Laura McHolm

Co-Founder & Marketing Director NorthStar Moving Company

One of the few women at the helm of a moving company, Laura McHolm’s NorthStar Moving is the go-to mover for A-List celebrities, The Getty and other movers and shakers. She has single-handedly crushed the dim view consumers once held about the moving industry. McHolm coined the phrase “eco-luxury moving services” and is changing the way people move by offering the red carpet treatment. Honored with more awards for service than any other moving company, she is breaking the long-held notion of moving and storage as burly men doing one job.

McHolm began university at the age of 16. After graduating from the University of California at Berkeley, she taught basic programming on Apple computers, then worked in marketing for Atari while the company was still in its infancy, and after law school worked as a corporate intellectual property lawyer. In the mid- 1990s, she moved away from the Fortune 500 to fulfill her more creative, entrepreneurial spirit and co-founded NorthStar Moving Company in Los Angeles.

McHolm firmly believes that running a moving business means a lot more than lifting things – it’s about lifting up the community. She has built a company upon a sincere dedication to meeting the highest standards for service and integrity in her relationships with customers, employees and the community at large.

NorthStar Moving contributes time, services and financial support to over two dozen community-focused charities and socially conscious organizations including Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, E-Cycle Environmental, Global Green USA, Goodwill of Southern California, Habitat for Humanity, Lou Parker Project, Make-A-Wish LA and the Women In Green Forum.

An example of McHolm and her company’s philanthropic focus is the work done with the nonprofit organization Miry’s List, which crowdsources supply requests for vetted refugee families. The supplies help refugees rebuild their lives as they settle in the United States. She and her team at NorthStar Moving provide free services to store essential household items and deliver them to the new homes of the resettling families.

FINALISTS | ENTREPRENEUR OFTHE YEAR: MIDSIZE TO LARGE COMPANY

Co-Founder & CEO Origin

Carine Carmy co-founded Origin to solve a silent problem that impacts millions of women every year. Today, one in three adult women suffer from sexual health issues and related full-body pain, including incontinence, painful sex, prolapse, hip and back pain, and more. Origin is a company founded by women for women and is spreading awareness while revolutionizing the way we treat the female body and vaginal anatomy. The company has quickly grown into the leading national provider of pelvic floor and whole-body physical therapy and aims to change the standard of care for women across the country.

CEO & Founder MaryRuth’s LLC

MaryRuth Ghiyam is a certified health educator, culinary chef and nutritional consultant. Most notably, she is the founder, owner and CEO of MaryRuth’s, a billion-dollar health and wellness company that was named one of the fastest-growing companies on the Inc. 500 list in 2022. She started her company in 2013 and grew it to over $100 million in revenue with no outside funding. MaryRuth’s now has more than 130 employees and more than 150 products, as well as a very high retention rate of over 90%. Ghiyam believes in company culture and sends out anonymoust culture surveys yearly.

President & CEO Intertrend Communications, Inc.

Julia Y.C. Huang, founder and CEO of Intertrend Communications, brings over 35 years of experience as a leading voice in Asian culture, both as the leader of her own creative agency, founder of numerous entrepreneurial ventures, promoter of cultural and artistic events and initiatives, a speaker and recognized voice in the communication industry and a committed contributor to numerous nonprofit associations. She has forged a path based on a unique ability to leverage deep cultural sensitivity and insight, combined with a passion for entrepreneurship and a desire to leave a lasting, positive impact on society.

Co-Founder & EVP AmaWaterways

Kristin Karst co-founded a river cruise line, Amadeus, which would later become known as AmaWaterways. She and her co-founders’ shared vision was to invite guests to discover the spectacular scenery and enchanting towns along the world’s most iconic rivers in a style that was luxurious yet warm and friendly, provide excellent food and wine and unparalleled service. Through her leadership skills, entrepreneurial spirit and passion for innovation, she successfully shapes the products and services of the company.