From an early age, female founder Harmony Vallejo was driven by her passion for creating a better future for the world. She has a background in communications and marketing that spans over many years and which led her to establish her own company – Universal Events Inc. The company’s mission is to empower nonprofits and ethical businesses to serve their communities.
In order to achieve this goal, Harmony leads a passionate team of professionals who handle social media, communications, copywriting, accounting, and administration – all of whom work together in a collaborative environment.
Harmony earned her bachelor’s degree in communications from Youngstown State University, where she was also involved with the school newspaper and played varsity volleyball. In this interview, we’ll explore who Harmony is and her journey from communications to becoming a female founder and CEO.
What made you decide to become an entrepreneur?
Harmony Vallejo: Part of it is wanting to have the ability to help others while filing a gap in the market. Many nonprofits don’t have the expertise to really build a brand image and marketing campaign. Many are working with hopeful, kind volunteers who may not have the know-how to make them stand out from other organizations. It isn’t their fault, of course, but that’s why I developed Universal Events Inc. Our team has the experience to provide truly useful support to nonprofits. We can take on the tasks that are likely being delegated to a small (and possibly overwhelmed) team who could really use the help. That’s our purpose at the end of the day. For me, creating a company to serve those needs simply made sense. This is something I’ve been passionate about for a very long time. Besides, who doesn’t want to be their own boss?
What challenges do you feel you’ve faced (if any) being a female entrepreneur?
Harmony Vallejo: That’s a fair question. Luckily, I’m in an industry that is very diverse and filled with some of the most empathetic people you’d meet, many of whom work closely with minority groups, so I haven’t had too many instances of direct discrimination. However, I do believe that female entrepreneurs often feel they have to prove themselves in comparison to their male counterparts because there’s a misconception that women aren’t “natural born leaders.” The truth is that leadership isn’t something you’re necessarily born with, it’s a collection of experiences and skills that you’ve learned over time to become an excellent leader, through hard work and hardships. Women face a lot of difficulties in life that men will likely never experience, so you could argue that we’re sometimes better equipped to work in certain leadership roles. I think I’m perfectly suited to my current role.
Where do you draw inspiration from?
Harmony Vallejo: I draw most of my inspiration from the wonderful leaders that I work with who lead these nonprofit organizations. They are some of the most incredible people that I’ve personally ever met. They really inspire me to keep moving forward with my ambitions and they inspire me even more to be the best version of myself I can be. When you get to interact with people who care for the wellbeing of others, it really opens your eyes to what’s truly important in life.
