career breaking barriers, overcoming adversity and paving the way for others. Her story is one of perseverance through difficult circumstances and remarkable educational achievements.
Growing up in a home where financial struggles were a constant reality, Chisholm saw firsthand the challenges of making ends meet. She vividly remembers when her family earned just $5 too much to qualify for government assistance, leaving her mother to find a way to feed three children. This pivotal moment became a driving force in Chisholm’s life, shaping her belief in the importance of the need for strong, supportive communities.
In 2015, Chisholm took the helm at Step Forward, Cuyahoga County’s Community Action Agency. During her tenure, she has modernized technology, improved employee morale and transformed the agency’s strategies, ensuring it meets the community’s evolving needs. Her approach to leadership is deeply rooted in empathy, as she constantly reminds herself of her own family’s struggles and uses those experiences to drive the agency’s mission forward. ●
Caitlin Colleary, Ph.D., Associate Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology, Cleveland Museum of Natural History
As the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s Associate Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology, Caitlin Colleary, Ph.D., serves an integral role at the century-old institution. Colleary’s career is a testament to her scientific acumen, leadership and commitment to fostering diversity in science. Her ability to overcome systemic challenges reflects her professional expertise and strength of character.
Colleary oversees the museum’s three paleontology collections, which contain thousands of fossils collected in Northeast Ohio and tell a local story of the unique inhabitants of a tropical sea dating back to the late Devonian period. Her work also involves the preservation of these irreplaceable collections. In 2023, Colleary was instrumental in securing a $785,000 National Science Foundation grant for the museum. The highly competitive award supports the conservation of the Cleveland Shale fossil collection, ensuring the preservation of vital specimens dating back approximately 360 million years.
Colleary’s scholarly focus is broad, enabling her to research any geological period or type of animal with bones. This has allowed her to study everything from mammoths to dinosaurs and contribute extensively to her work. She generously shares this knowledge with visitors through lectures, presentations and programs. Her expertise has also formed international partnerships and intellectual exchange beyond the museum’s walls. ●
Melissa Dixon, Senior Director of Product, National Safety Apparel
From her first day as an intern, Melissa Dixon has embodied what it means to be a progressive woman in the workplace. With a degree in fashion design from Ursuline College, she launched her career in 2010 during a time of scarce job opportunities in the wake of the 2008 recession. She joined National Safety Apparel as the second designer hired by the company, stepping into a technical, male-dominated industry with energy, humility and a desire to make an impact.
Dixon’s early career was filled with challenges that would shape her into a resilient leader. At just 22 years old, she was often the youngest employee in the room and, frequently, the only woman. She often encountered skepticism and bias in meetings with clients. To overcome that, Dixon committed herself to becoming an expert. She studied OSHA safety standards and always asked the right questions.
From intern to senior director of product, Dixon quickly began leading a team of people who were once her peers, an experience that required emotional intelligence and a steady hand. Today, those teammates have grown into leadership roles across the safety apparel industry, a testament to Dixon’s mentorship and commitment to helping others — especially women — find their voices and flourish. ●
Angela Gibian, Interim President and CEO, Forging Industry Association
As Interim President and CEO of the Forging Industry Association (FIA), Angela Gibian has demonstrated strong leadership and a commitment to helping others. She started her career in 2011 at Automotive Events Inc., where she managed major product launches for car companies. In 2013, she joined the American Red Cross of Northeast Ohio as an event planner, gaining experience working with volunteers and organizing events with a limited budget.
In 2015, Gibian joined North Coast Media, a company focused on magazines and media for industries that included landscaping and construction. There, she learned more about digital marketing and publishing, and found a mentor who helped shape her leadership style.
Gibian joined the FIA in 2019 as a meeting and events manager. She earned several promotions, eventually becoming deputy chief executive. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she played a key role in moving FIA’s events online so members could continue to connect and learn. She also helped establish the Women in Forging Mentorship Program, which connects women within the industry.
One of Gibian’s most significant contributions is her children’s book series, Forging with Freddy. In 2025, the series won a TRENDY award from Association Trends & CEO Update at the Salute to Association Excellence Awards. ●
Valissa Howard, Chief People Officer and General Counsel, Greater Cleveland Food Bank
Valissa Howard is the Chief People Officer and General Counsel of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, Northeast Ohio’s largest hunger relief organization. The Food Bank operates a community food distribution center, providing food and other critical grocery products to more than 1,000 local food pantries, hot meal programs, shelters, mobile pantries, programs for the elderly and other nonprofit agencies.
Howard’s leadership exemplifies the qualities of a true trailblazer. Her exceptional contributions in talent development, human resources, volunteer engagement and organizational culture-building make her a standout leader. She manages human resources and volunteer services teams, demonstrating unparalleled acumen in recruiting and mobilizing top-notch paid and unpaid talent. Her vision and active participation in implementing organizational strategies have significantly enhanced operational effectiveness and cultural cohesion.
A skilled attorney, Howard reviews and updates the Food Bank’s charters, bylaws and other governing documents as appropriate, and makes recommendations for improvement. She is also a passionate advocate for progressive leadership in the community. Her commitment to fostering an inclusive and dynamic work environment has inspired countless individuals and driven organizations towards greater success. Howard’s innovative approaches to community involvement, which highlight solutions to the needs of Black women and children, are commendable. ●
Julie Jacono, CEO, JumpStart Inc.
Julie Jacono’s rise through the ranks has been marked by a powerful combination of strategic vision, adaptability and a steadfast commitment to balancing professional ambition with personal values.
Guided by the desire to create meaningful impact, Jacono’s career journey reflects a thoughtful progression through leadership roles with organizations such as The MetroHealth System, Invacare, the Cleveland Functional Electrical Stimulation Center, Sunrise Medical and, most recently, JumpStart Inc. and JumpStart Ventures.
Jacono seeks roles that enable her to solve complex problems and prides herself on securing outcomes that enable everyone to win. A central theme has been the desire to pursue significant professional opportunities locally. She holds a strong “Pro Ohio/Why Not Ohio?” philosophy, believing that meaningful, high-impact work can happen here at home.
Since stepping into the role of CEO at JumpStart, Jacono has led the organization through a pivotal era of transformation. She has spearheaded strategic realignment, launched a comprehensive rebrand and championed initiatives such as the Trailblazer Accelerator Program, now a cornerstone of Ohio’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Jacono’s early days as CEO showcased her drive as she swiftly assessed the organization’s financial health and implemented a collaborative, performance-driven framework that yielded tangible results, including reducing financial deficits and securing key funding renewals. ●
Holly Klein, Executive Director and Co-founder, Grace House Akron, Inc
Holly Klein’s career exemplifies leadership founded on service, resilience and innovation. From the bedside of vulnerable patients to the boardroom 
of the organization she co-founded, Klein rose through the health care ranks, reimagining end-of-life care and championing the dignity of those forgotten by society. Her passion for hospice care took root early and deepened as she moved into leadership roles, eventually managing large interdisciplinary teams and overseeing complex clinical operations across care settings.
In 2016, Klein turned a moral imperative into a bold vision when she founded Grace House Akron. Starting the nonprofit wasn’t easy. She had no blueprint, just a guiding belief that the most vulnerable deserved a safe, peaceful place to die. She faced the immense challenge of building the organization from the ground up, navigating zoning laws, securing funding, establishing a board and confronting skepticism about whether a home for dying individuals with no financial means could ever be sustainable. But Klein didn’t just lead the way, she laid the foundation for a new community resource. Grace House is now a nationally recognized model that ensures terminally ill individuals can die with dignity, surrounded by compassion, regardless of their socioeconomic status. ●
Lisa Lewis, CEO, Primetime Delivery and Warehouse
Since she was a child accompanying her father on deliveries for his newly established Primetime Delivery and Warehouse, Lisa Lewis gained an invaluable early immersion into the intricacies of the freight industry. While diligently pursuing her education to become a teacher, she continued to make deliveries, supplementing her income and further solidifying her practical understanding of the business.
Driven to deepen her industry knowledge, Lewis proactively attended numerous conferences, absorbing insights and learning the nuances of the logistics world. After a decade dedicated to shaping young minds in the classroom, she made a pivotal decision to bring her well-honed skills and forward-thinking vision to the family business.
Lewis’ years of experience as an educator have proven to be a distinctive asset, injecting a unique and valuable mindset into the company’s operations. Continuous improvement, training and education for every individual at Primetime Delivery and Warehouse are ongoing initiatives that foster a culture of learning and professional development.
Lewis thoughtfully embraced the foundational values upon which her father established the company, keeping these core principles as the unwavering cornerstone of Primetime’s operations.
Under her astute guidance as CEO, Primetime Delivery and Warehouse has experienced significant and sustained growth, demonstrating a clear and consistent momentum in a competitive market. ●
Nicole Liatos, Vice President of Entrepreneurial Programs, ECDI
Nicole Liatos began her career with AmeriCorps Vista. In 2018, her assignment led her to ECDI, a nonprofit microlender dedicated to helping small business entrepreneurs access funding and resources.
Leaders at ECDI saw something special in Liatos and created a permanent position for her as a coordinator in the Women’s Business Center (WBC) of Northern Ohio. Her program management and client service skills quickly made her an invaluable asset. She was soon promoted to senior director, overseeing all four centers across the state. In 2023, she became vice president of entrepreneurial programs, serving as the strategic lead for ECDI’s statewide incubation programs.
Liatos rose to organizational leadership because of her commitment to excellence in serving entrepreneurs from all backgrounds and her broad vision for creating social justice programs that assist underrepresented individuals.
As a child, Liatos was in foster care until she was adopted at the age of six. Although many individuals who experience foster care face challenges in adulthood, Liatos has always been determined not to become just another statistic. This resolve enables her to lead with empathy and inspire others to overcome challenges, always seeking to ensure that others have the tools they need to control their futures. ●
Johanna Maas, Director of Business Development and Community Impact, Apex Skin
Johanna Maas’ passion for health and wellness launched her successful career, which started as a physical therapy assistant. She held leadership positions in physical rehabilitation and wellness before transitioning to a role in health care marketing. Along the way, she persevered in overcoming unexpected career shifts with adaptability and positivity.
Despite her professional commitment, Maas faced adversity when post-pandemic budget cuts eliminated her position. After 16 years of loyalty to her employer, she was thrust into an oversaturated job market, struggling with uncertainty.
Maas leaned on her resilience, networking extensively and exploring industries to identify opportunities to utilize her skills. Her resolve paid off when she discovered an opportunity at Apex Skin, a company with a strong culture, forward-thinking leadership and room for growth.
Starting as community engagement manager, Maas increased Apex Skin’s profile by forming strategic partnerships and expanding brand awareness. She attended 349 events in one year, reaching over 50,000 people with Apex Skin’s mission to “Transform Lives Through Healthy Skin.” Her dedication in this role quickly led to her promotion to director of business development and community impact. Maas leads a team in a strategic and influential way, driving brand loyalty and fostering relationships that contribute to the company’s ongoing success. ●
Kelly Manderfield, Chief Marketing Officer, Cleveland Metroparks
Kelly Manderfield is a testament to grit and vision. She has dedicated her professional career to the fast-moving marketing field, boldly evolving perceptions of both emerging and legacy institutions by utilizing a mix of creative expression and strategy.
Manderfield began her career in radio and live entertainment in an environment that was constantly in flux. She faced the challenge of finding her footing without an established network or roadmap to guide her, learning the invaluable skills of adaptability and resilience while simultaneously proving her worth.
Determined to build a marketing career in Cleveland, Manderfield boldly pursued roles that stretched her capabilities beyond the radio industry. She turned setbacks into learning opportunities, using them to hone her skillset and gain experience. Her persistence paid off, leading her from radio to high-level marketing roles at KeyBank, where she led and optimized a national marketing budget of more than $30 million.
As Chief Marketing Officer at Cleveland Metroparks, Manderfield has been a steadfast leader for the legacy organization during a period of record growth and transformation. She helms a robust team of 45 individuals, managing end-to-end marketing, including communications, advertising, analytics, special events, corporate partnerships, retail and creative services. ●
Chelsy McKinney, Sr. Manager, HRIS, Leaf Home
Chelsy McKinney began her journey at Leaf Home after college, joining what was then a small gutter protection business. As the third member of the HR team and the department’s receptionist, it was ‘all hands on deck’ from day one. Despite her entry-level title, McKinney quickly immersed 
herself in all facets of HR, contributing to employee relations, payroll, onboarding and recruiting. This early exposure laid the groundwork for swift growth. Within a year, she moved into an HR assistant role and, just six months later, was promoted to HR generalist.
About three years into her time at Leaf Home, McKinney’s career pivoted toward HR technology. After a supportive leader recognized her natural aptitude for systems and data, she became the point person for the company’s newly launched HR information system. From implementation to ongoing optimization, McKinney took full ownership, adding a Human Resources Information Professional certification to her credentials and attending industry conferences to further develop her skills. This shift proved crucial as Leaf Home entered a phase of explosive growth, with the company adding new product lines, including water filtration and garage flooring, and expanding from about 250 employees in 20 Midwest offices to nearly 4,000 team members across North America. ●
Dr. Martina Moore, Associate Professor and Chair of the Counseling Department, John Carroll University
Dr. Martina Moore’s path from practitioner to department chair is marked by resilience, innovation and commitment to addressing critical needs in the behavioral health field. Today, she serves as Associate Professor and Chair of the Counseling Department at John Carroll University (JCU) while leading as President and CEO of Moore Counseling & Mediation Services (MCMS). Her career is defined by breaking barriers for herself and the students and communities she serves.
Moore spent years in the field before earning her Ph.D. from Walden University and joining JCU as a visiting professor. In 2015, she became a full-time faculty member and coordinator of the university’s Substance Use Disorder (SUD) concentration. Under her leadership, students can graduate with dual licensure in mental health and substance use disorder treatment, an advantage that significantly boosts employability and career readiness while helping address the opioid epidemic.
Moore has consistently found ways to eliminate financial obstacles for aspiring counselors. She secured over $800,000 in state grant funding from the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE), awarding over 80 students fellowships to help offset tuition costs. These efforts changed individual lives, increased enrollment and helped meet behavioral health workforce needs in Ohio and beyond. ●
Clara Nader, CFO, Blue Technologies
Blue Technologies CFO Clara Nader is a transformative leader whose professional achievements embody the spirit of the Progressive Woman Award. She has risen through the financial ranks with purpose, overcoming challenges and breaking barriers in multiple traditionally male-dominated fields. Her success is defined by financial acumen and the values of resilience, innovation and mentorship.
At Blue Technologies, Nader is pivotal in driving strategic financial planning and operational excellence across a rapidly evolving business. Her leadership has contributed to the company’s sustained growth and diversification, especially as it navigated new challenges during and post-pandemic. Nader’s understanding of financial operations and ability to forecast and navigate economic uncertainty have been instrumental in shaping the company’s future.
Nader is distinguished by her unwavering belief in the power of teamwork and relentless focus on process improvement. She prides herself on creating cross-functional collaboration that breaks down silos and unlocks innovation, and is often the catalyst behind internal improvements that streamline workflows, enhance transparency and drive outcomes for employees and customers.
Nader’s influence extends beyond numbers and strategy. She is a tireless advocate for women and men, and has mentored emerging leaders throughout her career. Nader consistently champions a culture of inclusion and empowerment by supporting peers and guiding team members’ professional development. ●
Roshonda Smith, Senior Vice-President, Black Business Engagement Director, Huntington National Bank
Roshonda Smith rose through the ranks of her industry, overcoming barriers and utilizing her platform to transform communities. As the Black Business Engagement Director at Huntington National Bank, she’s helped expand access to capital and opportunities for Black-owned businesses. She’s served as the Regional Community Development Manager, overseeing multi-state teams dedicated to community investment and affordable lending.
With nearly three decades of experience in financial services and sales, Smith’s career spans retail banking, lending, investments and CRA compliance. She has led diverse teams focusing on market expansion, employee engagement, regulatory excellence and authentic partnership.
Smith is also a successful entrepreneur. She owns Premier Barber Studios and manages Doll House Cleaning Solutions. Her business acumen and passion for economic empowerment reflect her belief in creating opportunities at every level — from corporate boardrooms to neighborhood main streets.
A dedicated civic leader, Smith serves on several community boards, including the Cuyahoga County Convention Facilities Development Corporation (Huntington Convention Center) and Karamu House. As a Greater Cleveland Digital Equity Coalition Advisory Board member, she helped close in-home technology gaps for low-income families. Her leadership also led Huntington to fund the distribution of 600 mobile hotspots and launch a free library lending program. ●
Holly Marie Wilson, Shareholder, Reminger Co., LPA
Holly Marie Wilson’s exceptional leadership qualities and legal expertise make her a distinguished figure at Reminger Co., LPA, within the legal field and throughout the community.
With over 24 years of legal experience, Wilson is one of the firm’s top-performing partners. She began her career as a high school teacher, obtaining her master’s degree in 1996 before attending law school while raising her young family. After graduation, Wilson joined Reminger, where her relentless work ethic contributed to her successful representation of clients in multiple legal arenas.
Leveraging her unique perspective as a former teacher, Wilson addressed the challenges faced by educators and institutions. She created Reminger’s Education Law Liability Practice Group in 2018. As the Chair, Wilson defends educators, institutions and boards of education against federal and state law claims. She also serves as the Co-Chair of Reminger’s Appellate Advocacy Practice Group, and has been instrumental in prosecuting appeals in state and federal appellate courts nationwide.
Wilson plays a key role in shaping the firm’s approach to attorney training and growth. She works directly with each young associate to provide individualized mentorship and guidance for their legal career. ●
Cynthia Yang, Wealth Advisor, Return on Life Wealth Partners
As a wealth advisor, Cynthia Yang brings deep knowledge, insight and expertise in equity valuation, independent investment research, risk management and portfolio performance attribution analysis to Return on Life Wealth Partners and the high-net-worth families and business owners the firm serves. She also leads the Investment Committee, conducting investment due diligence research and adjusting the firm’s strategic portfolios on a regular and timely basis.
Born and raised in the small rural village of Shandong, China, Yang learned at an early age that grit and perseverance were not optional, they were necessities. That spirit of tenacity has defined her journey from humble beginnings to her current role on the management team of a “Top 13” registered investment advisor (RIA) firm in the U.S. She also holds final decision-making authority on all investment selections.
Helping clients understand complex financial principles and strategies comes naturally to Yang. She worked as a tutor throughout college and graduate school, where she discovered her talent for educating others on complex concepts. She is passionate about helping hardworking families understand how they can achieve a balance between providing for the next generation and enjoying the fruits of their labor. ●