PHOTO RELEASE: Governor’s Office of Small, Minority, and Women Business Affairs Joins First Lady Yumi Hogan to Celebrate Women’s Small Business Month

Local Women Entrepreneurs Honored for Leadership and Community Contribution

ANNAPOLIS, MD–The Governor's Office of Small, Minority, and Women Business Affairs joined Maryland First Lady Yumi Hogan today to commemorate National Women's Small Business Month during the Maryland Women's Small Business Celebration 2022 at Morgan State University. Together with the Baltimore Metropolitan Women's Business Center, the event celebrated the achievements of local women entrepreneurs, with seven women receiving governor's citations.

"As a wife, a mother of three daughters, and a grandmother of five grandchildren, I understand that women are the caretakers and backbone of a family,'' said Maryland First Lady Yumi Hogan. “I am so proud of all the inspiring women entrepreneurs who also help to make Maryland's economy strong."

The event brought together 100 guests from across the state, featuring an interactive panel discussion with experienced women entrepreneurs who shared insights and strategies for building a resilient and robust ecosystem that includes competitors, suppliers, support services, employees, and customers. Following the program, attendees had the opportunity to meet with six different small business stakeholder groups offering a range of resources from access to capital to educational programs and business coaching services.

The first lady presented governor's citations to seven outstanding Maryland women business owners, recognizing each for their success in the small business community, in addition to their leadership and mentoring skills and their contribution to the communities they serve:

Glenna Cush - Cush Creative
Danielle Frisby - UnBoxingChange
Tiffany Hoang - Gong Cha
Velindia Pardo - Equal Access Language Services, LLC
Michelle Petties - I Am Brand New Now
Aria Sutton - Bailey Inspections
Nik Sweeney - Amani Nicol Wellness

“Maryland is home to more than 275,000 women-owned businesses and it's important to recognize how critical they are to our statewide economy," said Governor's Office of Small, Minority & Women Business Affairs Special Secretary Jimmy Rhee. “We want them to thrive and will continue to provide support for the unique challenges that women-owned businesses face."

The first lady also presented a governor's citation to the Baltimore Metropolitan Women's Business Center in recognition of their service to women business owners in Baltimore City and in Baltimore, Howard, Frederick, Carroll, and Harford counties. The center is located on the Morgan State University campus and receives federal funding from the U.S. Small Business Administration to assist women entrepreneurs with enhancing business knowledge and supporting growth.

Maryland businesses have access to a wide range of state and agency-driven online resources to help meet their needs, including those from the Governor's Office of Small, Minority & Women Business Affairs, Maryland Entrepreneur Hub, Maryland Business Express, and Maryland Financial Incentives for Businesses.

For more information about opportunities for women-owned businesses, please visit gomdsmallbiz.maryland.gov.