The Greater Washington Black Chamber of Commerce (GWBCC) held an Open House at the Thurgood Marshall Center located at 1816 12th Street NW DC. 

Aisha Bond, GWBCC President, kicked off the event with a morning networking session with a presentation by Aisha Braveboy, State’s Attorney for Prince George’s County who talked about the different programs that are offered to youth and adolescents through Employ PG’s Second Chance program. These programs are designed to provide a pathway for individuals 16 – 24 years of age to become successful in life. She also mentioned training and mentorship programs available to help returning citizens of PG County acquire the necessary skills for employment opportunities. 

The agenda for the day included panel discussions, lunch and an evening networking session sponsored by Jack Daniels. Joe Wynn, President/CEO of the VETS Group IT Training Academy participated in the Veterans panel along with Langston Norman, US Air Force Veteran and CEO of the Arrison Group for Security Enforcement Operations, and Joseph Koroma representing the D.C. Office Veterans Affairs.

During the discussion, Joe Wynn provided a brief overview on the history of the Service-Disabled Veterans federal contracting program that was initiated through his advocacy group the Veterans Entrepreneurship Task Force (VET-Force) that started in 1999. The group also discussed growth opportunities for disabled veteran business owners, utilizing veteran outreach centers (VBOC) and Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) throughout the county. They also touched on the new Small Business Administration’s (SBA) certification required for veteran-owned businesses. 

Overall, the discussion was informative, and the connections made at the event were memorable. The event was well attended, including members of the VETS Group staff – Belen Abdulqadir and Faith DeVeaux.