Judges | NWO

Panel of Judges 2024

Nikki Odom

Nikki Odom is a true champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and a proven leader within the space. Currently, she serves as the Senior Director of DE&I and Community Affairs at Nestlé USA. As both an effective cross-functional partner and change agent, Nikki has led the market’s strategy to build an inclusive, impactful culture that has simultaneously fostered significant growth for the business.

Nikki’s trajectory at Nestlé began in 2010; since then, she has served in leadership roles across several functions, including Sales, Marketing, Finance and Learning & Development. Prior to joining Nestlé, Nikki held HR leadership roles at other Fortune 500 companies, such as PepsiCo, where she was instrumental in successfully leading Manufacturing and Supply Chain teams across the U.S.

Nikki earned her Professional in Human Resources certification from the Society of Human Resource Management and has been recognized by the organization for her masterful dedication to driving success for her stakeholders.

Nikki is active within her community as a certified life coach, author, financial literacy consultant and entrepreneur. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the Ohio State University and a Master of Business Administration from Louisiana State University.

Pamela J. Moore

Pamela Moore, a distinguished leader in the field of incubation and business operations, embarked on her professional journey with the University of Toledo in 2004. Her exceptional leadership skills and business acumen have led to numerous promotions within the institution, particularly within the Office of Research & Sponsored Programs.
Pamela’s expertise is further enhanced by her academic credentials. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Applied Organizational Technology from the University of Toledo, a testament to her commitment to continuous learning and professional development.
In 2021, Pamela took on the role of Director of Incubation and Business Operations. In this capacity, she oversees the Business Incubator and Minority Business Development Center, demonstrating her
ability to manage complex operations and drive business growth.
Simultaneously, Pamela serves as the Principal Investigator of the Entrepreneurial Services Provider Program grant through JumpStart Inc. This role sees her collaborating with esteemed partners such
as ProMedica Innovations and Bon Secours Mercy Health, further showcasing her ability to foster strategic partnerships and lead collaborative initiatives.
Pamela’s career is characterized by her dedication to her work, her ability to lead and inspire, and her commitment to fostering business growth and innovation. Her story continues to unfold as she makes significant contributions to the entrepreneurial ecosystem in NWO.

Destiny Allen Mitchell

As an Economic Development Program Officer, Destiny is responsible for supporting a wide range of small business and business development organizations support initiatives; focusing on helping partners strengthen their services to support Black, Indigenous and People of Color, women, and veteran entrepreneurs and building inclusive small business ecosystems in communities across the country. Prior to joining LISC, Destiny worked as an Economic Development Specialist in Southern Maryland supporting economic development, business engagement, community development, and entrepreneurial ecosystem-building initiatives. Destiny is passionate about relationship building and being a community convener and connector. Destiny holds a master’s degree in Public Administration (MPA) from the University of Georgia and a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Aly Sterling

Aly is the president and founder of Aly Sterling Philanthropy, a national consulting firm
that helps nonprofits, individuals and families, foundations, and corporations meet their
philanthropic goals and positively impact their communities.
In 2023, Aly and the firm were named the inaugural winners of the University of Toledo
Family Business Center’s Doing Right for the Future of Humankind award. In 2018 Aly
and the firm were inducted into the Northwest Ohio Entrepreneur Hall of Fame.
Aly serves on various local, regional and national boards, holds a master’s degree from
the University of Toledo and proudly teaches a course on women and entrepreneurship
and corporate social responsibility at Bowling Green State University.
In 2020, Aly published a book about her experiences transcending personal and
professional barriers to becoming a female entrepreneur titled, 37: The Year I Stopped
Making Excuses, Embraced My Power & Launched My Million-Dollar Business.
Aly tries to split her time between Ohio and South Carolina, and enjoys spending time
with her family, playing tennis, traveling, and finding small ways to improve the human
condition.

Panel of Judges 2023

Deborah Barnett

Bringing together people, businesses, and resources to affect solutions and improve functioning are the values added by Ms. Deborah Barnett. As a recognized leader in the community and a certified life and business coach, Deborah has honed her unique abilities to forge interpersonal and business relationships. She harnesses the skills she acquired from spending over 30 years in community development and banking. She is purposefully prepared to assume the roles of speaker, coach, motivator, and networker. She has an undeniable ability to assess, manage, and execute bringing together the right combinations of people and resources to benefit business endeavors. Her network consists of professionals, business owners, and resources that span banking, education, government, health care, law, fine arts, non-profit organizations, and more at a local, state, and national level.
Through her consulting company, N-SYNC, LLC, she has been instrumental in collaborating with the City of Toledo – Department of Neighborhoods, Toledo Public Schools, Promedica, The University of Toledo, Interdenominal Ministerial Alliance and Toledo African American Chamber of Commerce. After serving her community for 36 years with The Huntington Bank, she set her sights on operating her small business but continues to be sought after as a resource, a consultant, a speaker, a motivator, and an event consultant.
Deborah uses her professional contacts and business acumen to ensure that businesses are represented at the table when opportunities are presented. She has positioned herself to be a respected voice among community leaders.

Pamela Moore

Pamela Moore has worked at The University of Toledo since 2004, including 16 years in various positions in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, beginning as the executive assistant to the VP for Research. After several years, Pamela was promoted to budget administrator/executive secretary 2, taking on the budgetary duties for the entire department. Later, she was again promoted to Senior Business Manager for the Office of Research & Sponsored Programs & the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. In August of 2021, Pamela added the additional title of Associate Director of Incubation Operations, overseeing the operations of the UToledo Business Incubator and the Minority Business Development Center, which helps entrepreneurs take their ideas from concept to commercialization. She also supervises the employees of both incubators. Pamela serves as the Principal Investigator (PI) of the Entrepreneurial Services Provider Program grant (ESP) through JumpStart as the primary, along with partners Promedica Innovations and Mercy Health Systems. Pamela earned her bachelor’s degree in applied organizational technology from The University of Toledo. Pamela has been married to her husband Edward for 33 years and has one son and two grandsons.

Crystal Harris Darnell

Crystal Harris Darnell has devoted her life to enhancing the well-being of others and currently holds the position of Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the Lucas County Board of Commissioners. In this pivotal role, she oversees the coordination and guidance of the county's initiatives to define, assess, promote, and foster diversity and inclusion across all aspects of service delivery and employment within the Lucas County Commissioners' departments. Additionally, her department serves as a valuable resource for all other offices, commissions, and boards of County government.
Crystal's commitment to community engagement is evident through her various roles and certifications, such as being a "Bridge out of Poverty" certified trainer. She imparts valuable insights to organizations and businesses, helping them understand the causes of poverty and develop programs and outreach efforts to improve outcomes and better serve the community. Crystal is also a member of the Impact Coalition, where she chairs the Marketing and Engagement committee. As a certified "Getting Ahead" facilitator, she supports participants in identifying strategies to build resources and facilitates programs designed for the post-incarcerated population.Her commitment extends to hosting quarterly networking events for DEI professionals and co-chairing the Supplier Diversity committee as a founding member of the DEAI alliance, actively supporting minority-owned businesses in Lucas County. Currently, Crystal serves on the board of the Ability Center of Northwest Ohio, and is a member of the Toledo Branch of the NAACP and Gamma Phi Delta Sorority, Inc.
Crystal's impact has been recognized through various awards, including the Twenty Under 40 Awards, Toast Master's Community Leadership Award, and the Herzing University Leadership Award for her civic awareness and commitment to Toledo's youth. She also received Certification of Mastery Life Survival and Coaching Skills from the Human Motivation Circle.
Crystal draws on her personal life experiences to connect with her audience. Utilizing storytelling and humor, she bridges the pains of the past with the hopes of the future. Crystal remains passionately committed to serving her community and making a lasting impact, embodying the change she wishes to see in the world.

Athena Golianis

Athena Golianis: CEO, Creator PINKK LLC and President, Founder of AGW Idea Group, Inc. She has worked on venerable blue-chip brands like Arthur Andersen, Sears, Kraft Foods, Wal-Mart Sam’s Club, Hillshire Farms, Sara Lee, Midas, Alberto Culver haircare brands, (Unilever) Beltone, the City of Chicago in addition to name a few for many formative years. In 2005 she became a dedicated entrepreneur and opened her own agency AGW Idea Group and has successfully run her marketing consulting and branding agency for over 15 years and continues to do so. She has launched start-ups and helped to grow and rebrand others like VENeffect, BreatheAmerica, Precision HealthCare, Citadel Healthcare, Kiva Recovery, Diamond Bank (now Wintrust) amongst others. At this time as she is also taking her understanding of building brands to create PINKK and use her experience and knowledge to empower and inspire coaches and mentors and provide resources for women with this brand experience and platform.

Soon-Young Yoon

Soon-Young Yoon
is a Korean-American advocate for women's human rights and author of "Citizen of the World -- Soon-Young and the UN". She currently serves as a United Nations representative of the International Alliance of Women and Chair of the Board, of the Women's Environment and Development Organization.
She has worked with UNICEF in Southeast Asia and the WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia in New Delhi. She is a board member of the International Advisory Council at the Harvard AIDS Initiative, Women's Environment and Development Organization (WEDO) and the International Foundation for Ewha Womans University. She has worked as a senior consultant for the WHO on women and tobacco issues and supports the innovation lab for NCDs.[1] She is the main representative of the International Alliance of Women to the United Nations ECOSOC. In that capacity, she was Chair of the NGO Committee on the Status of Women, New York from 2011 to 2015 during which the committee launched the Cities for CEDAW campaign. In 2014, she received the CEDAW award for International Comity from the Friends of the Commission on the Status of Women in San Francisco.
She is co-editor with Jonathan Samet of the WHO monograph, "Gender, Women and the Tobacco Epidemic and a former columnist for the Earth Times newspaper. She has published essays about her life, working with the UN, and feminist views on global issues in her book, "Citizen of the World--Soon-Young and the UN" (published by Ewha Womans University Press, August 2021). In 2021, she was appointed to the Advisory Board on Gender Equality of the UN President of the 76th General Assembly, H. E. Ambassador Abdulla Shahid of the Maldives.
Yoon holds a bachelor's degree with honors in French literature, a PhD in anthropology from the University of Michigan, and a certificate in computer graphics from the Pratt Institute of the Arts. She is married to Richard M. Smith, former Editor-in-Chief and President of Newsweek and current President of the Pinkerton Foundation.