meet our judges and reading committee
These alumni, parents, and partners applied their diverse experiences and expertise to evaluate applications
and final presentations to select our Women Who Empower Innovator Awards winners:
Dalal Al Marzouk, SSH’17
Reading Committee | 2025
Young Global Leader; Exhibition Intern
Ricardo Araujo, MBA’02
Reading Committee | 2026
Founder and former Co-CEO Kangu (acquired by Mercado Livre)
Jill Bornstein, PNT’22
Founding Judge | 2021–2026
Founder and Executive Coach, Upnext Leadership Coaching
Kathy Campbell, DMSB’79
Reading Committee | 2025–2026
President, KTCoaching Partners
Ann Corcoran, BHS’86
Reading Committee | 2023–2026
President, AMC Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
Asha Chandra, PNT’21
Reading Committee Member and Judge | 2024–2025
Founder, The Jazba Collective
Cristina Csimma, MPH’91
Founding Judge | 2021–2026
Biotech Executive, Board Director, and CEO
Julietta Dexter, PNT’20
Founding Judge | 2021–2026
Female Founder, Entrepreneur, and Chief Executive Officer, Brand Potential Consulting; Board Member, Northeastern University London
Drishti Dhamani, DMSB’21
Reading Committee | 2025–2026
Young Global Leader; Influencer and Communication Manager, Dhamani Jewels
Lea Anne Dunton, PNT’15
Reading Committee | 2023–2026
Mentor, Women’s Interdisciplinary Society of Entrepreneurship (WISE) and Mosaic
Mary Egan
Reading Committee | 2026
Principal, ME Eagan Consulting; Vice Chair, Maine Angels
Paige Hendrix-Buckner
Reading Committee | 2023
Chief Executive Officer, All Raise
Cheryl Kaplan
Founding Judge | 2021–2026
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, M.Gemi
Leslie Kilgore, PNT’25
Judge | 2022
Board Member, Netflix
Jean Kovacs, CPS’83
Judge | 2022, 2025–2026
Partner and Co-Founder, Hillsven
Bobbie Lamont
Reading Committee | 2025–2026
Membership Chair, Maine Angels
Susan Morris
Reading Committee | 2025–2026
Member, Maine Angels and Honorary Consul for Canada in Maine
Ronaldo Mouchawar, E’88, ME'90
Judge | 2023-2024
Chief Executive Officer, souq.com; Vice President, Amazon Middle East and North Africa
Jennifer Mugar
Reading Committee | 2023
Friend of the University
Henry Nasella, UC’77, H’08
Founding Judge | 2021
Late Chair Emeritus, Northeastern Board of Trustees; Co-Founder, LNK Partners
Konstantina (Nadia) Nikitea-Theocarakis, MS’91
Reading Committee | 2025–2026
Founder, KOOLFly
Jennifer Packard
Reading Committee | 2025
President & Principal of PK Realty Management
Cathy Papoulias-Sakellaris
Founding Judge | 2021–2022, 2024
Active Board Member; Former Business Executive; Philanthropist
Sharon Phoong-Wong, PNT’25
Judge | 2024
Founder and Chief Executive Officer, motherswork
Katherine Watson Shiatis
Reading Committee | 2025–2026
Senior Fellow, Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative; Board Member, Watson Foundation
Sheila Walsh, DMSB'81
Reading Committee | 2025–2026
Active board member, strategic advisor, and philanthropist
Dr. Winslow Sargeant, E’86
Judge | 2023
Chief Executive Officer, Purple Team Technologies; Immediate Past Chair, The International Council for Small Business; Senior Advisor, Genaesis, LLC; Trustee, Northeastern Board of Trustees
Vicente Zavarce, DMSB’16
Reading Committee | 2025
Young Global Leader; Founder and CEO, Yummy