On May 29, the ELEVATE program hosted a CEO Breakfast & Marketplace, bringing together entrepreneurs, service providers, ecosystem partners and resource organizations for a highly interactive event focused on business growth, collaboration and community connection.
Unlike a traditional networking event, the ELEVATE Marketplace was designed to foster meaningful engagement through live demonstrations, direct conversations and intentional partnership exploration. The format created space for business owners to connect with organizations that could support their immediate and long-term growth needs.
Participating organizations included representatives from across the Washington, D.C. and regional entrepreneurial ecosystem, including:
- Fowler Career Center, GW School of Business
- GW Consulting Group
- GW Law Clinic
- Capital Region Minority Supplier Development Council (CRMSDC)
- FASTSIGNS of Washington, DC (ELEVATE alumni)
- Mar-Sam Solutions (ELEVATE alumni)
- Maven Construction (ELEVATE alumni)
- SRGE Construction Accelerator (ELEVATE alumni)
- TEDCO (Maryland Entrepreneur Funding and Investments)
- Washington Area Community Investment Fund (WACIF)
Together, these partners represented a wide range of support services for small businesses, including legal assistance, consulting expertise, procurement and supplier diversity opportunities, workforce development resources, funding and investment programs, marketing support and business growth strategy.
The ELEVATE Marketplace underscored the program’s broader mission: to connect entrepreneurs with the people, tools and institutions that can help them scale. By bringing these resources together in one place, the event created a dynamic environment where small business owners could move beyond introductions and begin building actionable relationships that support long-term success.
About ELEVATE
The Executive Leadership Education Venture Advancing Talented Entrepreneurs (ELEVATE) program is a partnership between The Coalition (formerly CNHED), the GW School of Business and its Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence (CFEE). Through this three-month executive education experience, small business owners from Washington, D.C. and the surrounding metropolitan area gain the knowledge, skills and resources needed to more effectively manage and grow their businesses.
As the only executive-level business education program for small businesses in the District backed by a university partner, ELEVATE provides participants with direct access to the expertise of GW Business faculty and a collaborative network of fellow entrepreneurs. Under the leadership of Evette Banfield, the program is further enriched by CFEE's Kathy Korman Frey, whose expertise in entrepreneurial leadership helps participants refine business strategy, strengthen operations and compete more effectively across private, institutional and government markets.