Pilar Castro Di Carlo, founder and CEO of More Canvas Consulting (MCC), has been named a 2026 NJBIZ Leading Women in Business honoree. The award was presented at a ceremony held on August 18, 2026, at The Palace in Somerset Park, Somerset, N.J. This recognition underscores Di Carlo's significant contributions to the business community and her role in helping organizations across the Northeast achieve strategic growth.
Castro Di Carlo founded More Canvas in 2014 with a clear premise: innovators with purpose deserve practical support so they can focus on what they do best. The initial mission was to assist creatives in navigating administrative and communications work that often distracts from their craft. Rooted in New Jersey's arts scene, the consultancy has grown over twelve years from providing practical help to artists and arts organizations into a multifaceted firm with three practice areas: Consulting, Creative, and Coaching.
Today, More Canvas partners with healthcare systems, nonprofits, Ivy League institutions, physician-owned practices, and small businesses across the Northeast. The firm's consulting practice helps growing organizations build the strategy, operations, and communications infrastructure needed to scale with clarity. The creative practice offers design and branding services, while the coaching practice, formally launched in early 2026, reflects an approach that had been part of the firm's client work for years. Castro Di Carlo completed a Certificate in Professional Coaching from NYU SPS, an ICF-aligned credential, to formalize this offering.
More Canvas is a WBENC-certified Women's Business Enterprise and currently operates with an all-women team. Castro Di Carlo emphasizes that the recognition is not solely hers: "This kind of recognition rarely reflects one person's work alone. It belongs just as much to the clients and collaborators who've trusted our team to help them navigate change over the years."
Client testimonials highlight the firm's effectiveness. The Chief Operating Officer at a National Healthcare Network noted, "Collaborating with More Canvas has been a pleasure. When implementing a complex initiative — especially one involving multiple departments and stakeholders — More Canvas was exceptional at organizing and synthesizing everyone's input into a clear, logical, and actionable framework."
Castro Di Carlo's background is as diverse as her client base. She holds an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, an MFA from NYU Tisch School of the Arts, and a BA cum laude from Princeton University. Her involvement extends beyond her consultancy: she serves on the board of the United Way of Greater Mercer County and is a founding board member of Princeton Arts Alumni. She also mentors founders through Princeton University's Entrepreneurship Council START program and E-Club Mentorship program, and speaks at institutions including The Wharton School on creativity in business and human-centered leadership.
The NJBIZ Leading Women in Business award recognizes female executives who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and contributions to their industries and communities. Castro Di Carlo's inclusion in the 2026 class not only celebrates her achievements but also highlights the growing impact of women-led businesses in New Jersey's economic landscape. As More Canvas continues to expand its services and client base, this recognition serves as a testament to the firm's commitment to helping purpose-driven organizations thrive.
