PROVIDENCE – Cortney Nicolato, CEO and president of United Way Rhode Island Inc., has been selected by Providence Business News as this year’s Career Achievement winner in the 2026 Business Women Awards program, headlining a group of 32 top local businesswomen to be honored by the publication.
The annual program recognizes leading women in various business, government and nonprofit sectors and their work for their respective organizations. Nicolato and this year’s Outstanding Mentor, Sharlyn Martinez, CEO and founder of Sincere Multiservice Inc., are among 20 industry leaders and women to watch, along with 12 achievement honorees, unveiled on Friday.
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The honorees will be recognized on May 21 during a lunchtime ceremony at noon at the Providence Marriott Downtown for their work in their respective organizations. Tickets for the event can be purchased at PBN.com. A special section highlighting each honoree will be published as part of PBN’s May 22–June 5 print and digital editions.
Career Achievement: Cortney Nicolato
Nicolato has 25 years of experience leading complex, mission-driven organizations through growth, modernization and measurable impact. As an executive, she focuses on board governance, multi-site operations, enterprise strategy and large-scale fundraising. Nicolato has served as United Way Rhode Island’s CEO and president since 2018, overseeing operations at one of the organization’s highest performing members of its 970-member global network. In addition to modernization efforts, her tenure has seen increased collaboration with other area nonprofits through founding the Alliance for Nonprofit Impact and the launch of 401Gives, an annual fundraiser that has generated $20 million for more than 900 nonprofits in the state.
Outstanding Mentor: Sharlyn Martinez
In 2022, Martinez launched a nonprofit organization focused on financial literacy and economic mobility. Through this expansion, she formalized and scaled her signature Smart Money Moves Program, a structured initiative designed to equip individuals with practical tools in budgeting, credit building, debt reduction, savings strategies and financial goal setting. Through individualized coaching, structured programming and measurable outcomes, Martinez has built a mentorship model that not only educates but equips women to lead, build and sustain economic independence.
Along with Nicolato and Martinez, the other 2026 PBN Business Awards honorees are:
Creative Services Industry Leader
Kelly Taylor, Kelly Taylor Interior Design principal and creative director
Creatives services Women to Watch
Rachel Ajaj, Air & Anchor co-founder
Education Women to Watch
Abby Benson, University of Rhode Island vice president of administration and finance
Education Industry Leader
Laura Baldwin, Roger Williams University chief marketing officer
Financial Services Industry Leader
Meg Sisco, Westerly Community Credit Union chief experience officer
Financial Services Women to Watch
Stephanie Mansour, Withum senior manager
Government/Quasi-Government Women to Watch
Lilia Holt, Rhode Island Life Science Hub interim president
Government/Quasi-Government Industry Leader
Laurie Horridge, Narragansett Bay Commission executive director
Health Care Services, Industry Leader
Diana Franchitto, HopeHealth CEO and president
Health Care Services Woman to Watch
Amy Albert, Rhode Island Free Clinic deputy director
Professional Services Industry Leader
Robin Main, Hinckley Allen partner
Professional Services Woman to Watch
Liz Catucci, Partnership for Rhode Island executive director
Real Estate Industry Leader
Joy Riley, Westcott Properties president and principal broker
Real Estate Woman to Watch
Christina Rouse, Sweeney Real Estate & Appraisal director of marketing and operations
Social Services/Nonprofit Industry Leader
Crossroads RI, Michelle Wilcox CEO
Social Services/Nonprofit Woman to Watch
Jenny Hoffman, New England Medical Innovation Center doctor
Technical Services Industry Leader
Linda Linphanit, AstroNova Inc. vice president of operations and global quality
Technical Services Woman to Watch
Heather Shanks, Pare Corporation senior project engineer
The 2026 Achievement Honorees are (listed alphabetically):
- Olivia Beauregard, Beauregard Built
- Erica Davies, The Well Traveled Soul
- Line Daems, Kreatelier LLC
- Lindsay Degen, The Knit Club
- Cheryl DiGennaro, Newport Yacht & Home Interiors
- Elaine Felag, Boutique Feminine Fancies
- Patricia Lyons-Bousquet, CompLyonsHR Consulting
- Lori Manni, Capital City Construction and Management
- Sascha Roberts, Honey Buns Social
- Marsha Thayer, Keeping The Books
- Katy Westcott, Katrinkles
- Rebecca Zhukov, Blackstone River Glass Center
Cross Insurance and Amgen are the sponsors for PBN’s 2026 Business Women Awards program.
(UPDATE: Adds Line Daems as achievement honoree.)
Veer Mudambi is the special projects editor for the Providence Business News. He can be reached at mudambi@pbn.com.
