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MEET THE TEAM

PROVIDING THE SUPPORT
TO GROW YOUR BUSINESSES

ABOUT US

Once known as the Rockville Women’s Business Center, we were born from a special initiative of the Rockville Economic Development, Inc. (REDI), a nonprofit organization to help businesses grow and expand in the city of Rockville.

Thanks to continuing support from our partners, Maryland Women’s Business Center (MWBC) has expanded to reach more women business owners across three locations.

Annually, we help more than 1,500 women (and men) gain the skills, connections, and confidence necessary to navigate entrepreneurship. Our clients choose to work with us because of our supportive environment that helps build self-efficacy and confidence in their ability to succeed.

OUR HISTORY

2010

In November 2010, REDI launched Rockville Women’s Business Center (RWBC) to formalize their support. In its first three years of operation, RWBC assisted more than 1,500 people through training, individual assistance, and specialized resources.

2011

MWBC launched the StartRight! Business Plan Competition.

2012

MWBC started the child care business program with funding from Montgomery County.

2013

In October 2013, RWBC’s name changed to Maryland Women’s Business Center, and we became an SBA certified Women’s Business Center (WBC), becoming one of 106 nationally.

2014

In 2014, we were one of 11 women empowerment nonprofits selected to receive a grant award from Oprah’s The Life You Want Weekend. The same year, we also opened our first satellite offices in Bowie and Frederick.

2015

In November 2015, MWBC marked its fifth anniversary and the first anniversaries in Frederick and Prince George’s County.

2020

In November 2020, Maryland Women’s Business Center celebrated its 10th anniversary of EmpowHERing small businesses in Maryland’s capital region

To empower small businesses and women entrepreneurs to launch and grow in Maryland's Capital Region.

Maryland is a recognized leader for growing and launching successful and innovative women-owned enterprises.

Collaboration, Empowerment, Expertise, Inclusivity, Innovation

ADVISORY BOARD

The Maryland Women’s Business Center Advisory Board consists of business leaders who are committed to helping us grow and evolve by expanding partnerships and fundraising opportunities.

Archisha Mehan

FEDMINE.US

Nancy Regelin

Attorney at Law, Shulman, Rogers, Gandal, Pordy & Ecker, P.A.

Judy Costello

Managing Director, Economic Development, BioHealth Innovation, Inc.

THE TEAM

MORGAN WORTHAM

MWBC's Managing Director

She leads MWBC’s team of experienced counselors and trainers who provide essential services to women entrepreneurs and empower them to launch and grow successful, women-owned businesses in Maryland’s Capital Region.

Morgan joins MWBC with 20 years of experience in economic and workforce development projects and urban planning. Prior to enrolling in the University of Maryland’s Doctorate of Urban & Regional Planning and Design and working on a variety of area urban planning projects as a graduate research assistant, Wortham was the President/CEO of Envision Community Solutions in Iowa, where she managed multiple projects in economic and workforce development as well as consulted in nonprofit management, urban planning, affordable housing development and financial education. Prior to that, she was the Founder and Executive Director of New Waterloo Community Development Corporation in Waterloo, Iowa.

Morgan holds an MBA from the University of Northern Iowa and a MPA from Drake University. She has served on numerous boards & committees, including a chamber committed focused on diversity & inclusion, head start policy council, and city housing & community development commission. Morgan has also been recognized as a one of Iowa’s Cedar Valley “20 under 40,” which honors outstanding young leaders.

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Lisa Swann

Marketing and Communications Manager

Lisa Swann is a strategic communicator by training and by practice. She has worked in communications and marketing for a variety of national and local nonprofits in Washington, DC and Maryland and as a senior level consultant for the Council for Advocacy and Policy Solutions, Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, NAACP, and Earth Day Network. Lisa enjoys using social media and websites to create brand awareness for organizations and traditional media for great storytelling. She looks forward to helping to empower women seeking business success. She graduated Magna cum Laude from Emerson College in Boston, MA receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in mass communications. Lisa lives in Rockville, MD with her husband who is communications director for a regional school system, and she is also a proud Mom of a Tulane graduate.

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Thomas Squire

Training & Events Manager-Special Projects for MWBC

Thomas Squire is the Training & Events Manager-Special Projects for MWBC. He was born and raised in Silver Spring, Maryland. From an early age, he’s had a love for serving people. He attended Coastal Carolina University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Communication with a minor in Journalism and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Special Education from Howard University.

Thomas is an experienced mass media professional with more than 10 years of experience in the television and radio industries, including his work with the branding solutions department during the 2019 BET Awards. He has previously worked on Democratic campaigns as a staffer; with Tom Hucker’s successful County Council bid in 2014 and with the Honorable Herman Taylor in 2007 and 2008. He currently serves on the advisory board for the Minority Business Economic Council and Adventure Theatre. Additionally, Thomas is a 2017 fellow and the co-director for NLC Maryland and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated where he mentors young men of color. Thomas is excited about community service and involvement and bridging the gap between services and access to communities in need.

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ANGIE DUNCANSON

Prince George’s County MWBC Senior Business Counselor

Before joining our team, she worked as a Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation Small Business Specialist and as a business consultant/instructor for Maryland Small Business & Technology Development Center. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran who worked with the U.S. Navy in Sigonella, Sicily, Angie has a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Troy University. She is a member of the Greater Washington Society of Association Executives (GWSAE), a certified meeting planner, a member of Zeta Phi Beta sorority, and a former board member of South County Economic Development Association (SCEDA).

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MARTHA JIMENEZ

Montgomery County Senior Business Counselor

A native of Colombia with more than 25 years of experience in business administration, Martha spent 10 years as an independent international consultant for various companies in Latin America. Throughout her career, she has built a reputation for developing successful business strategies and new channels for business development. Her priority is to focus on her client’s needs and provide innovative business ideas that will help them conquer professional and business success.

Martha holds a B.S. in Business Administration, an MBA in Management and she is also certified in Project Management. She has a special interest in the literature about success and leadership, and she enjoys developing training sessions for her clients about various areas of business.

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Nestor Gavidia

Associate Business Counselor

Nestor Gavidia is a bilingual Associate Business Counselor. A native of Peru with more than 15 years in CPG B2B sales and marketing in the US and internationally, Nestor has worked with retail chains, distributors/wholesalers, importers/exporters, and e-commerce businesses in the merchant systems, transportation, and food industries.

Nestor’s passion for business and commitment to follow-through help entrepreneurs succeed. He is experienced and skilled at conducting business and negotiating with people from a variety of cultures and backgrounds. He holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Baltimore. In his free time, you can find him cooking new dishes or playing soccer.

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Karen Kalantzis

Associate Business Counselor for Frederick County

Karen Kalantzis is the new Associate Business Counselor for Frederick County. She is an experienced small business community builder with a demonstrated history of working in program development. Most recently, she was the Director, Community Programs for the Business Innovation Network, Montgomery County’s business incubator program where she created training classes and provided business technical assistance to members.

Prior to that, she worked for Montgomery County’s Department of Economic Development as a program manager for the Silver Spring and Wheaton Innovation Centers. She joined the small business ecosystem after starting an IT company called Corporate Network Services in 1993 with her business partner. The company was a Maryland Certified Woman Owned Small Business, named to the Inc. 5000 fastest growing businesses list, and a winner of numerous Best Place to Work awards.

A native Chicagoan, Karen earned a Bachelor of Science from the Kelly School of Business at Indiana University and an MBA from George Washington University. She is a graduate of Leadership Montgomery Core Class of 2018. On a personal note, Karen has three adult children, loves to travel and often visits our local beaches.

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RACHELE WILLIAMS

Administrative Coordinator for MWBC and REDI

Rachele Williams is the Administrative Coordinator for REDI and MWBC. She comes to the organization with more than 10 years’ of administrative experience serving a variety of industries. An effective office manager, Rachele’s skills include exceptional customer service, contact database management, inventory control, creative problem-solving, accounting duties, and project reporting.

She earned her Bachelor of Science in human resource management with a minor in business administration from the University of Maryland University College.

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Header

Main

Slider

PROVIDING THE SUPPORT
TO GROW YOUR BUSINESSES

About Us

ABOUT US

OUR HISTORY

ADVISORY BOARD

THE TEAM

MORGAN WORTHAM

Lisa Swann

Thomas Squire

ANGIE DUNCANSON

MARTHA JIMENEZ

Nestor Gavidia

Karen Kalantzis

RACHELE WILLIAMS

Montgomery County

Prince George’s County

Frederick County

Header

Main

Slider

PROVIDING THE SUPPORTTO GROW YOUR BUSINESSES

ABOUT US

OUR HISTORY

ADVISORY BOARD

THE TEAM

MORGAN WORTHAM

Lisa Swann

Thomas Squire

ANGIE DUNCANSON

MARTHA JIMENEZ

Nestor Gavidia

Karen Kalantzis

RACHELE WILLIAMS

PROVIDING THE SUPPORT
TO GROW YOUR BUSINESSES