Veteran-owned businesses were honored in College Park for the second year during the Maryland Veterans Small Business Week Celebration on Nov. 13, 2024. Hosted by the University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of business at the Capital One Tech Incubator, representatives from Smith, the Maryland State Government, and the U.S. Small Business Administration were on hand to recognize 15 Maryland veteran business owners making notable impact in their communities.
The event was co-sponsored by the Maryland Governor’s Office of Small, Minority and Women Business Affairs, WesBanco, the Mid-Atlantic Veterans Business Outreach Center, Smith’s Center for Global Business, the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship and the Initiative for Veteran Lifelong Leadership at the Robert H. Smith School of Business. Maryland Special Secretary of Small, Minority & Women Business Affairs Maria Martinez and Maryland State Del. Mike Rogers, House Chair of the General Assembly’s Veterans Caucus helped to lead the event along with Smith’s Dean Prabhudev Konana, Smith’s Director of Federal & Veteran Affairs Frank Goertner and other distinguished local agency representatives. They joined more than 50 Maryland veteran small business owners in attendance with more than 100 of their supporters to recognize their service.
The celebration is part of the U.S. Small Business Association’s National Veterans Small Business Week 2024 which runs from Nov. 11 through Nov. 15. The week annually recognizes business owners who are active and retired members of the military as well as military spouses. November is also National Veteran and Military Families Month.
“Last year’s ceremony was so popular that we wanted to up our game. This year we asked regional representatives from the SBA and the Department of Commerce in each Maryland region to nominate veteran small businesses they know and admire,” said Goertner.
The request resulted in 15 owner-veterans and their businesses recognized at the event for exemplary service for their contributions across six state regions as well as contributions in the following categories: Global Exporter, Workforce Developer, Employment Provider, Social Impact and Promising Start-up.
Dean Konana spoke about the Smith School’s proud legacy of working with service members and veterans for over a century. “We are not only proud of their accomplishments but deeply honored by their choice to join the University of Maryland community and the Smith School,” he said. Konana further shared the Smith School’s commitment to providing venues and encouragement for everyone on campus to honor veterans, as showcased in the Smith Vets Memorial unveiled inside Van Munching Hall in September. The memorial recognizes 27 Maryland veteran students of business who gave their lives in service, including three MBA alumni lost in the 9/11 Pentagon attack.
Del. Rogers thanked the university for hosting the event and praised the veterans for their continued service to Maryland as business owners. “Your businesses not only contribute to our economy, but they stand as a symbol of perseverance reminding us that service to our nation does not end when the uniform goes away. It simply takes on a new form,” he said. “We celebrate the success of veteran-owned businesses and the determination behind each venture.”
“Here in Maryland and across the United States, these businesses stand as vital pillars of our economy and community,” said Special Secretary Martinez, while also sharing with the group a greeting from Governor Wes Moore, who is also an Army Veteran. Secretary Martinez noted that in Maryland, veteran-owned businesses represent just over 10 percent of the state's total businesses, higher than the national average of 5.5 percent of businesses being veteran owned.
The small businesses and veteran founders honored at this year’s event were:
1. Exemplary contributions to MD business in the Baltimore Region (Baltimore County, Baltimore City)
- Aegis Mechanical Corp: Barnett Carroll
2. Exemplary contributions to MD business in the Corridor Region (Anne Arundel, Howard, Montgomery, Prince Georges)
- Buxton Media Productions LLC: Joshua Buxton
3. Exemplary contributions to MD business in the Eastern Region (Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne's, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico, Worcester)
- Fidelis Technology: Michael Corner
4. Exemplary contributions to MD business in the Northern Region (Carroll, Cecil, Frederick, Harford)
- Emerald Technical Solutions: Dondre Lawson
5. Exemplary contributions to MD business in the Southern Region (Calvert, Charles, St. Mary's)
- Brother's Johnson Inc: Langford Johnson and Everard Johnson
6. Exemplary contributions to MD business in the Western Region (Allegany, Garrett, Washington)
- Green Line Security Solutions: Aaron Palmer
7. Exemplary contributions to MD business as a Global Exporter
- Infrared Tools LLC: Thomas Boyer
8. Exemplary contributions to MD business as a Workforce Developer
- Regulus Technical Services: Latasha Billups
9. Exemplary contributions to MD business as an Employment Provider
- Absolute Staffing & Consulting Solutions: Tawanda Huff
10. Exemplary contributions to MD business for Social Impact
- Valor Construction: Alfred Kincaid
- Charm City Bees: Joseph Griffin
11. Exemplary contributions to MD business as a Start-up (< 5 years)
- Escape Velocity Academy: Topaz Navarro
- Bayou Girl Drink Factory: Renee Smith
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About the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business
The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and flex MBA, executive MBA, online MBA, business master’s, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.