2025 Herizon Awards Celebrate Women Transforming Work, Leadership and Global Impact
October 28, 2025—Philadelphia, PA—The Business Intelligence Group today announced the winners of the inaugural Herizon Awards, a new global recognition program honoring women who are reshaping the workplace through bold leadership, vision, and transformative results.
Developed to spotlight authentic impact at every level of leadership, the Herizon Awards elevate the voices of women who are changing how the world works. Whether rising talent or executive influencers, the winners reflect a diverse and dynamic range of contributions across industries and continents.
“These women are not just succeeding. They are redefining success,” said Eliana Starbird, Chief Nominations Officer and Advisory Board Member for the Herizon Awards. “From reimagining business models to lifting communities, this year’s honorees are proof that when women lead, everyone rises.”
2025 Overall Winner
Maggie Doyne, Founder, BlinkNow Foundation
The highest recognition of the year is awarded to Maggie Doyne, founder of the BlinkNow Foundation, whose work in Nepal has set a new standard for grassroots impact. Maggie co-founded the Kopila Valley Children’s Home and School, a life-changing initiative that provides education, nutrition, healthcare, and a safe haven for hundreds of children and families.
The BlinkNow model prioritizes local leadership, sustainability and deep-rooted empowerment. Maggie and her team, together with their local community, have created pathways for education, launched women's empowerment programs, and fostered economic self-sufficiency in a region long overlooked.
“Maggie Doyne has turned empathy into enterprise and vision into generational change,” said Starbird. “Her work is a testament to what one person can achieve when purpose meets action.”
Congratulations to Maggie Doyne on this well-deserved honor. Her courage, compassion and commitment continue to inspire a global movement.
Award Winners
Rising Talent
Celebrating professionals with fewer than five years of experience making bold and immediate impact.
Level Winner: Sophie Reymond – SRPR & CoworkHer
- Sakina Pesh – Royal Cyber
- Victoria Stevenson – Aligned Data Centers
Emerging Leader
Recognizing mid-level professionals shaping culture, teams, and innovation.
Level Winner: Paloma Karst – Advanced Wireless Communications
- Ashley Hitt – Cultivate Geospatial Solutions, LLC
- Katya Hawkins – Aligned Data Centers
Established Leader
Honoring senior leaders driving strategic transformation and cross-functional change.
Level Winner: Melinda Keefe – Dow Chemical
- Samantha Clarke – VDURA
- Sonia Couto – Konverge Digital Solutions
- Jamie Timm – TELUS Digital
- Anya Wolf – DLC Management Corp.
- Alex Walker – Aligned Data Centers
- Xin Hamilton – AVA
Executive Influencer
Recognizing C-suite and senior leaders guiding vision, culture, and large-scale strategy.
Level Winner: Bethany Little – Veryon
- Laurie Oswald – C&D Technologies
- Sonali Shah – Cobalt (Company)
- Shanthi Rajan – Linarc
- Laura Kinder – Daversa
- Wendy White – Daxko
- Lisa Agona – Sphera
- Preethi Santhanam – TY Lin International Group
Founder / Visionary
Honoring entrepreneurs and trailblazers building ventures and reimagining systems.
Level Winner: Daria Leshchenko – SupportYourApp
- Kim Bode – 8THIRTYFOUR Integrated Communications
- Kelly Waltrich – Intention.ly
- Lorna Borenstein – Grokker Inc.
- Jessica Wilson – Seven Sisters Collective Pty Ltd
- Lori Tompos – Avail Consulting
- Leah Corrin – Essence of L Medi Spa Inc
- Cooper Harris – Klickly, Inc.
- Natalie Spiro – Drum Cafe North America
- Elena Rivera-Cheek, MBA – C&A Digital
- Sivanart Marich – ZEN WELLNESS CENTRE
A New Kind of Recognition
The Herizon Awards were created by the Business Intelligence Group as part of its commitment to recognizing real-world excellence. Unlike traditional award programs, Herizon was built to elevate women leading change at every level of business. With transparent, crowd-sourced judging and an inclusive structure for individuals, teams, companies, and industries, the program reflects the broad spectrum of how transformation truly happens.
This program was shaped with insight and direction from a world-class Advisory Board of women leaders: Aliona Margulis of Satisfi Labs, Eliana Starbird of the Business Intelligence Group, Deni Kasrel of Ascenda Agency, Priya Sinha of Vodafone, Louisa Gregory (formerly of eEnergy and Colt), Ruth Redding of Ruth Redding Ltd., Jennifer Handshew of 180 Marketing Communications, and Hitali Shah of Electronic Arts.
Shoutouts and Year-Round Celebration
In addition to the annual awards, the Herizon platform features Shoutouts, a year-round recognition channel that gives anyone the opportunity to celebrate a woman making a difference. With just a $5 donation, supporters can share a personalized tribute.
All proceeds support nonprofit organizations advancing women’s empowerment across the globe, including Dress for Success, Woman to Woman Mentoring, Neythri, Cranaleith Spiritual Center, and Smart Works. Through every Shoutout shared, more women receive the support, mentorship and tools they need to succeed.
To view the full list of winners, share a Shoutout, or learn more about how to participate, visit www.HerizonAwards.com.
About Business Intelligence Group
The Business Intelligence Group was founded with the mission of recognizing true talent and superior performance in the business world. Unlike other industry award programs, these programs are judged by business executives having experience and knowledge. The organization's proprietary and unique scoring system selectively measures performance across multiple business domains and rewards those companies whose achievements stand above those of their peers.