2021 Small Business & Economic Development Summit
Virtual Event - Friday, May 7, 2021
9 AM to 1:30 PM
The DC Chamber of Commerce Small Business & Economic Development Summit will convene leaders from across local & federal governments and the small business industry for a deep dive on the state and recovery of the District of Columbia’s small business industry and what the future vision, policy and programs for all businesses (Start-Up, Med-Large and Growth, and international during and future of Covid-19). We will explore how to open a business, access to capital -traditional and non-traditional- access to federal and local agencies, certifications with corporate America, federal and local government and networking and matchmaking (B2B).
The 2021 DC Chamber of Commerce Small Business Summit will address the most important challenges facing the District of Columbia’s small business community and also the opportunities for growth. The event will present three (3) panels and will have a networking/matchmaking throughout the event.
- Business Recovery: This panel is intended for all size businesses with the purpose of providing information about consequences and opportunities for re-opening under Covid-19, the expectations and progress at the local and federal levels, including equity, diversity and inclusion across the small business workforce and the impact and reality of incorporating technology and cyber security (hacking measures from basic to intermediate) within your business.
- Start and Fund Your Business: This panel is intended for businesses and individuals that are looking to start and fund their business. We will cover traditional and non-traditional lending, DC based collateral programs, how to do a business plan and types of businesses.
- Growing your Business: This panel is intended for businesses that are looking for growth opportunities, including International Trade and getting certified with local and federal government and corporate America.
Program Agenda:
9:00 am - 9:30 am
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Bank of America has named external affairs executive Lawrence (Larry) Di Rita as its market president for Greater Washington, D.C. Di Rita succeeds longtime market president, Jeff Wood, who has taken a new role as private wealth management mountain west regional managing director, based in Los Angeles.
As market president, Di Rita is responsible for connecting the banking and investment resources offered through the company’s eight lines of business to companies, families and individuals throughout Greater D.C. He also leads the effort to deploy Bank of America’s resources to address local social and economic concerns and build strong communities. Di Rita continues his leadership of the external affairs team for Bank of America.
Di Rita is a resident of Washington, D.C. and has lived and worked in the area for most of his professional life. He joined Bank of America in 2006 after a career in public service, including on Capitol Hill and in the Department of Defense in military and civilian assignments. He is a director of the Rumsfeld Foundation and of the U.S. Navy Memorial, and is on the board of advisors for the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). He previously was a director of the DC-College Access Program.
Jacquay Henderson is Founder and CEO of the award-winning technology consulting firm Square Peg Technologies. The firms core competencies are in Data Analytics, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence and technology design. They use the latest technologies to help the United States government Intelligence Community and Department of Defense in solving the nation’s most intriguing and challenging data issues pertaining to national security.
Jacquay is active in the business and technology communities and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the DC Chamber of Commerce, Co-Chair of the Small Business Advisory Council for the DC Chamber of Commerce, Contributing Member to Washington Business Journals Leadership Trust, Board of Advisors for the Industrial Engineering and Manufacturing Department at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council for the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, where he is guiding engineering research experiments and where he has dedicated his company resources to a joint venture with the College of Engineering and the National Science Foundation’s Technology Infusion Program (TIP) which is geared towards boosting enrollment and enhancing the experience of minority students at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. Lastly, he and his company are members of Department of Defense’s – Space Enterprise Consortium where they are prototyping and building the next generation of space technologies for NASA, Air Force and Space Force.
Jacquay holds a Bachelors and Masters in Industrial Engineering from Florida State University. He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), holds a certificate from the MIT Sloan School of Management in Artificial Intelligence, a certified Six Sigma Green Belt and was named Small Business Person of the Year in 2019 by the DC Chamber of Commerce.
Ryan Chaffo is a senior business banking relationship manager for the Personal and Business Banking team in the Washington, D.C. Regional Center. His primary responsibility is to grow City National Bank’s presence in the Greater D.C. market through client and talent acquisition, alongside a targeted marketing strategy.
With more than 14 years of experience in commercial and business banking for various organizations Mr. Chaffo joined the DC Regional team in 2017. Prior to joining City National, he was a vice president, business banking relationship manager for M&T Bank, where he worked in both the New York City and Maryland markets.
Mr. Chaffo serves as an Executive Committee Member on the Board of Directors of the DC Chamber of Commerce in Washington, DC. He is a resident of Annapolis, Maryland, where he lives with his wife and two children. Outside the office, he enjoys spending time with his family boating and fishing on the Chesapeake Bay.
Dr. Carolyn B. Rudd is founder, president, and CEO of CRP, Incorporated (CRP), a Washington, DC-based, multi-faceted professional services and management consulting firm established in 1988. Under the stewardship of Dr. Rudd, CRP has evolved into one of the leading small businesses in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, providing solutions in research, policy assessment and analysis, and program management and support services to federal agencies, the District of Columbia government, colleges and universities, and nonprofit organizations. CRP was recognized by the District of Columbia Chamber of Commerce as its “2017 Small Business of the Year” for its leadership in federal contracting in the District. In 2018, CRP was named one of the top 100 minority businesses in the DC metropolitan area.
A native of suburban Richmond, Virginia, Dr. Rudd received a bachelors and master’s degree from Virginia State University. Immediately upon obtaining her master’s degree, she matriculated at the College of William and Mary, the second oldest higher education institution in the United States. Dr. Rudd earned a doctorate degree in higher education and a minor in business before the age of 30 from William and Mary, and is believed to be the youngest African American to receive a doctorate from the institution.
Prior to starting CRP, Dr. Rudd served at three universities: 1) Virginia State University where she was director of a Job Corps Advanced Career Training Program, funded by the U.S. Department of Labor, and later a faculty member in the School of Business; 2) Bowie State University as director of alumni affairs and executive director of the Bowie State University Foundation; and 3) Howard University as interim director of the Office of Satellite Communications and project director of a HIV/AIDS project funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Rudd has demonstrated an unswerving commitment to providing employment opportunities for graduates of the University of the District of Columbia: a significant number of CRP’s full-time staff attended UDC. She has led CRP’s efforts as a charitable partner in the DC community by making philanthropic contributions to Howard University’s Sickle Cell Center, Howard University Hospital, and the following nonprofits: the Urban Alliance; Bright Beginnings; Crittenton Services of Greater Washington; Family Matters; the YWCA of Washington, DC; the Humanities Council of Washington, DC; the POSSE Foundation; and the Washington Area Women’s Foundation. As national president of the National Epicureans, Inc., Dr. Rudd was instrumental in establishing and actively supports a nationally endowed scholarship in education at Virginia Union University. Dr. Rudd has served as chair of the DC Commission for Women (appointed by Mayor Muriel Bowser) as well as on the boards of Family Matters of Greater Washington, the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, and Leadership Greater Washington. She is chair elect of the DC Chamber’s Board of Directors and Co-Chair of its Membership Committee. She is a life member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. Dr. Rudd is married and lives in Upper Northwest DC.
John Falcicchio serves as the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. Mr. Falcicchio has also served as the Mayor’s Chief of Staff since the start of her Administration after volunteering as a campaign advisor and director of Mayor-elect Bowser’s transition. Mr. Falcicchio previously served as a Senior Vice President of DKC, a New York based public relations firm; as a Regional Political Director for the Democratic National Committee during the re-election of President Obama; and as a long-time aide to former Mayor Adrian Fenty.
As Deputy Mayor, Mr. Falcicchio oversees the District’s portfolio of real estate development projects that drive economic development in communities and deliver affordable housing, jobs and amenities to residents. Those projects include the transformative developments at the St Elizabeth’s East Campus, the Parks at Walter Reed and Hill East as well as dozens of other projects across all eight Wards.
Kristi C. Whitfield is the Director of the DC Department of Small and Local Development (DSLBD), a government agency with a mission to support the development, economic growth, and retention of District-based businesses, and promote economic development throughout the District’s commercial corridors. This work allows the agency to connect District businesses in real-time with local, federal, and global business opportunities; help businesses navigate the government’s contracting and procurement landscape quickly, confidently, and effectively; and, propel every entrepreneur with a great idea and a comprehensive plan towards the capital to make it happen.
Born to activist parents, Mrs. Whitfield has never been afraid to have a voice and to use her unique voice to advocate on behalf of people often overlooked. As a product of a planned community, Mrs. Whitfield has experienced first-hand how, through structure and organization, equity and opportunity can be afforded to all. As Mrs. Whitfield regularly states, “Socio-economic status should never determine one’s access to opportunity.”
As a part of a hard-working family and entrepreneurial father, education has always been a pillar of Mrs. Whitfield’s family culture. Upon this strong home foundation, Mrs. Whitfield motivated herself to the heights of academia. Mrs. Whitfield attended Swarthmore College where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology with a concentration in Black Studies, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) where she received a Master of City Planning degree with a focus in Housing and Community Development. As a result of Mrs. Whitfield’s relentless drive, she has placed no limitations to what she can do or will explore. Before being appointed by Mayor Bowser to lead DSLBD, Mrs. Whitfield garnered experience in various sectors from being Director of the Women’s Institute for Housing and Economic Development to a DC proud business owner of the nationally recognized “Curbside Cupcakes.” Or as Mrs. Whitfield would say it, “I went from consultant, to a baker, to a government director.”
Because of Mrs. Whitfield’s relentless pursuit to help move people up the economic ladder one way or another, she has unapologetically directed her team at DSLBD to develop and implement programs that do not just reach the mark but set all-new, long lasting standards for the way the District Government supports and promotes the small and local business community. Under Mrs. Whitfield’s leadership, DSLBD has:
• Achieved a record $890 million in DC Government spend with Small Business Enterprises (SBEs);
• Performed its first-ever unannounced spot checks of more than 1,600 active Certified Business Enterprises (CBEs);
• Started to explore ways to tighten the letter of the CBE law and close loopholes so that the CBE program aligns more closely with the spirit of helping genuine, local businesses;
• Helped subcontractors collect more than $1.8 million in late payments from primes;
• Levied and collected the largest amount of fines in the agency’s history from primes who failed to subcontract the required amount of work to qualified small businesses;
• Leveraged $200,000 in fines into more than 280 loans totaling $1.5 million which supported the creation and/or retention of over 375 jobs here in the District;
• Increased the amount of money going into the pockets of CBEs to the tune of a quarter billion dollars through waiver denials;
• Launched a first-of-its-kind Made in DC kiosk at Reagan National Airport in partnership with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority;
• Connected local businesses to more opportunities through DSLBD’s Procurement Technical Assistance Center division, which has helped local businesses secure $32.5 million in federal and local contract awards; and,
• Launched the DC Capital Connector, a free, online matchmaking tool that connects small businesses to Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) lenders and bonding agents with the push of a button.
When Mayor Bowser appointed Mrs. Whitfield, she knew that she was appointing a relentless advocate for the District small and local business community who would take on the challenge of identifying and implementing new ways to propel all District residents and businesses towards their fair shot to opportunities.
When Mrs. Whitfield is not in the office, she enjoys spending all her time with her husband, Sam, and their two boys.
Kenyan R. McDuffie, Councilmember for Ward 5, was first elected to the Council of the District of Columbia in a 2012 special election, and re-elected to full four-year terms in 2014 and again in 2018. Since 2013 he has served as the Chairman Pro Tempore of the Council.
Since 2017, Kenyan has served as the Chairperson of the Committee on Business and Economic Development where he has championed efforts to make the District’s economy more inclusive and support minority- and women-owned local businesses. Previously, Kenyan served as Chair of the Committee on the Judiciary, where he oversaw sweeping updates to the District’s criminal justice law. Kenyan successfully passed comprehensive juvenile justice reform and also passed the innovative Neighborhood Engagement Achieves Results Act (NEAR Act) which reforms the District’s criminal justice system by incorporating behavioral and mental health professionals to perform tasks that previously fell to law enforcement officers.
Prior to joining the Council, Kenyan worked extensively in the legal and public safety fields. Kenyan served as a trial attorney for the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. He has also worked as an Assistant State’s Attorney in Prince George’s County and as policy advisor to the District of Columbia’s Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice.
Kenyan graduated summa cum laude from Howard University and went on to receive his Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland School of Law. Nationally, Kenyan has been featured on NewsOne Now, MSNBC, and National Public Radio. Kenyan and his wife, Princess, live in his childhood home in Ward 5 with their two daughters, Kesi and Jozi.
Prior to joining the DC Chamber of Commerce as Interim President & CEO, Angela Franco was the Senior Advisor for Business Development at the DC Health Benefit Exchange Authority (DCHBX) where she is responsible for collaborating with the Hispanic and business communities as well as local and Federal Government.
Prior to joining DCHBX, Angela was the President and CEO of the Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (GWHCC) from 2009 to 2017. Under her leadership, the organization was strengthened and revitalized as evidenced by its dramatic membership growth from 60 members when she started to 670 members upon her departure. It also experienced a 500% increase in operating revenue during her eight years of service. She led the organization in regaining the trust of its members, partners and sponsors.
The Washington Business Journal ranks the GWHCC among the Top Five Chambers of Commerce in the DC Metro Region. Before Angela’s arrival, it had never even made the list. In 2015, the GWHCC was named Chamber of the Year by the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and in 2013, received that organization’s award as the best midsized Chamber in the nation.
While at GWHCC, Angela pioneered the development of successful membership programs. She promoted business-to-business networking and synergistic relationship building, created training programs for owners of startup enterprises, built a bridge between the DC Metro Region and Latin America, and appeared before numerous government agencies as an advocate for the interests of regional Hispanic and minority businesses. Because of her passion and commitment, more than 70% of the Chamber’s members have grown their businesses and increased their ROI.
9:30 am - 9:45 am
The Power of Small Business
Mary Abbajay, author of the award-winning, best-selling Managing Up: How to Move Up, Win at Work, and Succeed with Any Type of Boss is the president of Careerstone Group, LLC, a full service organizational and leadership development consultancy that delivers leading-edge talent and organizational development solutions to business and government. As a sought-after author, speaker, consultant, and trainer, Mary helps clients develop the strategies, skills and sensibilities needed for success in the 21st century. Her expertise lies in helping clients create dynamic and productive workplaces that foster professional and personal excellence and growth. Mary is a frequent expert contributor for television, radio and print publications where she provides practical leadership and career advice. In addition to her role as a Forbes.com contributor, her work and advice have appeared in the New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, Money Magazine, Monster, CNN, CBC, and the BBC.
In 2010, Mary was named as one of Washington Business Journal’s Women Who Mean Business and was a Smart CEO Brava Award recipient in 2017.
9:45 am - 10:00 am
Networking Session
10:00 am - 10:45 am
Business Recovery: Workshop A
Vandana Sinha is editor-in-chief for the Washington Business Journal, where she oversees the digital and print operations for the publication. She joined the newsroom in 2006 and had covered biotech, health and energy before moving into editing roles. Before the WBJ, Sinha was an associate editor at the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism at the American Press Institute, helping develop content for business journalism training programs around the country. She has worked at The Virginian-Pilot, the daily newspaper in Hampton Roads, as well as at technology publications formerly owned by The Washington Post Co.
Yesim Sayin Taylor is the founding Executive Director of the D.C. Policy Center.
With over ten years of public policy experience in the District, Yesim is recognized by policymakers and advocates as a source of reliable, balanced analyses on the District’s economy and demography.
Before joining the D.C. Policy Center, Yesim lead the team within the Office of the Chief Financial Officer that scored the fiscal impact of all legislation the District considered. She frequently testified on high profile legislation and worked closely with the executive and Council staff to ensure that policymakers fully understand the fiscal implications of their proposed legislation. She co-founded and blogged at District Measured and her work was highlighted in Washington Post, Washington Business Journal, City Paper, and the Governing Magazine, among others. Yesim also has worked in the private sector, and consulted with international organization on a large portfolio of public finance topics.
Yesim holds a Ph.D. in economics from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations from Bogazici University, located in Istanbul, Turkey.
Ola Sage is a serial entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of CyberRx, a cybersecurity risk and compliance company headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland. Prior to this position, Ms. Sage was Founder and CEO of a government focused Information Technology (IT) professional services company, for 18 years. CyberRx helps companies assess, mitigate, and manage their cybersecurity risks using a unique application of the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. CyberRx was recently approved by the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Accreditation Board as a Certified Third-Party Assessor Organization (C3PA0) pending Defense Industrial Base Cybersecurity Assessment Center (DIBCAC) authorization.
A champion and advocate for cybersecurity readiness, Ms. Sage has spent more than 20 years improving the cybersecurity readiness of small- and medium-sized businesses through engagement with CEOs, business groups, and Congress. Ms. Sage serves on the President’s National Infrastructure Advisory Council, which includes executive leaders from private industry and government who advise the White House on how to reduce physical and cyber risks and improve the security and resilience of the nation’s critical infrastructure sectors. Ms. Sage also serves on the nation’s first Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Supply Chain Risk Management Task Force, a public private partnership with the Department of Homeland Security.
Ms. Sage understand the daily challenges small business owners face. For many years, as a member of the nation’s largest CEO peer network organization, Vistage International, she gained the tools and resilience needed to be a successful business leader. Today, Ms. Sage is paying it forward and in addition to leading the growth of CyberRx, serves as a Vistage Chair and executive coach to more than a dozen growth minded CEOs in a wide variety of industries with revenues ranging from a few million to close to $100 million in annual revenues.
Sage holds the Federal Chief Information Officers (CIO) certificate, is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), and earned the Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC) certification through ISACA, an international association of IT professionals involved in information security, assurance, risk management, and governance. Sage holds a B.S. in Computer Information Systems, and a M.S. in Technology Management.
Awards
► 2017, Gold Stevie® Award, American Business Awards
► 2014, Montgomery County Maryland Business Hall of Fame Inductee
► 2013 Washington Business Journal Minority Business Leader Award
► 2013 George Mason University Top 20 Prominent Patriots
► 2012 Smart CEO Brava Women’s Leadership Award
► 2010 Women in Technology (WIT) Leadership Award
► Named as one of “25 Powerful Minority Women in Business” by the Minority Enterprise Executive Council
With nearly two decades of over 18 years’ experience in the financial services industry including working with Bank One (acquired by JPMorgan Chase) and AXA Equitable Financial Services, Sybongile Cook is the Director of Business Development and Strategy in the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning & Economic Development (DMPED).
Since 2009, Sybongile had held multiple roles within the Office of the Executive of the Mayor of the District of Columbia. Her leadership as a Program Director with the DC Department of Insurance, Banking, and Securities (DISB) expanded the District’s Bank on DC Program, a collaborative effort between the District, financial institutions and non-profits to provide financial education and access to financial services to the un/underbanked households in the D.C. Metro area. Through her service as a member of the Mayor’s Financial Literacy Council, Sybongile continues to support financial inclusion efforts through creative, innovative, and sustainable programs that promotes the financial health and well-being of District residents. Her work empowering youth and social service providers has been published in white papers with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and National League of Cities.
In addition, her efforts led to attaining the District’s first multi-year grant for the Department of Employment Services (DOES) – Marion S. Barry’s Summer Youth Employment Program, from the Cities Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE) to increase the administration’s focus on financial empowerment integration within youth workforce initiatives. Through her partnership with DOES and CFE, Sybongile created a youth peer-to-peer financial education model that has been replicated in St. Louis, Los Angeles, Houston, Miami, and Chicago.
For several years, Sybongile served as the Director of Great Streets and Retail at DMPED. Her work supported the catalytic development of commercial corridors and neighborhoods through the investment of $30 million of grants to small businesses, real estate development projects, and initiative to bring local grocers to food insecure communities. Prior to her returning to DMPED in her current role, Sybongile launched the Office of Talent & Client Services with the Department of Employment Services and served as the Associate Director.
Sybongile is currently licensed Life and Health Insurance broker in the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia and Texas. She has called the District home for the last 17 years and resides in Columbia Heights.
Vanessa Weatherington is an accomplished thought leader, policy and issues expert and process improvement specialist in the space of adult and youth workforce development with 10-plus years of experience. She has directly assisted some 200,000 aspirants, primarily youths, in growing academically and professionally. And her efforts have helped an immeasurable number of people step into and sustain themselves in the middle class.
Weatherington’s years-long management and leadership contributions helped the District’s Department of Employment Services (DOES) shed a federal label as a “high risk” workforce grant recipient. And her efforts led to Washington DC being listed in Forbes Magazine as the number one city in the United States for youth to hold summer jobs.
Weatherington currently serves as the Deputy Director for the Adult Workforce Bureau and Federal Programs at DOES. As a leader for the agency’s adult and dislocated WIOA programs, she is directly responsible for planning, organizing and ensuring full implementation of programs designed to provide comprehensive employment services to the public and to provide training information and referrals to District residents.
Weatherington has also helped an untold number of youth and adults achieve their professional goals. During her tenure at DOES, she has managed nearly 100 employees and contractors and maintained relationships with over 700 employers.
Weatherington’s educational background is in research, analysis, and project management. She holds a Master of Public Policy and Administration, Human Resources Management, from Bowie State University. And she earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, with a minor in Early Childhood Education, from Florida A&M University.
10:45 am - 11:00 am
Sponsor Ads & Announcements
11:00 am - 11:45 am
Start and Fund your Business: Workshop B
Karima M. Woods was appointed Acting Commissioner of the District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB) on January 21, 2020. The Council of the District of Columbia confirmed Woods as Commissioner on July 28, 2020. As Commissioner of the DISB, Woods is responsible for cultivating a regulatory environment that protects consumers and attracts and retains financial services firms to the District, empowering and educating residents on financial matters and providing financing for small businesses.
Woods previously served as the Director of Business Development and Strategy in the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED), where she provided strategic leadership, stakeholder engagement and global outreach to the business community. Ms. Woods has held several positions within DMPED, including Deputy Director of Business Development and International Business Manager, where she helped shape signature business development initiatives, attract foreign direct investment and establish new business relationships with international markets. Her leadership has led to the successful execution of the Mayor’s economic strategy and the District’s business attraction and retention efforts across key sectors. Her work has also contributed to several policy outcomes, including increased investment in underrepresented entrepreneurs to address the human, social and financial capital required to grow and expand. Ms. Woods has served on several boards and commissions, including the Mayor’s Innovation Technology Inclusion Council.
Woods holds a M.B.A. from George Washington University and B.A. in law and society from the University of California at Santa Barbara.
Vice President, Small Business Banker Consumer & Small Business Greater Washington DC
Pye Win is the Small Business Banker and Lender in Greater Washington DC team. He is responsible for managing and advising a portfolio of small business clients in the Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC markets, who are in various industries and revenues ranging from $500,000 to $10,000,000. Pye is also a subject matter expert for his team in Small Business Administration (SBA) Credit Solutions.
During his 11 year career with Bank of America, Pye has acquired a wealth of knowledge and experience from various lines of business including Retail & Small Business, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, and Private Bank. Pye has also held various leadership roles a cluster leader for the market as well.
Pye strives to consistently deliver for his small business clients by gaining a holistic understanding of their current situation and business priorities to help them overcome any challenges as well as helping them achieve both long term and short term goals. Pye works diligently with his clients in educating them on different ways they can manage cash flow, bank with convenience, focus on employees, and improve their business.
Aaron Fenwick serves DC Government as the Program Analyst for the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI). In this role, Mr. Fenwick oversees the DC BizCAP program where he assists entrepreneurs and small business owners access capital through partnerships with commercial lending institutions. Aaron has spent his career as an executive banking professional sharing his expertise to promote financial empowerment for his clients and partners alike. With over 18 years of experience in banking, client management, commercial credit, and project management; Aaron serves as a consultant to individuals and businesses, both start up sized and multi-million dollar in revenue in pursuit of their financial goals. During his tenure he has developed and implemented strategic initiates for both national and local sized organizations.
Previously, Aaron served as the Chairman of the Board for the Community Foundation of Southern Maryland which manages a multimillion-dollar fund with endowed and non-endowed assets used to promote the philanthropic interest of its local community. He served on the executive board of the Westlake Business Association advocating for local businesses in Waldorf, MD and worked with the Business Retention and Expansion Task Force in which he helped develop a program founded by the Charles County Economic Development Department to build a positive business environment for sustainable growth. Mr. Fenwick also partnered with the College of Southern Maryland for 3 years where he led courses on financial education for entrepreneurs looking to obtaining bank funding.
Mr. Fenwick has a passion for economic development and believes that successful economic growth stems from individuals giving their talents, time and resources to improve the communities in which they live, work and play.
Ernest Chrappah is an experienced government executive as well as a successful entrepreneur with a reputation for finding innovative solutions to complex challenges.
Chrappah was named by District Mayor Muriel Bowser on November 20, 2018 to serve as the interim Director of the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. Previously, he served as the Director for the Department of For-Hire Vehicles.
Chrappah also served as the Deputy Chief Information Officer for the Child and Family Services Agency where he implemented innovative technology solutions leveraging analytics, mobility, cloud, APIs, and user oriented design for an 800+ workforce to improve child welfare outcomes. In addition, he created an IT governance framework and project portfolio management system to enhance fiscal management, transparency and accountability.
From July 2012 to October 2013, Chrappah was the Chief of Operations for the DC Taxicab Commission. His responsibilities included supervising the strategic and operations management of industry reform initiatives and internal business process reengineering programs. He provided technical analysis and recommendations on matters of regulatory policy development with a focus on creating an enabling environment for innovation while balancing diverse competing interests. He directed a staff responsible for delivering account management services to over 200 customers a day. Among the projects he oversaw were the successful transition to a noncash payment system, the installation of the universal dome light, the implementation of the uniform color scheme, and an expansion of the wheelchair accessible taxi fleet. The career background of Chrappah also includes positions as the Director of Fiscal Management, Division of Transportation for the Office of the State Superintendent of Education; Program Analyst for the Executive Office of the Mayor for the District of Columbia; and IT Portfolio Manager with the Office of the Chief Technology for the Government of the District of Columbia. He also worked as an Associate Director for the Corporate Executive Board and was the co-founder of Hugh & Crye. Mr. Chrappah earned his MBA in Strategy & Marketing from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland and received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the American University. Personal interests include volunteering for charities, running, promoting fashion and contemporary African design, traveling, and entrepreneurship.
As Wacif’s CEO, Harold Pettigrew leads one of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area’s leading institutions focused on access to capital products and services, and capacity building technical assistance to low- and moderate-income entrepreneurs, women entrepreneurs, and entrepreneurs of color. Harold joined Wacif in 2016 after a distinguished career as an economic development professional with nearly 20 years of experience in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
Prior to joining Wacif, Harold was the Director of Entrepreneurship at Prosperity Now, where he led national efforts to advance policies and programs that increased business success for low-and moderate-income entrepreneurs throughout the country. From 2011 to 2013, Harold served as the fifth Director of Washington, D.C.’s Department of Small and Local Business Development where he led the agency through an aggressive expansion of small business financing and program services. Confirmed unanimously by the City Council, Harold served as the city’s chief small business advocate, advising the Mayor on all programs, policies, and issues related to or affecting the local business community, and led the city’s agency responsible for supporting the development, economic growth, and retention of small businesses. In this capacity, Harold negotiated over $300 million in small business participation goals on construction projects in the city and created the city’s first SBIR/STTR technology commercialization support initiative. Harold also developed and launched the city’s first export readiness and development program for small businesses, and led trade missions to Singapore, South Africa, and China to open international market opportunities for District-based small businesses.
From 2009 through 2011, Harold served as the city’s leading regulatory official for licensing and regulation as the Administrator for the Business and Professional Licensing Administration at the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA). As Administrator, Harold managed a $30 million operation with seven regulatory operating divisions responsible for issuing +70,000 business, professional, special events, and vending licenses; registering and maintaining +75,000 corporate entities; investigating unfair trade practices and unlicensed business activities; and inspecting +10,000 weighing and measuring devices used by businesses in the District. He also founded and successfully launched the city’s Small Business Resource Center (SBRC) and led the modernization of the city’s business licensing and registration processes with online systems and simplified regulatory frameworks.
Harold serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Enterprise Community Loan Fund, Common Future, and locally for the Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development (CNHED). In addition, Harold serves as a founding member of the Board of Directors for Entrepreneur Backed Asset (EBA) Fund, an innovative national initiative to increase liquidity and strengthen the capacity of from community-based financial institutions to expand lending to small businesses in low-income communities and those owned by people of color
Harold is a member of the Washington Business Journal Leadership Trust, and is a member of 2021 Leadership Greater Washington, 2017 OFN Opportunity Fellow, 2016 Common Future Local Economy Fellow, and 2015 Next City Vanguard. Harold has received numerous professional accolades including the 2021 Diversity in Business Award from the Washington Business Journal, 2016 Leadership Center for Excellence’s 40 Under Forty, 2016 NC State Alumni Association’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and Development Counsellors International’s inaugural 40 Under Forty in economic development 2013.
Harold has a Master of Urban Planning degree from New York University, and an undergraduate degree from NC State University, where he served as a member of the Board of Trustees.
11:45 am - 12:00 pm
Enhance Your Business with Sports Betting
Nicole Jordan has over twenty years of marketing and communications experience in corporate, nonprofit and consulting environments. Currently, she serves as the Director of Marketing and Communications for the District of Columbia’s Office of Lottery and Gaming where she oversees all marketing, communication and public relations. Her team generate over $400 million in sales annually which is used to fund the City’s social services programs. Nicole has been instrumental in the transformation of the DC Lottery and has led the efforts to bring GambetDC (DC Lottery’s SportsBooks) and iLottery to market.
Nicole began her career in the communications field as a television producer for various production companies including Discovery Communications and WEN production in the United Kingdom. In this role, she learned how to tell compelling stories that motivated people to action. She transitioned into marketing while promoting her independent short film and has had held marketing positions in corporate, nonprofit and consulting environments.
Nicole has a diverse background and has served in various capacities including as the Marketing Director for American University’s Washington Semester Program and marketing manager for a national real estate consulting agency. For more than 5 years, Nicole served as the senior communication and marketing manager at Fannie Mae where she was responsible for all corporate marketing initiatives including direct to consumer foreclosure prevention outreach. Nicole developed and implemented the Bringing Hope Home celebrity awareness campaign in 2008 which led to the creation of the Making Home Affordable marketing initiative. For more than three years, she led the consumer awareness campaign and was responsible for marketing consumer outreach efforts. Under Nicole’s leadership, the foreclosure prevention campaign held over 100 direct to consumer events and helped tens of thousands of families avoid foreclosure.
In 2011, Nicole saw an unmet need in distressed communities and developed the Know Your Options Awareness Campaign. This multi-million-dollar effort became Fannie Mae’s first national, multimedia campaign to reach delinquent and at-risk borrowers in the midst of the national foreclosure crisis. By weaving together, a powerful blend of industry, media and other partnerships, interactive online elements, social media, direct marketing, advertising and community engagement elements, Fannie Mae was able to reach into communities around the nation as never before.
Nicole also served as the Creative Director for United Way Worldwide. As the brand steward for the LIVE UNITED campaign, she developed and executed marketing and communication initiatives that drove social change throughout the world by activating individuals to give, advocate, and volunteer. Under Nicole’s leadership, the LIVE UNITED campaign transformed its core messaging and creative which resulted in increased adoption by United Way chapters and strategic partners.
As the Senior Vice President of Marketing, Communications and Public Relations for the Homeownership Preservation Foundation (HPF), an independent, national nonprofit dedicated to guiding consumers onto the path of sustainable homeownership and improving their overall financial health, Nicole was responsible developing and executing national communications and marketing strategies that advance HPF’s mission. Under her leadership, HPF was rebranded, developed marketing materials with unified messaging, launched a national PSA campaign in partnership with U.S. Department of Treasury, increased engagement with consumers, sustained call volumes to meet financial performance goals, and exceeded fundraising goals. In June of 2015, the Achieving the American Dream campaign was launched nationally
which included the development of a new hotline (844-995-HOME) and consumer website (www.995home.org). This project marked a milestone in HPF’s history as it transitions the organization
into a holistic housing counseling agency which provides financial education, pre-purchase housing counseling and foreclosure prevention services nationally.
Nicole has consulted with non-profit and government agencies throughout the Washington DC Metro Area including Nexus Health, Prince George’s County Department of Social Services (PGDSS), Ethics and Compliance Institute and the National Children’s Alliance
Nicole’s areas of expertise are consumer outreach, customer relationship, cause marketing, promotions, and branding. She holds a BA in Visual Media, MA in Producing Film and Video and an MBA in Marketing Management all from American University.
Mr. Rendon is a committed and forward-thinking leader with over 16 years’ experience investigating top-tier transnational criminal organizations; diverse investigative, intelligence, gaming, and diplomatic skills gained from fostering collaboration with law enforcement and gaming regulatory partners globally.
Operational Leadership
Within the Office of Lottery and Gaming (OLG), Mr. Rendon supervises and provides guidance and oversight to the OLG’s sports wagering licensing, financial, investigative and enforcement personnel, including the licensing and monitoring process for all individuals and entities involved with sports wagering in the District. Specifically, Mr. Rendon oversees the intake and review of applications from prospective Sports Wagering Operators, Management Service Providers, Suppliers and persons required to obtain a sports wagering occupational license.
Furthermore, Mr. Rendon manages investigations pertaining to complaints, potential license violations, and criminal activity concerning licensed operators and its customers. Mr. Rendon implements policies and operating procedures for regulating privately-operated Sports Wagering based on federal and District laws and regulations, to ensure licensed operators adhere to Sports Wagering Minimal Internal Controls Standards, Anti-Money laundering (AML) principles, Bank Secrecy Act, and Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) regulatory requirements and compliance programs.
Mr. Rendon remains abreast of the latest trends and advancements in sports wagering and advises on best practices of sports wagering security, integrity, and fraud controls to ensure licensed operators are in compliance with federal and District laws and regulations. Accordingly, Mr. Rendon has orchestrated networking platforms with the U.S Attorney’s Office, the Metropolitan Police Department, D.C.’s Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration, FinCEN, the Office of Foreign Assets Control, gaming regulators, and Gaming Laboratories International.
12:00 pm - 12:45 pm
Growing your Business: Workshop C
Ronnette Meyers is President and CEO of JLAN Solutions, a leading provider of management, training and information technology services to Federal, state and local government.
After an extensive career as a Federal employee, Ms. Meyers helped found a small, woman-owned government contracting firm, serving as Senior Vice President for Corporate Services. She was an integral part of the company’s development into an award-winning business with over $34 million in annual revenues.
In 2010, having honed her executive management and leadership skills, Ms. Meyers took the leap and founded her own firm, JLAN Solutions, LLC. JLAN now serves numerous Federal and DC government agencies. Ms. Meyers’ leadership and stellar reputation for integrity and quality service have earned her numerous accolades, including the Washington Business Journal 2020 Minority Business Leader Award, DC Chamber of Commerce 2020 Women in Business Champion of the Year, DC Department of Small and Local Business 2018 Certified Business Enterprise of the Year and acceptance into the highly selective Goldman Sachs 10k Small Business program,
Among her philanthropic activities are service on the board of Dreaming Out Loud Foundation, Bishop McNamara High School and she supports the Wounded Warriors, Project Giveback, GrantEd, Luke’s Wings, E.L. Haynes Public Charter School, and many other charitable organizations and endeavors.
Just as she was inspired when growing up on the grounds of the Ramstein United States Air Force Base in Germany, Ronnette Meyers was exposed at an early age to the importance of public service. It is clear that the lessons she learned there have inspired her life and her career trajectory, as she has made it her mission to give back to her country and her community.
Sandra is President & CEO of the WBEC Metro NY & Greater DMV, a regional affiliate of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the nation’s leading advocate of women-owned businesses and third-party certification organization. Certifying more than 475 businesses each year as 51% woman owned, operated, managed and independently run, Sandra supports an operation of women business enterprises that generate more than $3.1 billion dollars in revenue and employs more than 30,000 workers in the New York State, Northern New Jersey, Southern Connecticut, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. territory.
Prior to joining WPEO-DC in 2011, Sandra worked in corporate America. As Asset Manager for a major healthcare company’s northeast region, she managed all leased/owned facilities and administrative sales shared service operations in the northeast. She approved and arranged for financing of capital spending plans, consistent with financial objectives, in addition to developing programs for efficiency gains and delivering them nationwide. She was also responsible for the fulfillment of member collateral, working with marketing, sales and external vendors to deliver materials just in time to the homes of all insured’s in the northeast market. She received the Chairman’s Award for performance excellence during the 9/11 crisis.
As a Director of Customer Service for a regional healthcare company, Sandra directed the activities of more than 100 employees responsible for servicing over 200,000 insured lives and over 10,000 providers and hospitals. While directing a management team that developed policies and procedures to ensure the department’s workflow complied with New York State regulations, she was also instrumental in the restructuring of the Customer Service department, which received the MCI Service Achievement Award in 1997.
An advocate for women’s issues, Sandra has been a member of the New York Women’s Agenda, a coalition of women’s organizations, affiliated with over 100 organizations in New York City dedicated to improving the lives of women and their families. A member since 1998, and President through 2006-2008, she served as an active advocate for women’s economic empowerment. Other social commitments include acting in the capacity of advocate for survivors of violent crimes against women. As a trained Crisis Intervention Counselor she participated in Mt. Sinai’s Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention (SAVI) program and has been a member of the New York Junior League since 2003.
Sandra is a graduate of SUNY Potsdam with a BA, and licensed as a Math Teacher and Project Manager. She also received Certification from Boston University’s Corporate Training program.
Sharon R. Pinder is the President and CEO of the Capital Region Minority Supplier Development Council (CRMSDC). At CRMSDC, Pinder continues to bring change and innovation. Within her first 18 months, CRMSDC won over $4 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency for the Business Center, Washington DC, and the Federal Procurement Center, the only one of its kind in the country. She has implemented several innovative programs such as the region’s only Top 100 MBE Awards®, the Ultimate MBE Business Makeover and Get on the Plane Business Tours. For the last two years, the Washington Business Journal named CRMSDC as one of the Top Business Advocacy Groups in the Greater Washington Region. Pinder is a 2019 graduate of Leadership Greater Washington.
Prior to CRMSC, Pinder served as Maryland’s first Cabinet Secretary of the Governor’s Office of Minority Affairs and as the architect of Maryland’s minority and small business reform. During her tenure, payments to minority and women-owned businesses increased by $1 billion. She also created the Small Business Reserve Program – the country’s first state-level set aside for small businesses. In 2014, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore named a scholarship in her honor.
There is a Chinese saying..“If you want to find out about the road ahead, then ask about it from those coming back.” – Through all of my professional and personal experiences, I am on the road coming back. Mentoring is something I do as a natural part of my being. Throughout my career, I have successfully mentored others. I believe it is a two-way collaborative relationship. I receive as much (and sometimes more) than I give. Mentoring is sharing and it is learning as well. Recently, I was recognized in a local publication as one of the mentors of a very successful women in the region. The social media response to those I’ve touched was both unexpected and heart warming.
I have participated in mentoring in another Business Journal location. This is my region, I would love to participate with the WBJ. Thank you.
Candice Miles is one of the Supervisory Business Opportunity Specialists for the Washington Metropolitan Area District Office (WMADO) of the Small Business Administration (SBA). In this role, she works to solve complex contracting issues in the 8(a) Business Development Program. Throughout her career, she has been dedicated to helping create wealth through entrepreneurship and economic development in cities and countries across the world. In her previous roles, she has worked as an entrepreneur, a business professor and a director with national non-profit organizations helping to spearhead entrepreneurship programs dedicated to empowering women and minorities in the Washington DC metropolitan area.
Candice is pursuing her doctorate degree from the Fox School of Business at Temple University. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Chemical Engineering from Howard University and a Master’s of Science in Taxation from American University.
Andres is the Director of International Trade and Commerce for the District of Columbia at the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development.
Hayes has 28 years of experience in Banking, International Trade, and Hospitality most of them in the Credit Card Business where he worked for Visa International for 11 years, 7 years in Miami, and 4 in London England. One of the youngest Regional Managers, he was selected to open the new Operations Center for Central Europe Middle East, and Africa in 1994. After Visa International, he managed two major Card Operations Centers in the Americas and Europe as Senior Vice President. Andres was the Senior Vice President of Operations for TransWorld Payment Solutions in Paris France, responsible for International Operations for 4 years. When he moved to DC, he was the Restaurant Manager for B. Smith’s in Washington DC for 4 years and the GM for The Mansion on O ST. for 2 years. He is fluent in Spanish, English, and Portuguese and proficient in French. Mr. Hayes was the Principal and CEO of AH Consulting Firm, an International Consulting Firm.
Hayes is extremely active in the DC community where he served as a board member of the DC Chamber of Commerce, The Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Advisory Board of Carlos Rosario International Charter School Culinary Program, Raised funds for the Greater Washington Area Covenant House and is a past President of Skål International Washington DC, an International organization of Tourism Professionals.
He is extremely passionate about International Trade and the Hospitality Industry and always focused on providing the highest level of service.
Since February of 2011, Ms. Resil has served as the Business Certification Manager for the Certified Business Enterprise (CBE) program within the DC Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD). She is responsible for monitoring over 1900 certified businesses and contributes to the District’s spend with small CBEs by providing the supply needed to meet the statutory requirements of the CBE program. Last fiscal year, the District spent over $975 million with CBEs that maintain the program’s small subcategory.
Prior to her assignment with DSLBD, she served as a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Compliance Officer for the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning & Economic Development (DMPED). Through her tenure there, she applied her compliance expertise in federal regulations and laws governing (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) funding sources for housing and economic development projects throughout the District.
Ms. Resil is a Certified Public Manager within the District. She is a resident of Ward 8 and an active member of the Washington, DC Chapter (Gamma Chapter) of the national business and professional women’s organization, Iota Phi Lambda Sorority Incorporated.
12:45 pm - 12:50 pm
Introduction of Honorees
As Co-Founder and Executive Vice President of Fort Myer Construction Corporation, Lewis Shrensky is an active leader in his ENR-ranked top 400 infrastructure business established in DC. He is a decision maker and participant on all top level operations and is also actively involved in the community. Founded in 1972 as a small masonry and concrete contractor, Mr. Shrensky and his partner have grown the company to over 900 craftsman supported by an administrative staff, including project managers, professional engineers, estimators, and a fully staffed safety department. The company’s fortes include street & highway construction, bridges and structures, utilities, electrical, design-build, snow & ice removal, and asphalt supply and paving. Fort Myer Construction owns and operates two asphalt plants in the District, serving Maryland, DC, and Virginia.
Mr. Shrensky is a 1968 graduate of the American University Washington College of Law, a member of the DC bar, and served as a Captain in the U.S. Army Signal Corps from 1969-1971. He was Chairman of the DC Roadbuilders Association for a decade and served as Trustee of the Paving Industry Health & Welfare Trust Fund. Currently, he is on the executive council of the District of Columbia Students Construction Trades Foundation nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, which strives to support student achievement, instructional excellence, and access to internships, scholarships, and career opportunities in construction. He also created and Chairs Fort Myer Construction’s monthly Small Business Roundtable, which strengthens the capabilities of small, minority, disadvantaged, and local businesses. By helping members discover and attain business resources, contacts, procurement opportunities, and other needs, the Roundtable assists them with finding work, growing their operations, and developing thriving businesses. The success of his effort is seen in the enthusiastic participation over 40 small business members in the monthly meetings.
12:50 pm - 1:10 pm
Awardee Remarks
1:10 pm - 1:30 pm
Networking and Matchmaking
1:30 pm
Closing Remarks
Awardees
Shinar is the Director at FogHill, Inc a commercial facilities maintenance firm headquartered in Washington, DC. He is a native of Washington, DC (ward 7), and was educated in business at American University. Shinar has over 10 years of experience in senior management including promoting fiscal responsibility and overseeing budgets. Shinar also has proven experience in professional staffing with a fortune 500 company along with professional workforce training and development of underserved residents. FogHill has granted him the opportunity to successfully train a skilled workforce of over 80 residents residing within disenfranchised communities of the District, allowing them access to living wages and marketable skill sets.
Mr. Brown is the Owner of SML Services, which started as a landscaping company in the District. Mr. Brown has expanded his services to include hardscaping, property maintenance, snow removal, and hauling. At 29, Mr. Brown is a young entrepreneur with his sights set on making a mark not only in landscaping but in media as well. He has also started “That’s a Plug, Inc.”, which is a non-profit organization that is reshaping the way youth and young adults view content online. The organization covers socially conscious events happening in the District and its surrounding area and also hosts events to promote non-violence, community-building, and entrepreneurship. Mr. Brown has been consistent with his message of growth, prosperity, and reconciliation. He has also been forthcoming about a brief stint in jail, which sparked his entrepreneurial fire. He transformed as a result of that brief stint and has now fused in life skills development within his businesses for his staff. Many of his new hires are individuals who have had obstacles similar to his. Employment with SML Services or “That’s a Plug” is also an opportunity to be edified and to grow into purpose. Mr. Brown is always energetic, positive, and working to bring to fruition new ideas to impact communities through his businesses.