Month: May 2021

Donna Cooper

In our inaugural Board Spotlight, we’re proud to share words of wisdom from Donna Cooper, Co-Chair of WDCEP’s Board of Directors . Donna currently serves as Pepco’s Region President, bringing a mountain of accomplishments and expertise along with her.  What is the best advice you have received? Donna Cooper (DC): My father and mother really […]

Written by on May 25, 2021

DC Stories: Blue Fern Travel

Bringing to light the unique flavors of the District and the history that goes along with it, Blue Fern Travel curates food (and soon fizz) tours that elevate a mosaic of establishments to visitors and locals alike. We spoke with Co-Founders Mary Collins and Stefan Woehlke to discuss how they got started, the challenges they’ve […]

Written by on May 24, 2021

Pass the Mic: The Hive 2.0

Providing a space for small businesses to grow in Anacostia since 2012, The Hive 2.0 is one of the many projects under the umbrella of ARCH Development. The latter is a Ward 8 nonprofit founded in 1986 that partners with residents and community stakeholders to create a permanent home for arts, culture, and the creative […]

Written by on May 22, 2021

Pedal Retail Advisors

By Sheila Laderberg Tarasiuk Founder, Pedal Retail Advisors Renting a commercial retail space is a whole thing. The journey from deciding that you want to open a bricks and mortar space and getting open is long, rocky and surprisingly confusing. For first timers, the journey is challenging at best and financially catastrophic at worst. Yeah, […]

Written by on May 22, 2021

Taoti Creative

Founded over 20 years ago, Taoti Creative is a DC-based, full-service creative agency that truly does it all—web development, content creation, marketing, branding, user experience design, and virtual event production. With a nimble team and plenty of imagination, Taoti has managed to find new ways to expand their services and excel at addressing their clients’ […]

Written by on May 1, 2021

Byte Back, Inc.

With the onset of the coronavirus (COVID) pandemic, the District’s digital divide has been further accentuated, highlighting the disparity between those who have access to the tools and training necessary to work from home, and those without access to technology. One organization working to address this divide is Byte Back, a longstanding District-based nonprofit that […]

Written by on May 1, 2021

DC Stories: Peruvian Brothers

The food industry was certainly one of the hardest hit by the pandemic, but Peruvian Brothers managed to turn challenges into opportunity. Founded by brothers Giuseppe and Mario Lanzone, Peruvian Brothers is an ode to their heritage and a way to share the foods they missed most from Lima with the District. Peruvian Brothers operates […]

Written by on May 1, 2021

Heartcast Media

Sometimes adversity yields new opportunities. In the case of Heartcast Media, a full-service podcast production studio and content creation lab started in the District, the obstacles they faced at the beginning of the pandemic ultimately made room for the team to work on meaningful projects with national-level impact. We spoke with Heartcast Media founder and podcaster extraordinaire Molly Ruland about the very real difficulties she faced as a small business owner and all of the incredible initiatives her […]

Written by on May 1, 2021

DC Fray

For small businesses like DC Fray, whose mission is to “make fun possible” through organized sports leagues, corporate team-building activities and event marketing production, the changed nature of how people connect and spend their time has impacted the way they conduct business and support their corporate clients. Washington DC Economic Partnership (WDCEP): How are you fulfilling […]

Written by on May 1, 2021