ANNAPOLIS, MD — The Governor’s Office of Small, Minority & Women Business Affairs conducted the Ready, Set, GROW! Procurement Connections Workshop today in Prince George’s County. More than 150 small, minority, women, and veteran business owners and entrepreneurs attended the event to connect with buyers from 18 state purchasing units and three county government purchasing units in addition to five small business resource partners
The Governor’s Office of Small, Minority and Women Business Affairs Special Secretary Y. Maria Martinez shared insight learned during her entrepreneurial journey in her keynote address.
“It is so much easier to be successful when you build good relationships,” Special Secretary Martinez said. “Maryland is rich with resources for our small, minority, women, and veteran business owners and it was a pleasure to have you join us today and begin building valuable relationships.”
The Ready, Set, GROW! Procurement Connections Workshop provides a pathway to help small, minority, women, and veteran business owners connect with buyers at the state and county levels. The program included insights on how to navigate procurement processes and examined what the agencies are buying now as well as what is in the pipeline. The event featured valuable networking time allowing business owners to connect with buyers and resource providers.
“Competition is fierce, and our overarching goal is to help small businesses compete with greater confidence,” Special Secretary Martinez said.
A signature event for the Governor’s Office of Small, Minority & Women Business Affairs, the Ready, Set, GROW! workshop was generously hosted by MGM National Harbor for the second consecutive year.
“MGM National Harbor deeply values our relationship with the Governor’s Office of Small, Minority & Women Business Affairs, and is pleased to host this event for the second year in a row,” said President & CEO Melonie Johnson. “Supporting the success of small and diverse businesses is rooted in the values of our company and integral to providing quality experiences for our guests each day. MGM National Harbor has proudly engaged with 161 minority and women-owned businesses since 2017 to provide much-needed goods and services for our resort.”
During the program, seven successful entrepreneurs received a citation from Governor Wes Moore in recognition of their contributions to Maryland’s small business economy. MGM President Melonie Johnson joined Special Secretary Martinez and MBE Ombudsman Nichelle Johnson to present the citations.
- Calderon Enterprises – Ines Calderon, CEO
- Chosen Therapeutic Services – Tywanna Hamilton, Founder
- D&T Welding Contractor – Tammie Lunn, CEO & Founder
- Falcon Solutions – Edwin Hirsh, Owner
- Laisar Management Group – Florence Amate, Owner
- Root Branch Media Group – Dr. Vonnya Pettigrew, CEO & Founder
- Techmark Corporation – Rebecca Heaton, Founder & CEO
The Governor’s Office of Small, Minority and Women Business Affairs conducts four Ready, Set, GROW! Procurement Connections Workshops annually. For more information about upcoming workshops, visit the Ready, Set, GROW! webpage at goMDsmallbiz.maryland.gov.
