Guest feature: Alison Tavik is the communications director at the Governor’s Office of Small, Minority & Women Business Affairs. Follow along with the agency on Facebook and Twitter.

The Governor’s Office of Small, Minority & Women Business Affairs recently hosted its signature Ready, Set, GROW! Procurement Connections Workshop, where more than 130 small, minority, women, and veteran business owners attended the event.

The workshop, hosted in collaboration with Montgomery County’s Office of the County Executive, included insightful tips for navigating the procurement process and highlighted existing opportunities with city, county, and state agencies. Vendors had the opportunity to meet with 14 different purchasing units during the open networking session that followed the program.

“The Ready, Set, GROW! workshop is extremely unique,” said Jimmy Rhee, special secretary of the Governor’s Office of Small, Minority & Women Business Affairs. “Participants are given the opportunity to meet buyers and learn what they are buying now, as well as what’s in the pipeline. That’s powerful information to a small business owner.”

During the program, two women entrepreneurs were among the local businesses awarded a Governor’s Citation for their contributions to Maryland’s small business economy, in conjunction with Governor Hogan's proclamation of 2020 being Year of the Woman:

• Michelle Taylor – BETAH Associates, Inc.
• Mercedita Roxas-Murray – Montage Marketing Group, LLC

Richie Mohammad of Rich Moe Enterprises, LLC, was also honored for his contributions to the community.

“We were excited to partner with the State and host this procurement conference here in Montgomery County,” said County Executive Marc Elrich.

Read more

Celebrate more Year of the Woman success stories