Moxie Awards

Recognizing Leadership & Impact in Gwinnett Business

The Moxie Awards celebrate the women who are driving innovation, leadership, and community impact across Gwinnett and metro Atlanta. This signature event features a dynamic keynote address and the presentation of the Moxie Awards, honoring outstanding professionals and organizations that are truly making it happen.

  • August 12, 2026
  • 10:00 a.m.
  • Gas South District
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Award Categories

Enlightened Employer Award

The Enlightened Employer award goes to a company that embodies a workplace culture of diversity and inclusion. This company is forward-thinking in its support for women employees while also encouraging gender diversity and equality.

2025 Winner: Spherion NE Atlanta
2024 Winner: Gas South

Greater Good Award

The Greater Good Award recognizes a woman championing her community. Her innovative ideas reach all members of her region and make her community an ideal place to live, work, and play.

2025 Winner: Linda Schoepf, Little Caesars
2024 Winner: Laura Ballance, Hudgens Center for Arts & Learning

Influence Award

This recognition goes to a true trailblazer. She is recognized as a leader who is paving the way for other women in a field that is traditionally male-dominated.

2025 Winner: Carla Carraway, Precision Planning
2024 Winner: Maureen Kornowa, Home of Hope at Gwinnett Children’s Shelter

On the Rise Award

This young professional is a force to be reckoned with. She is innovative, community-focused, and goes beyond her call to action.

2025 Winner: Billqeece Naqawe, City of Suwanee
2024 Winner: Leslie Clark, Amazon

Outstanding Organization Award

This award recognizes a successful women-owned or women-led business. It exhibits excellence and sets the standard high.

2025 Winner: About Face Skin Care
2024 Winner: ARK Temporary Staffing

Pay it Forward Award

This honor pays tribute to an individual who is generous with her time, talent, or resources. Our community is a better place because of her contributions and efforts to helping others.

2025 Winner: Joy Monroe, Single Parent Alliance Resource Center
2024 Winner: Tami Wilder, Positive Impact International

Moxie Award

This lady leader is an inspiration to many. She makes an extraordinary impact on her professional career and the values of her workplace.

2025 Winner: Audra Cunningham, T. Dallas Smith & Co.
2024 Winner: Allona Lane Cross, Georgia Commission on Equal Opportunity

2026 Sponsors

Presenting Sponsor

Leading Sponsor

Principal Sponsors

Corporate Sponsors

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I nominate an individual or organization?

Click here to check out the different award categories.

Anyone! You can even nominate yourself.

Yes! You will need to submit a separate nomination for each award category.

Yes, they are.

May 1, 2026

Yes, each nominee will be contacted and asked to complete a brief application. If a nominee is nominated for more than one category, he/she will be asked to complete more than one application.

When is the application deadline?

May 22, 2026

A confidential selection committee reviews and scores it. All finalists will be notified.

No, one nomination is sufficient. Scoring is based on the application solely, not on the number of nominations.

Scoring criteria directly aligns with the questions on the application.

For Details and Questions

Contact Maggie Toburen

Sr. Manager, Programs & Events

770-232-8805

Pictures, Past Winners & More

August 13, 2025

Gwinnett Chamber Honors Women in Business at Annual Moxie Awards

August 30, 2024

Gwinnett Chamber Announces Seven Moxie Award Winners

August 25, 2023

Gwinnett Chamber Names Seven 2023 Moxie Award Winners

September 9, 2022

2022 Moxie Awards Photos

August 31, 2022

Gwinnett Chamber Names Seven 2022 Moxie Award Winners

August 18, 2022

5 Traits that Great Leaders Will Exhibit

Nominate a woman who has moxie for the Gwinnett Chamber Moxie Awards on August 12! Nominations are open through May 1.

Nominate
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Bárbara Rivera Holmes

Commissioner, Georgia Departmentof Labor

Bárbara Rivera Holmes was sworn in as the 11th Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Labor and the state’s first Latina constitutional officer on April 4, 2025, by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. The Georgia Department of Labor is pivotal to the state’s economic health, providing essential services such as unemployment insurance, job placement, and workforce development programs. These services are vital for supporting individuals and businesses, ensuring that Georgia’s labor market remains robust and competitive and that Georgia remains the No. 1 state for business.

Holmes’ extensive experience includes appointments by former Gov. Nathan Deal to the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, which oversees Georgia’s 26 public colleges and universities, and by former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan as co-chair of the Georgia Innovates Task Force, which helped design the state’s technology blueprint. Her contributions have been recognized with a Congressional Commendation from U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff and multiple accolades from the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Georgia Trend.

A former journalist, Holmes has earned awards for excellence in journalism from the Georgia Associated Press. She holds degrees in journalism and Spanish from Florida Southern College and studied at Estudio Sampere Internacional in Spain. A native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Holmes resides in Albany with her husband, David, and their daughter.

Allona Lane Cross

Executive Director, Georgia Commission on Equal Opportunity

Allona Lane Cross serves as Executive Director of the Georgia Commission on Equal Opportunity, appointed by Governor Brian P. Kemp in 2019. She leads the state agency charged with enforcing the Georgia Fair Employment Practices Act and the Georgia Fair Housing Law. Under her leadership, GCEO has expanded its impact, renewed its HUD partnership, and achieved the first-ever legislative amendments aligning state laws with federal standards.
A recognized public servant and subject matter expert in fair housing compliance, Allona has held several leadership roles at GCEO and engages in outreach at the local, state, and national levels to advance fair housing and equal opportunity. She also oversees her family’s 60-year-old real estate and development company in Mississippi.

She has championed innovation across the agency, leading the rollout of online complaint filing, remote notarization services, and website-integrated tools that have improved access and reduced barriers for citizens across Georgia—particularly in rural communities.

Her work has earned numerous accolades, including Georgia Trend’s 2024 “40 Under 40,” the Gwinnett Chamber’s Moxie Award, the University of Mississippi’s Top 40 Under 40, and the 2021 Metro Fair Housing Freedom Award. Allona is an alumna of Leadership Georgia’s Class of 2024 and Leadership Gwinnett’s Class of 2022, and she remains active in both networks while serving on several boards and councils throughout the state.

She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Mississippi and a master’s in public administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Allona lives in Grayson, Georgia, with her husband, Regis, their twin sons, and daughter.

Kim Hartsock

Office Managing Partner, Warren Averett

Warren Averett is committed to providing exceptional, one-on-one service to every client. In turn, clients know they can rely on WA for the highest caliber of cross-discipline support and balanced direction that will take their best options into account. As the Office Managing Partner of Warren Averett’s Atlanta office, Kim works to develop and execute a strategic plan to achieve growth for the Firm and its clients. Kim is proud to serve many clients, saving them time and cost by providing quality integrated, value-add solutions and providing connections that count.
Kim’s passion is working in the community. She invests much of her time by serving as Executive Board Member and Treasurer for the Gwinnett Chamber, Vice Chair of The Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia and Board Member for Leadership Gwinnett and the Georgia Southern University Foundation. She and her family are members and volunteers at Gwinnett Church and serve many other nonprofit organizations.

Kim is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), and a graduate of Georgia Southern University with a BBA in Accounting (2000) and a Masters in Accountancy (2001). She is a two time Titan100 Georgia award winner (2021 and 2022), was recognized by the Atlanta Business Chronicle in 2022 as “Most Admired CEO” and in the 2014 Atlanta Business Chronicle’s “40 Under 40” Class. Kim is a 2016 graduate of Leadership Atlanta and the Regional Leadership Institute and also a 2018 graduate of Leadership Gwinnett. She was the recipient of the Moxie Award in 2023 from the Gwinnett Chamber.

Kim’s proudest role is wife to Steven and mother to their three children. Together they own Socks’ Love Brands which includes Socks’ Love Barbecue in Cumming, along with Socks’ Love Rub Co. Socks’ is regularly recognized as one of the Best BBQ restaurants in Atlanta.