Holly Jooyoung Diamond

Holly is the Founder and CEO of WorkOnward, a map-based hiring platform dedicated to connecting local employers with hourly workers, making the hiring process more accessible, efficient, and inclusive. A first-generation immigrant and self-taught entrepreneur, Holly’s passion for solving workforce challenges stems from her personal and professional experiences navigating the hiring process as both a recruiter and a job seeker. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Holly and her family opened Mr. Mista Oh, a Korean restaurant in Manhattan’s Flatiron district. Despite her decade of professional experience in recruiting and her formal education, staffing the restaurant proved to be a persistent challenge. After testing numerous hiring platforms and services with limited success, Holly recognized a widespread labor market inefficiency affecting both small business owners and hourly workers. Determined to create a better solution, she bootstrapped WorkOnward from the ground up, building a platform that simplifies hiring while prioritizing people over resumes.