Private Equity Women Investor Network (PEWIN) Foundation Announces 2026 Brilliance Awards Recipients
Private Equity Women Investor Network (PEWIN) Foundation Announces 2026 Brilliance Awards Recipients
Industry Leaders to Be Honored for their Contributions to Advancing Women in the Private Markets
New York – June 25, 2026 – The PEWIN Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Private Equity Women Investor Network, today announced its 2026 Brilliance Award recipients.
The awards, which recognize enduring commitment and extraordinary leadership in advancing women in private markets, will be presented at the Brilliance Soirée in New York City on September 23, 2026, bringing together an expanded community of leading investors, industry advocates, PEWIN members, allies, friends, and family to honor exceptional achievement and lasting impact.
“Brilliance deserves a spotlight and celebrating extraordinary leaders is one of our organization’s greatest privileges,” said Kelly Williams, Chair of the PEWIN Foundation. “These honorees are not only shaping the future of private markets—they are raising the bar for our industry and expanding opportunities for women to lead and succeed. The Brilliance Awards recognize outsized impact, and it has become a powerful platform for shining a light on excellence. We are excited to gather with our broader community in New York and give these leaders the recognition they so richly deserve.”
The awards include the North Star Lifetime Achievement Award, the Torch Bearer Mentorship Award, the Ignite Benefactor Award, the Beacon Advocacy Award, the Ember Advancing Organization Award, and the PEWIN Hearth Award.
North Star Lifetime Achievement Award
Jeri Harman
Founder & Chairman, Avante Capital Partners
Jeri Harman is recognized for more than three decades of leadership and unwavering commitment to advancing women in private markets. In 2009, she founded Avante Capital Partners and grew it into one of the largest women- and minority-owned private credit firms in the country, with $1.5 billion in assets under management today. Jeri has moved women into partner and investment-committee seats, onto boards, and built the mentorship networks that a generation now credits for their rise. As a role model, a founder, investor, executive, and champion of the next generation, she didn’t just succeed in the system, she built a new one that has helped shape a more inclusive and supportive private markets industry.
Torch Bearer Mentorship Award
Pamela Hendrickson
Senior Advisor, Riverside Company, & Board Chair, American Investment Council
Pamela Hendrickson is honored for her extraordinary commitment to mentoring and elevating women leaders in private markets. As an influential leader at both The Riverside Company and the American Investment Council, she helped bring opportunities for women to life through impactful policies, programs, and initiatives. Equally important, Pam has given tirelessly and generously of her time to support rising stars across the industry, serving as a trusted advisor, advocate, and role model whose influence continues to shape future generations of leadership.
Ignite Benefactor Award
Courtney McCrea & Sara Zulkosky
Co-Founders, Recast Capital
Courtney McCrea and Sara Zulkosky are recognized for transforming the landscape of support for women-led investment firms. Through Recast Capital and its innovative programs, they brought to life a bold vision that has become a model for General Partner support, creating a thriving community that helps its participants access capital, build networks, and scale successful firms. Courtney and Sara’s leadership has not only expanded opportunities for individual firms but has also strengthened the broader venture capital ecosystem for emerging managers and entrepreneurs.
Beacon Advocacy Award
Oriana Papin-Zoghbi & Anna Jeter
Co-Founders, AOA Dx
Oriana Papin-Zoghbi and Anna Jeter are honored for advancing women’s causes through groundbreaking research and thought leadership focused on women’s health innovation. Their influential study, Follow the Exits: Why Women’s Health Is a Smart Bet in Healthcare—the first comprehensive analysis of realized exit outcomes across women’s health over the past 25 years—is changing the narrative around investment in women’s healthcare and demonstrating the sector’s significant potential. Through research, advocacy, and public engagement, they are helping drive greater attention, investment, and innovation in women’s health.
Ember Advancing Organization Award
New York State Common Retirement Fund
The New York State Common Retirement Fund is recognized for its longstanding commitment to advancing inclusion and opportunity within private markets. Through its pioneering Emerging Manager Program and sustained support of diverse and women-led investment managers, the Fund has become a leading advocate for expanding access to capital and opportunity. Its consistent, visible commitment to emerging managers has served as a shining light for fund managers of all sizes and a powerful example of how institutional investors can foster greater representation and advancement across the industry.
PEWIN Hearth Award
Nina Lesavoy
Founder & Managing Director, Avec Capital
Presented on behalf of both PEWIN and the PEWIN Foundation, the Hearth Award recognizes an individual who serves as the heart of our community. Through exceptional kindness, generosity, and a gift for bringing people together, Nina Lesavoy has created a sense of belonging that extends far beyond her own work. A veteran fundraiser with more than 35 years in the institutional investment management business, she is a trusted connector, fostering relationships, strengthening collaboration, and ensuring others feel seen, supported, and included. Her lasting contribution is a stronger, more connected community because of the warmth she shares and relationships she nurtures.
About the PEWIN Foundation
The PEWIN Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Private Equity Women Investor Network (PEWIN), the preeminent global organization for senior women leaders in private markets. Established in 2022, the organization supports programs focused on research and innovation, community building, and access to resources and opportunities that propel women’s leadership and success in financial services. Learn more at pewin.org/initiative/foundation/