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The DC Chamber of Commerce announced Tuesday its 2023 Small Business Award recipients during the organization’s Small Business Summit luncheon at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Northwest.
The awardees include Small Business of the Year, Brandire, a Black female-owned brand marketing communications studio owned by Madia Brown; Small Business Person of the Year, Cary Hatch, CEO of MDB Communications; Betty J. Hines, a strategist and founder of Women Elevating Women, where female business professionals converge to network and build relationships; Non-Profit of the year, Washington Area Community Investment Fund; Small Business Champion of the Year, Comcast R.I.S.E that awarded 200 small businesses owned by people of color and women with $10,000 grants; and Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Amanda Preske, Because Science founder who specializes in making jewelry out of broken circuit boards while attending the Rochester Institute of Technology.
“We are pleased to celebrate small businesses in Washington, D.C., who serve as the backbone of our thriving business community,” said Angela Franco, president and CEO of the organization. “On behalf of the chamber, I would like to congratulate our awardees for their business excellence and for demonstrating their resilience as we continue to rebuild and recover.”
Additionally, Kristi Whitfield, director for the D.C. Department of Small and Local Business Development, announced her 2023 small business awards consisting of CBE of the Year, Kenyon Walker, Zero Waste Services; Made in DC Maker of the Year, Renata Philippe, Black Squirrel Company; and Retailers of the Year, Scott Abel and Jake Cumsky-Whitlock, Solid State Books.