For more than 18 years, Dawn Hendricks has been a business strategist, trusted advisor, mentor, and coach to business leaders within the public, private, community, and non-profit sectors. As an entrepreneur, Dawn intuitively sees the threads of opportunity and is able to inspire others in ways that help them expand their thinking. She translates financial strategies to business goals and creates an environment that allows innovation to thrive by taking complex concepts and breaking them into clear actionable and measurable steps for her team.

As founder, President & CEO of FM Talent, Dawn is known for her dedication to excellence and driving material business impact. The result is an award-winning recruiting and management consulting firm with a nationwide government consulting practice of over 150 staff across 12 states and the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico.

Dawn is a 3rd Generation entrepreneur and a leader who inspires action. She graduated from Hofstra University with a Bachelor of Business Administration, holds a Master of Science in Human Resource Management from American University, and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). Born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Fort Washington, MD, she is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and an active member and ministry leader of Hope Christian Church in Beltsville, MD.

Dawn began her career at Fannie Mae, a Fortune 500 leader in the financial services industry. She has harnessed over 20 years of subject matter expertise and strategic insights in project management, business management, and leadership to transform FM Talent from an $18M P&L into a competitive leader on track to quadruple in size within the next 3 years. Dawn founded FM Talent with a single recruiting contract that required immediate staff augmentation and consulting services in response to one of the largest restatement efforts in US history.

Respected as a credible voice in decision making, assigning accountability, fiscal responsibility, and establishing governance boundaries, Dawn earns a seat at the table wherever she serves. Under her leadership FM Talent has received a number of Gov Con and corporate accolades:

• Two-time Contractor of the Year Award from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Safety Inspection Services (FSIS)
• 2022 – Dream Big Awards Finalist – US Chamber of Commerce
• 2021 – Top HR Consulting Company – by HR Tech
• 2019 - Top 100 Minority Business Enterprise Award for the Capital region

Her passion for service extends into all aspects of her life and includes specific emphasis on those underserved and marginalized. She serves as the Board of Directors Chairwoman for the Greater Washington Urban League (GWUL), whose mission is to increase economic and political empowerment within underserved communities in the DC Metropolitan Area. She has been a transformational leader as GWUL Board chair and is creating space to elevate the voice and expertise of Black populations in the region. During her tenure as Chair; Dawn has engaged and prepared GWUL for organizational transformation and resiliency by implementing board best practices, creating a new structure, developing goals, and enforcing accountability. She holds a lifelong love for dance and the arts which has fueled her strength, discipline and focus. Dawn also serves on the CityDance School and Conservatory Board of Directors. CityDance is a nonprofit dance institution serving the national capital region that is committed to training young dancers for professional careers. Dawn has been a guest speaker for a number of local and national organizations focused on workforce development and entrepreneurship. Her esteemed business acumen, community leadership and commitment service, have been featured on television and radio programs such as WUSA’s Great Day Washington and WHUR. She has also been featured in Rolling Out Magazine, Urban Magazine, and Afro Newspaper. Dawn will be featured in 2023 on an upcoming episode of The American Dream which will be broadcast on Bloomberg TV. A fun fact about Dawn is that in 2019, she was the winner of the DC Dancing Stars glitterball trophy for her award-winning fox trot.

Chinyere Hubbard serves as President & CEO of the DC Chamber of Commerce representing over 1000 members. As a visionary leader and Washingtonian native, she directs the Chamber's strategic initiatives to strengthen DC's business ecosystem while advocating for policies that reduce operating costs, stimulate growth, and create a thriving economic environment across the District of Columbia.

Hubbard’s leadership encompasses comprehensive advocacy before local government, strategic membership development, business coalition-building, and revenue generation to advance the Chamber's strategic goals. She brings extensive leadership experience spanning the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. Hubbard champions business interests through policy advocacy, strategic partnerships, and value-driven programming. She brings passion for fostering innovation, expanding economic opportunity, and mentoring emerging leaders—all in service of delivering a bold vision for a vibrant and prosperous Washington, DC business community.

Prior to joining the Chamber, she served as Chief Marketing and Strategic Communications Officer at the Greater Washington Partnership, a first-of-its-kind alliance uniting CEOs and C-Suite leaders in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC to collaborate in building a vibrant, economically competitive, and prosperous place to live, work and build a business. In that role, she oversaw marketing and communications efforts across all initiatives to promote the Partnership, board companies and their collective impact in Baltimore through the Richmond corridor. Rooted in growth, the Partnership identifies and addresses the shared opportunities and core challenges facing our region across skills and talent, regional mobility and infrastructure and inclusive economic growth.

Previously, she was the Senior Vice President at Events DC, the District's official convention and sports authority, where she spearheaded business development, communications and marketing initiatives that elevated DC's global profile as a premier destination. Her notable accomplishments included leading crisis communications during the COVID-19 pandemic, developing recovery relief programs for the hospitality industry, orchestrated the press and community engagement strategy for the RFK Stadium Campus redevelopment, directed communications and marketing for major venues including the Entertainment and Sports Arena, Carnegie Library, Marriott Marquis hotel and the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

Her previous experience includes serving as director of public affairs for the DC Sports and Entertainment Commission and producing for major media outlets including NBC's Access Hollywood, "Inside Edition," KCAL 9 News, CNN, Fox News Channel, and C-SPAN.

Hubbard's exceptional leadership has been recognized with prestigious awards including the Gold Stella Award for Women in Business in Communications and Marketing, Women of Inspiration in Sports and Events, and the Capital Emmy for Historical/Cultural Short Form Content.

Earle C. Horton III, Esq., is a distinguished attorney and founding member of Tiber Hudson LLC, a minority-owned boutique law firm with offices in Washington, Baltimore, New York, and Charleston. With over 27 years of experience, Horton specializes in finance, real estate, regulatory, and renewable energy law. He is known for his innovative solutions, shrewd negotiation skills, and successful completion of complex, multi-million-dollar transactions.Horton holds a Juris Doctorate from Howard University School of Law and a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Morehouse College. He is admitted to the bar in both the District of Columbia and Maryland.Throughout his career, Horton has achieved numerous milestones, including being the first to use new market tax credits, historic tax credits, and tax increment financing for the Howard Theater’s renovation. He was also one of the first African Americans elected into the American College of Bond Counsel. His work in renewable energy includes representing Green Banks and negotiating complex contracts for solar energy projects.In addition to his professional accomplishments, Horton is actively involved in community service, serving on the boards of several organizations, including the District of Columbia Chamber of Commerce and Junior Achievement of Greater Washington.Earle C. Horton III continues to make significant contributions to the legal field and his community, leveraging his extensive expertise to drive innovation and economic value.

DigiDoc Inc.’s Chief Executive Officer, Darryl Wiggins, is a social engineer that has uses his knowledge of technology and passion for serving the community to create economically sustainable initiatives’ that impact our community and the region. In 2016, Darryl founded the Committee of 100. The Committee of 100 is a group of men and women dedicated to the support of Ron Brown College Preparatory High School. By raising money and establishing small groups, focused on non-traditional experiences and academic enrichment, the Committee of 100 seeks to enhance the experience of every child that attends Ron Brown High School. Darryl founded the nonprofit, professionals organized with educational resources (P.O.W.E.R), back in 1990. P.O.W.E.R was a 501(c) 3 organized to provide life skills and technical expertise for DC Public school students. Through a program called the Saturday Academy, students from Cardozo High school met every Saturday, at the law firm of Covington and Burling, where they were trained on how to set up a network and work within the Microsoft office Software suite of Products. Darryl went on to further support technical training, within the District Public school system, by establishing the Digital Print Academy; a partnership between Xerox, Document Managers and DCPS’ office Career and Technical Education. As part of this collaboration, students attending Luke C. Moore were trained on how to operate and maintain Xerox digital printing technology. Under the leadership of Pastor Keith Battle, Darryl founded the Zion Entrepreneurial Leadership Academy (ZELA). ZELA provides support for aspiring entrepreneurs. Zion Church holds weekly classes that cover everything from determining market segmentation to learning how to prepare and read Company financials. It has been Darryl’s passion to ensure that technology fulfills its promise of creating economic opportunity and improving the lives of individuals in our most disenfranchised communities.

Margarita is a dynamic entrepreneur with a strong background in scientific research. She is the founder behind Latin Goodness Foods, a company dedicated to providing clean and better-for-you food options that celebrate the vibrant traditions of Hispanic cuisine while also empowering underserved women in the community.

At the heart of their offerings is the flagship brand, MasPanadas, which reimagines the beloved "Hot Pocket" with a Latin and nutritious twist. These convenient and microwavable snacks or light meals are packed with protein, fiber, and vegetables, making them a versatile choice for any occasion, whether it's a relaxing evening with a glass of wine or a quick energy boost during a busy day. Latin Goodness Foods has garnered recognition and accolades for its innovative approach. In 2022, Margarita was honored as the Small Business Leader of the Year by the Washington Business Journal's CEOs of the Year Awards. She was also distinguished as a recipient of the prestigious EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ for the Mid-Atlantic region. Additionally, Latin Goodness Foods was recognized as one of the Most Disruptive MBA Startups by Poets & Quants in 2019.

Margarita's inspiring journey as an entrepreneur has been featured in BBC Stories, highlighting her resilience and commitment to making a positive impact through her business.

Comcast Business Spotlight
David Coombs, Director of Business Services for Comcast Mid Atlantic Region
Mar 22, 2024

David Coombs is the Sr. Director of Business Services for Comcast Mid Atlantic Region. His Business Services teams provide Internet, Mobile, TV, Voice Services, VoIP Phone Systems, Network Security, and other Advanced services on Coax and Fiber to businesses in the Comcast region. By working closely with business and property owners, municipalities, and developers, the Comcast Business Services team works diligently to expand services and geographic network coverage in Delaware, Maryland, District of Columbia, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Prior to joining Comcast in 2011, David spent thirteen years with Sprint as the Region GM for Wireless, Wireline, and Local Telco for Virginia and Eastern North Carolina.

Shawn Townsend, RAMW President & CEO, is a veteran communicator and leader with a career dedicated to building trusted expertise in public-private partnerships. No stranger to the restaurant world, he grew up in the industry in his father’s restaurant.

Gerren Price, a visionary leader with over 15 years of experience in public and non-profit management, currently serves as the President and CEO of the DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID). His journey is marked by a deep commitment to community well-being, economic vitality, and innovative urban planning.