Tenth Cohort of Anne Arundel County Business Owners Graduates from AAEDC Inclusive Ventures Program

March 1, 2024

Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman and Anne Arundel Economic Development Corporation (AAEDC) President & CEO Amy Gowan presented certificates of completion and $5,000 checks to the latest cohort of business owners to graduate from AAEDC’s Inclusive Ventures Program (IVP) on Thursday, February 29, 2024.

“I’m excited to be here today to congratulate the tenth cohort of business owners to graduate from AAEDC’s Inclusive Ventures Program,” said County Executive Pittman. “I also want to thank all eleven of you for choosing to pursue the program and, now that you’ve completed it, for continuing to grow your businesses in Anne Arundel County.”

Reflecting the geographic and sector diversity of Anne Arundel County’s businesses, the eleven participating business owners included:

• Stephanie Amponsah, Yaa Chic, Glen Burnie
• Lauren Burleigh, Full Sail Insurance, LLC, Annapolis
• Marshelle Ball, Marshelle G Ball Insurance Agency, LLC, Annapolis
• Natkia Brown, NKB Logistics LLC, Glen Burnie
• Anne Marie Flood, Play & Thrive Speech Therapy LLC, Arnold
• Sara Heilman, Strong.Bold.Healthy, Millersville
• Taj Jacobs, Riticulous Detail Cleaning, Riticulous Detail Cleaning
• Lauren Maddox, Due East Partners LLC, Annapolis
• Terkisha Spencer, All In The Family Early Learning Center, Glen Burnie
• Robin Truitt, Mid Atlantic Auto, Inc., Glen Burnie
• Hasna Zouaghi, Head 2 Toe Contractors, LLC, Millersville

“Congratulations to our first IVP cohort of 2024,” added Gowan. “I’m already looking forward to watching you apply what you’ve gained over the last eight weeks to generate more revenue and grow your businesses in the months and years ahead. I’d also like to thank you, as the tenth cohort of business owners to complete IVP, for helping us continue to prove that the program works.”

Including the latest cohort, 111 total business owners have completed the program since its launch in January 2021.

As for what’s ahead, AAEDC will host three more sessions of IVP in 2024. For the first time this will include a Spanish language version of the program, reflecting Anne Arundel County’s and AAEDC’s ever-growing commitment to making business resources more accessible to traditionally underserved business owners.

To learn more about IVP – a business accelerator that provides small and minority-owned, woman-owned, and Veteran-owned businesses in Anne Arundel County with a robust menu of valuable resources to help them succeed and grow – please visit the Inclusive Ventures Program page.

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