October is National Women’s Small Business Month
MARYLAND – We are commemorating National Women’s Small Business Month with this special event honoring some of Maryland’s most outstanding women leaders, business owners, and entrepreneurs.
Our 2025 Women’s Small Business Celebration will focus on Wellness / Empowerment / Leadership. We will feature four amazing women who have a broad range of expertise in leading top international, national, and local organizations and/or businesses. They will share their challenges and how they have successfully navigated through their responsibilities applying wellness techniques, leadership and strategic planning methods that have empowered them toward successful outcomes.
In addition you will also learn how to navigate the state’s socioeconomic procurement programs and connect with resources that can help you compete with greater confidence in both the private & government contracting arena.
Keynote Opening:
Maria MartinezSpecial Secretary
Governor’s Office of Small, Minority
& Women Business Affairs
Appointed by Governor Wes Moore, Special Secretary Martinez leads Maryland’s efforts to expand economic opportunity for small, minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses. She oversees socioeconomic procurement programs across 73 agencies, chairs the Subcabinet on Socioeconomic Procurement Participation, and drives statewide training and outreach for businesses interested in State procurement and best practices. A first-generation American and respected entrepreneur, she founded Respira, a multimillion-dollar sleep medicine company, and has over 25 years of private sector experience.
Our Featured Speakers:
Catherine Horta-Hayden
Chair & Professor at Towson University’s Department of Dance in the College of Fine Arts & Communications; Former Assistant Provost for Academic Affairs at Towson University; Past President of the International Council for Research and Pedagogical Studies (CORPs) de Ballet Inc.; Current Chair of the Commission on Accreditation for the National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD) and a member of the Board of Directors; 2025 Dance Educator of the Year by Maryland Dance Education Association (MDEA).
Bel Leong-Hong
Founder, President, and CEO of Knowledge Advantage Inc (KAI); was a member of the Senior Executive Service in DOD; former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense; former Principal Deputy Director (COO) and CIO of the Defense Security Service; former Deputy Commander of the Joint Interoperability and Engineering Organization (JIEO) at the Defense Information Systems Agency; appointed to the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) Corporate Board; sits on the Univ of MD School of Medicine BOV; Fellow in the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA); currently serves on the Board of NAPA; sits on the Maryland Cybersecurity Council.
Krish O’Mara Rignarajah
President & CEO of Global Refuge; former Policy Director for First Lady Michelle Obama; Senior Advisor for the State Department under Hilary Clinton & John Kerry; Developed and implemented programs concerning refugees and migration, engagement with religious communities, the legal dimensions of U.S. foreign policy, and regional issues relating to Africa and the Middle East; Worked closely with USAID, Health & Human Services and the Department of Defense: Practiced law at Jenner & Block in Washington DC; Clerked for Chief Judge Michael Boudin on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit; Taught at Georgetown University as an adjunct.
Dr. Zina Pierre
Founding President & CEO of Reyarp Strategies Group, LLC (RSG); President & CEO of Quora Alkaline Water Bottling Company; public service career in the Clinton Administration in leadership roles at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Department of Labor, and Small Business Administration; special assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs; 10 years with Fox News, News Channel 8, as well as the former USA Today on TV and Sports News Network; President of the Maryland Black Caucus Foundation; founding Board Member of Friendship Aspire Academy STEM School.
Who should attend?
Women leaders and small business owners interested in learning how to incorporate various wellness & leadership strategies to further empower their ability to build up their organizations & businesses, identify resources, and be able to compete with greater confidence in both the private sector and the state contracting arena.
When:
Thursday, October 10, 2024 9:30 a.m. – Check in and refreshments 10 a.m. – Program & Featured Speakers 11:20 a.m. – Moderated Q&A Session 11:30 a.m. – Open networking
Where:
Live! Casino & Hotel Event Center 7002 Arundel Mills Cir #7777 Hanover, MD 21076