Jeanetta Darno: Impact in Action
She’s lived in four countries, 14 states, and carries a passport full of stamps. But Jeanetta Darno doesn’t just visit places — she dives in, immersing herself in cultures and building lasting connections. That same instinct drives her 21-year consulting firm, Strategic HR Advisors, and now fuels her passion for Cincinnati’s nonprofit world through Impact 100 and beyond.
“I’ve discovered organizations I never knew existed,” Jeanetta says. “Hearing their stories and feeling their passion is moving and inspiring.” Soon after she landed in Cincinnati four years ago, a colleague introduced her to Impact 100, and she immediately saw values that mirrored her own. “There’s power in people coming together,” she says. “The more you can do, the more we can do, collectively together.”
That belief in collective strength isn’t just how Jeanetta approaches philanthropy — it’s the throughline of her career and life. Her mantra: bold growth, inside and out. Clarity. Courage. Connection. It’s also the foundation of The Breakthrough Collective™, the leadership platform she founded to spark transformation in individuals, organizations and communities.
Connection is a Calling
Jeanetta has lived those values at every step, earning degrees in Political Science and Government, an MBA from The Ohio State University, and a PhD in Organization Development from Benedictine University. For more than 30 years, she’s led as an HR executive in corporate and academic settings — and as an Army logistics officer who served in the Middle East, Korea and Egypt.
Working far and wide, and always with authenticity, Jeanetta has pursued one mission: to ignite change by curating experiences that reshape how leaders lead, how teams unite and how cultures thrive.
“I love to empower people and help them connect,” she says. That shows up everywhere in her life — from dinners with friends to staging large “parties with a purpose.”
A Lifelong Explorer and Visionary
This September, Jeanetta’s vision came alive at her company’s first-ever Breakthrough Collective™ Summit — part of The Breakthrough Collective™, a platform she designed to help people reset, reconnect and reimagine what’s possible. It was a sell-out.
It was also a reminder that real progress begins with transformation — a principle at the core of her business, and Impact 100. “Impact 100 is a powerful chain,” Jeanetta says, “linking women through friendship and giving back.”
That same spirit of shapes her travels. “I consider myself a lifelong learner,” she says. “When I travel, I dig deep into history, culture, museums and, of course, the food.” Her recent trip to Denmark offered all three, plus, “the very best croissant!” She admired the country’s sustainability practices and its devotion to community, connection and humanity, too. Impact — and Impact 100 — again.
Through it all, Jeanetta is rarely without Godiva, her lovable 120-pound Cane Corso, an Italian breed of mastiff. She also knows how to savor life, especially with a perfectly made Old Fashioned in hand.
That Transformational Chain
Her advice to members new and old: “Be as involved as you can. Leverage your talents. See the real power grants have to transform lives.” And in that work, she reminds us — transformation doesn’t stop with others. It reaches us all.
For her, Impact 100 is another powerful space — proof that when women come together, transformation multiplies.
