UNIONDALE, NY / ACCESS Newswire / January 6, 2026 / Marquis Who's Who honors Harmony Vallejo for her twenty-five years of expertise in community outreach. During that time, Ms. Vallejo has built national organizations, helped small nonprofits scale nationwide, and developed a framework for future entrepreneurs in this space. Ms. Vallejo is the chief executive officer of Universal Events, an organization that collaborates with nonprofits and fundraisers to manage administrative, product and marketing efforts.

Purpose-Driven Leadership Rooted in Experience

Ms. Vallejo's leadership philosophy is deeply shaped by her early life experiences. She spent the early part of her childhood in Ohio. Living there was difficult, as she was constantly moving, changing schools, and coping with the impact of substance abuse within her family.

Fortunately, Ms. Vallejo's grandmother, Betty Jane Creedon, who lived in California, recognized the situation, took early retirement in her late 60s, relocated to Ohio, and assumed custody of Ms. Vallejo and her brother. Her grandmother's actions changed the course of Ms. Vallejo's life. She gained a stable role model, was hardworking, loved life, loved people and stubbornly refused to accept less. Her grandmother also encouraged her to volunteer at a developmental center, sparking Ms. Vallejo's lifelong appreciation for charitable work.

Academically and athletically accomplished, Ms. Vallejo earned a Division I volleyball scholarship to Youngstown State University, where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications. This education helped lay the foundation for the work she would later pursue at Universal Events. Throughout her academic career, her grandmother attended all of her college games. "The way she showed up for me is the way I want to show up for others," Ms. Vallejo says. "She showed me what a work ethic can look like. I want to be the leader on the front lines, going to battle for my team and giving them the same opportunity and hope she gave me."

Entrepreneurship and Building Scalable Impact

Ms. Vallejo began her career as a marketing representative, working in sales and gaining additional experience in radio and television. In 2014, she founded Universal Events, merging her lifelong passion for charitable causes with entrepreneurship. Her vision was to create a transparent organization built on compliance, accountability, and results. At Universal Events, she specializes in advisory and counsel work for both charitable organizations and fundraising groups, including hosting leadership summits focused on entrepreneurship and fostering long-term donor trust.

Ms. Vallejo leveraged this framework to address a persistent challenge in the fundraising and charitable sectors: helping smaller charities scale effectively. She has worked with organizations as they grew from operating in a single state to achieving a national presence, assisting them in building recognition among their peers and coordinating their efforts more strategically. Universal's model serves underserved charities by connecting them with the resources needed to succeed.

Building Systems for the Future

At Universal Events, Ms. Vallejo is building a company centered on compliant, ethical, and sustainable fundraising operations. She focuses on developing leaders-not just campaigns-by empowering individuals to thrive in their roles while contributing to mission-driven work.

Ms. Vallejo serves as a coach and mentor to many of her employees, taking calls, visiting offices, and demonstrating what can be accomplished through hard work and accountability. At Universal Events, she has created an environment where individuals with the drive to succeed can build meaningful careers.

"I feel that I am here as a lighthouse-to shine light on as many people as possible and to leave this place better than I found it," Ms. Vallejo says. "I want to offer exceptional services to fundraisers and nonprofits while creating jobs and opportunities for as many people as I can."

Universal Events plans to expand into all fifty states while adding three new divisions within the company to create greater opportunities for underserved charities and emerging entrepreneurs, growing for impact. For her accomplishments, Ms. Vallejo was honored with inclusion in Marquis Who's Who in September 2025.

About Marquis Who's Who^®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America^®, Marquis Who's Who^® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who's Who in America^® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms worldwide. The suite of Marquis^® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who^® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.

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SOURCE: Marquis Who's Who