What's Working in Washington

  • To help steer the greater Washington region towards a more innovative future for entrepreneurs, local business owners penned an open letter to future area politicians. James Quigley, founder of coworking space Canvas and one of more 40 co-signers wants talent growth to be boosted.

    September 04, 2017
  • Making sure the person you present matches up with the person you really are is pivotal for success. “I like to say a brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room,” said Elizabeth Shea, founder of SpeakerBox Communications. “If you don’t think about your own brand, or your company’s brand, somebody else will do it for you.”

    September 01, 2017
  • Networking in New York City is distinctly different from networking in the D.C. region, according to Rachel Adler, digital media business development manager for the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority. “I’m a research junkie. A lot of my research comes from working for New York State. I used to do a lot of vetting for political candidates,” said Adler. “I try to find touch points I could talk about… I look through their social platforms if they have them,” including Twitter and LinkedIn. By finding touchstones of common interest, it’s easy to build rapport.

    August 30, 2017
  • Making the pivot from an advisory role to doing things yourself can cause whiplash for a rising entrepreneur, but AJ Mushtaq, CFO and founder of health services franchise Fitness Connection built up a sweat as he moved to a principal position.

    August 28, 2017
  • One of the weakest links in any cybersecurity network is passwords, and if even one is uncovered, an entire system can fall apart. New technology developed in South Korea to prevent and minimize possible damage is currently taking hold in the D.C. region.

    August 25, 2017
  • The former president and CEO of the D.C. Chamber of Commerce, Barbara Lang, is encouraging leaders to keep reaching out for new opportunities.

    August 23, 2017
  • Unique challenges face female entrepreneurs and Julie Kantor, founder of training firm Twomentor, is an expert in solving some of these issues. “I think that there’s a key word here that we don’t talk about enough. The issue is sponsorship,” said Kantor.

    August 21, 2017
  • In order to succeed in the competitive entrepreneurial space of the D.C. area, businesses have to corner a market that’s not covered. In founding The Pretzel Bakery, local entrepreneur Sean Haney instantly found his market. “As any good Philly boy knows, you grow up eating pretzels, with every event, every trip… when I moved to D.C. in ‘98, I just kept thinking to myself, man, D.C. needs a good pretzel spot,” Haney said.

    August 18, 2017
  • The impact of the trees on a lawn, or a neighbor’s landscaping, vegetation and greenery has a huge impact on the structure of the D.C. region. The founder of Ed Ball Landscape Architecture explains how sustainable landscaping can have a positive effect on the greater Washington area.

    August 16, 2017
  • Healthcare is one of D.C.’s largest industries, yet its impact is sometimes unnoticed by much of the region.

    August 14, 2017
  • Now, more than ever, D.C.s Newseum serves as a hub for the history and importance of journalism. "The mission of the Newseum is to champion the five freedoms of the first amendment," and we do that through exhibits, programs, and education, said Scott Williams, Newseum’s chief operating officer.

    August 11, 2017
  • Lobbying is an industry ripe for disruption, according to Paul Kanitra, founder and president of Lobbyit. “People are not seeing what’s working, and people are not seeing the positives that are going on [in lobbying],…

    August 09, 2017
  • The value of networking in the professional world cannot be overstated, and knowing the right person can be the difference between success and failure.

    August 07, 2017
  • D.C. entrepreneurship comes with a few assumptions: funding is top priority, and a startups investors and employees have different jobs. Marc Langer, founder and president of Recovery Point Systems, believes these assumptions are outdated.

    August 04, 2017