

More than 135 contestants vied for the second annual Women Who Empower Innovator Awards this year, greatly impressing the panel of judges, who evaluated participants based on innovation, leadership, entrepreneurship, authenticity, community and inclusion, and track record. All the winners demonstrated a great deal of heart, love for what they are doing, and willingness to keep trying and face the obstacles.
It’s about the innovator, not the innovation
The Innovator Awards are given to the woman and not to the venture. There are many other accelerator programs that focus on the venture itself and that have stringent rules about how the money can be spent. And despite improved balance in the number of women who think of themselves as entrepreneurs compared with men, women’s access to capital still lags far behind. The Innovator Awards is changing that paradigm, one award at a time.
Each of the 2022 recipients is a source of pride and inspiration to the university and beyond. They represent all of Northeastern’s colleges and multiple countries across five different continents. As you will see below, these powerful women—along with their ideas, products, businesses, and services—are already making a meaningful mark on the world.
“It is really inspiring to be around all of these women who really are taking ownership of their leadership, and taking ownership of ideas, and taking ownership of where they want to go in life.”
–Jill Bornstein, judge, Women Who Empower Innovator Awards, and founder, UpNext Leadership and Executive Coaching.

“As a university, we are in the business of building and supporting entrepreneurs and innovators. We want people who are going to go out into the world and keep doing this, eventually investing in other young entrepreneurs when possible.”
–Betsy Ludwig, executive director of women’s entrepreneurship at Northeastern

“These extraordinary finalists are reflective of the university as a whole, in its global reach and in its interdisciplinarity. I’m excited to see Women Who Empower continue to scale its support of students and alumni throughout the entire Northeastern network.”
–Diane N. MacGillivray, Senior Vice President for University Advancement and founder of Women Who Empower
YOUNG ALUMNAE UNDERGRADUATE AWARD WINNERS

FIRST PLACE: $22,000
Temidola Ikomi, DMSB’17



HONORS: $5,000
Birta Ólafsdóttir, DMSB’14
YOUNG ALUMNAE GRADUATE AWARD WINNERS

FIRST PLACE: $22,000
Samantha Johnson, E’21

SECOND PLACE: $10,000
Wenjun Zhang, PhD, E’16, MBA’21
SalivaTek
Non-invasive disease detection and health monitoring platform that utilizes saliva sensing

HONORS: $5,000
Jae’da Turner, DMSB’14, MBA’16

HONORS: $5,000
Tahisha Charles, AMD’20

Wenjun Zhang, PhD, E’16
SalivaTek
As an engineer and entrepreneur, Wenjun Zhang, Ph.D., E’16 envisions a future where everyone has access to fast, accurate, and real-time healthcare diagnostic testing anywhere, anytime. With her expertise, Zhang’s venture, SalivaTek, will help her identify societal issues, analyze their root causes, and develop solutions to resolve unmet needs in effective and affordable healthcare.

Jae’da Turner, DMSB’14, MBA’16
Black Owned Bos
Jae’Da Turner, DMSB’14: A creative, a community builder, and an innovator, Jae’Da Turner, DMSB’14, poured her time and energy into elevating her agency, Black Owned Bos, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The fast-growing agency highlights the people moving Black culture forward in the Boston area; advances Black-owned businesses, places, and spaces; and helps close existing gaps in Boston’s Black-owned community.

Samantha Johnson, E’21
Tatum Robotics
Inspired by a mentor and former coach, and her own experience on a unified track and field team, Samantha Johnson, E’21, knew early on that she wanted to make a positive impact on others. Johnson is doing just that through Tatum Robotics, an organization that creates low-cost robotic solutions for the DeafBlind community.

Tahisha Charles, AMD’13
In an effort to bridge the gap between online platforms that only cater to mainstream talent and emerging local talent, Tahisha Charles, AMD’13, created . This site is the only woman-owned journalism platform in Massachusetts that shines a light on local talent from the state and helps musical artists build their fanbases.

Amy Andes, PhD, S’17
Banzo Butter
With a goal of figuratively and literally making space for everyone eating at the table, food scientist Amy Andes, PhD, S’17, founded Banzo Butter. The brand brings awareness to food allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities by creating inclusive versions of classic staple spreads—like a no-nut butter made of garbanzo beans—which ensure people don’t feel left out, uncertain about what they’re eating, or forgotten by the food industry.

Eliana Berger, DMSB’21
Envision
Seeing firsthand the lack of opportunity for underrepresented business founders, Eliana Berger, DMSB’21, wanted to make big changes in the VC space, and her work with Envision began. Envision is a nonprofit virtual venture accelerator for young founders from underrepresented groups like BIPOC and women, which democratizes access to funding, networks, and opportunities by providing hands-on support, a welcoming community, a broad network of mentors and investors.
EXPERIENCED ALUMNAE AWARD WINNERS

FIRST PLACE: $22,000
Natasha Shazana, DMSB’13

SECOND PLACE: $10,000
Ashley Girard, S’07
Mobile storefront selling health on-the-go essentials to underserved communities


HONORS: $5,000
Wendy Price, DPT, BHS’94, BHS’00, CPS’14

HONORS: $5,000
Kate Weiler, CPS'13
Harnesses the natural power of trees to create nutritious and delicious maple water

Temidola Ikomi, DMSB’17
Irawo Studio
Inspired by her mother’s creativity and work ethic, and the way Northeastern values resilience and perseverance, Temidola Ikomi, DMSB’17, launched Irawo Studio. This female-owned and family-run business creates showstopping pieces specifically for women who are unapologetically blazing their own trails and claiming their own destinies.

Birta Ólafsdóttir, DMSB’14
LDV
Following her father’s’ advice that in order to reach your full potential, you must first pursue happiness, by tapping into your curiosity, Birta Ólafsdóttir, DMSB’14, launched her dream venture, Salotto, meaning living room in Italian. Ólafsdóttir has since changed the name to LDV, but the sentiment remains the same: To bring the world a retail platform for luxury vintage furniture design, where art deco meets the seventies.

Kate Weiler, CPS’13
Drink Simple
Kate Weiler, CPS’13, has harnessed the natural power of trees to create a nutritious and delicious maple water made of more than 40 plant-powered nutrients. Although this sounds complex, Weiler’s beverage is called Drink Simple—and it’s good for the planet and for people, empowering healthy minds, bodies, and souls.

Wendy Farnen Price, DPT, BHS’94, BHS’00, CPS’14
With years working in direct patient care and her experiences in her current role at Healthcore, Wendy Farnen Price, DPT, BHS’94, BHS’00, CPS’14, has learned that in order to make lasting healthy lifestyle or behavioral changes, women need to feel and be heard and supported. One of Healthcore’s pillars includes educational, lifestyle medicine and health coaching programs—and Price is hoping to create and lead a new one titled Together With Tea, a group women’s health coaching program to empower women to make healthy lifestyle changes.

Ashley Girard, COS’07
Living by the belief that all individuals should have access to affordable, healthy, and delicious foods, Ashley Girard, S’07, looks to revolutionize the convenience store industry with her business, Welly’s Wellness. Described as a “7-Eleven, but on wheels,” Welly’s Wellness is the first mobile, self-contained storefront that sells prepackaged snacks, functional beverages, and small household goods—with a bold plan to tackle food deserts across the U.S. by opening 1,000 storefront trailers in the next five years.

Yewande Masi, SSH’09
Yewande Masi, SSH’09, believes that with the daily stress, dehydration, and toxic ingredients women face day to day, basic body care just won’t cut it—innovative healing and restorative action is crucial. That’s why she founded Ornami Skincare, a brand that helps make women feel confident, built on the tenets of empowerment, sustainability, and toxin-free living.

Natasha Shazana, DMSB’13
Growing up in Malaysia, Natasha Shazana, DMSB’13, remembers walking through countless malls and wondering why nobody in bra ads looked like her. To change that paradigm, she quit her private equity job at Morgan Stanley in New York City, moved back to Malaysia, and launched her own bra company, Soko, with its name deriving from the Malay word sokong, meaning support. With comfort and empowerment top of mind, Soko brings Malaysian women utter satisfaction during what is typically an overall frustrating experience.

Tabitha Boyton, NCH’22
Res Publica
To Tabitha Boyton, NCH’22, a leader is someone who amplifies all voices, especially the ones that aren’t always heard—voices of the underrepresented, underserved, and marginalized. Through her media platform, Res Publica, she’s shaking up the status quo and lifting up women of color by ensuring that they have a place and a voice in academic and political discussions, debates, and publications.

Valerie Robert, Khoury’23
The Circuit
Valerie Robert, Khoury’23, believes in the power of ventures “by GenZ for GenZ.” Realizing the increasingly digital age, and its intersection with our daily lives, she created The Circuit, a tech-loving student-run editorial and media platform that highlights today’s technology-related trends, developments, effects, and more, helping others stay up to date on the everchanging tech world.

Michelle Beaudette, DMSB’23
Kaolin Beauty
Michelle Beaudette, DMSB’23, is a farmer, environmental activist, and passionate self-care and sustainability advocate. Her beauty brand, Kaolin Beauty, is an embodiment of her unique identity. Created to serve both people and the planet, Kaolin Beauty is poised to be one of the first ever brands to use regenerative organic certified herbs in all its products, which means the beauty brand’s production processes meet the highest standards in the world for soil health, animal welfare, and farmworker fairness.

Cynthia Orofo, BHS’24
Culture Care Collective
Determined to address the countless health disparities that came to light during the COVID-19 pandemic, Cynthia Orofo, BHS’24, founded the Culture Care Collective. This hybrid health support program integrates community health workers into clinical care teams to properly coordinate care for marginalized groups and increase access to healthcare at low costs.

Priscilla Marie Colon, DMSB’22
After witnessing a near-fatal birthing experience in Bihar, India, Priscilla Marie Colon, DMSB’22, dedicated herself to ensuring more women receive quality care during childbirth. She received funding to start an initiative focused on educating nearly 200 birth attendants in Nigeria on how to respond to obstetric emergencies during childbirth. Now, Colon seeks to make a larger impact by creating a nonprofit aimed at reducing preventable maternal deaths and improving overall maternal health using her Northeastern business education.

Madhuri Iyer, CPS’22
EzReg
Madhuri Iyer, CPS’22, and Amanda Céspedes, CPS’22, have spent the past five years gaining an understanding of regulatory challenges and exploring solutions. With skills and knowledge related to complicated regulatory pathways, the duo launched EzReg to help startups in the healthcare and medical device spaces understand regulations—saving their clients money and helping them comply with FDA and other requirements along the way.

Amanda Céspedes, CPS’22
EzReg
Madhuri Iyer, CPS’22, and Amanda Céspedes, CPS’22, have spent the past five years gaining an understanding of regulatory challenges and exploring solutions. With skills and knowledge related to complicated regulatory pathways, the duo launched EzReg to help startups in the healthcare and medical device spaces understand regulations—saving their clients money and helping them comply with FDA and other requirements along the way.

Melissa Mullen, Khoury’22
Smile
Melissa Mullen, Khoury’22, has made it her goal to help others find love at first…laugh by disrupting the dating app industry with her own: Smile. Smile harnesses the power of artificial intelligence and humor compatibility—which is known to be an excellent predictor of relationship success—to create meaningful connections that last.

Cynthia Orofo, BHS’24
Culture Care Collective
Determined to address the countless health disparities that came to light during the COVID-19 pandemic, Cynthia Orofo, BHS’24, founded the Culture Care Collective. This hybrid health support program integrates community health workers into clinical care teams to properly coordinate care for marginalized groups and increase access to healthcare at low costs.last.

Hannah Ung, DMSB’23
Boxy
A true embodiment of resilience, Hannah Ung, DMSB’23, took what she learned from growing up with her family of four tucked into a small room and turned it into an opportunity that allows people to make better use of their space. Called Boxy, her venture seeks to provide a platform for people to earn a profit from their unoccupied spaces by allowing others to use it for storage purposes.
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT AWARD WINNERS

FIRST PLACE: $22,000
Tabitha Boyton, NCH’22


HONORS: $5,000
Michelle Beaudette, DMSB'23

HONORS: $5,000
Valerie Robert, Khoury’23
GRADUATE STUDENT AWARD WINNERS

FIRST PLACE: $22,000
Cynthia Orofo, BHS’24
Hybrid health support program sustained by community health workers

SECOND PLACE: $10,000
Priscilla Marie Colon, DMSB’22

HONORS: $5,000
Amanda Céspedes, CPS’22
Software company to simplify the regulatory pathway for medical devices and healthcare startups

HONORS: $5,000
Madhuri Iyer, CPS’22
Software company to simplify the regulatory pathway for medical devices and healthcare startups

HONORS: $5,000
Melissa Mullen, Khoury’22
Meet our Judges
These experts took their seasoned knowledge to evaluate applications and final presentations to select our Women Who Empower Innovator Award winners:

Jill Bornstein, PNT’22
Founder of UpNext Leadership and Executive Coaching

Leslie Kilgore, PNT’25
Board Member, Netflix

Julietta Dexter, PNT’20
Co-Founder and Chief Growth and Purpose Officer at Science Magic Inc.

Cathy Papoulias-Sakellaris
Member, Board of Trustees of Leadership 100

Cheryl Kaplan
President at M.Gemi

Jean Kovacs, CPS'83
Partner and co-founder of Hillsven
AMPLIFY OUR IMPACT
QUESTIONS?
Contact:
Betsy Ludwig
Executive Director of Women’s Entrepreneurship
b.ludwig@northeastern.edu