Merry Korn recognized by Smart Business Columbus as a top executive leading one of Central Ohio’s smartest organizations
Founded as an enterprise that blends a for-profit business with a social mission to provide work opportunities for challenged populations, Pearl Interactive Network (Pearl) has been named one of the region’s leading smart organizations by Smart Business Columbus. Pearl CEO Merry Korn will be recognized as one of the area’s top leaders as a Smart 50 Award honoree. The awards recognize executives for their ability to effectively build and lead successful organizations.
Pearl is a social enterprise that delivers program management and contact center services, with a workforce comprised of disabled veterans, veterans, military spouses, individuals with disabilities, and people living in geographically-challenged areas. The company focuses on fulfilling the employee sourcing needs of the federal government and more recently the insurance industry.
“Our unique workforce is what sets Pearl apart from other companies,” said Korn. “We give hiring priority to highly skilled and talented veterans, and by the very nature of their military background we feel that we offer employers leadership and maturity, resilience and perseverance. Pearl’s inclusion in the Smart 50 list validates our commitment to providing opportunities for this niche labor pool, and also gives our clients and partners a way to meet social and compliance goals.”
The Smart Business judging panel assessed Pearl and Korn in areas such as innovation, impact, growth, expansion, talent management, and differentiators. Korn was inspired to start her company as a way to combine her passion for business with a social mission. What is incredibly “smart” is how she has positioned Pearl to meet those objectives.
All 50 winners were honored on October 28 at The Hyatt Regency in Downtown Columbus.