Unlocking Success With Your DC Network
The Insider's Guide to The Greater Washington DC Business Network
👋 Good morning, Greater DC! Welcome to The DC Networker, a local newsletter serving 67,268 professionals in the Greater Washington DC business community.
In today’s issue:
👀 Maryland to review 10K disadvantaged businesses under federal anti-DEI rules
⚠️ NOVA business leaders express concerns about the economy
⭐ How a 60-Minute Netwinar Sparked 523 Referrals That Changed Lives
💼 Top Job Postings and Job Seekers in Greater Washington, DC
📈 DMV organizations looking for Video Services, financial processing services, professional engineering services, grounds maintenance, and more
✅ $1M Grant in Maryland, Community Investment Fund Grant Program, DSLBD “DC Main Streets Grant Program, and more
🔎 What are the top tips for doing business in Washington, DC?
📅 Register for DMV networking events
👨💻 And more …
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COMMUNITY
🍇 The DC Grapevine
The Business Buzz around Greater Washington, DC
NOVA business leaders express concerns about the economy (Read)
Maryland to review 10,000 disadvantaged businesses under new federal anti-DEI rules (Read)
Virginia American Water Files Rate Request Driven by More Than $115 Million in Investment (Read)
Jabil to pay $750M for energy management company (Read)
Exelon wants to build a power plant in Maryland, reversing decades of deregulation policy (Read)
VFP, INC., Invests $35 Million to Expand Operations in Scott County, VA (Read)
Potomac Surpasses $3 Billion in Assets, Names Dan Russo, CMT, Co-Chief Investment Officer (Read)
Maryland School for the Blind launches $65.5M campus renovation project (Read)
Amazon Buys Northern Virginia Data Center Site for Record $700 Million (Read)
Report Shows Maryland Trailing Region in Economic Outlook (Read)
INSIGHTS
⭐ Deep Dive
How a 60-Minute Netwinar Sparked 523 Referrals That Changed Lives
It might not end up in the Guinness Book of Records (then again, who knows?), but I was thrilled to lead an event that delivered results unlike anything I’d ever seen before.
As the number of participants poured into my Netwinar on Zoom, I became increasingly nervous.
The Zoom waiting room kept ticking up… 37, 45, 56. My excitement suddenly turned to panic. Soon, sixty people were ready to log into my netwinar, and I knew Zoom only allowed 50 Advanced Polls.
This wasn’t your typical Zoom webinar with hundreds of attendees. This was a netwinar (“net winner” = part webinar + part networking) where every participant needed time to speak, connect, and complete their polls for each other.
Needless to say… I was in trouble …
CAREERS
💼 Greater DC at Work
Workplace Highlights in Greater Washington, DC
In the Washington, D.C.‑area job market, several recent developments are raising concerns: Federal employment in the region has dropped roughly 4.5 % (≈ 17,000 jobs) in the first half of 2025, outpacing national declines.
🔥 TOP JOB POSTINGS
Business Development Senior Manager - CTJ - Top Secret at Microsoft
💵 $106K– $223K/yr. | 📍 Washington, DC (Apply)Technology Sales/BDM at Katalyst Space Technologies
💵 $110K–$170K/yr. | 📍 Washington, DC (Apply)Sales BDM at Software Placement Group
💵 $135K–$200K/yr. | 📍 Washington, DC (Apply)
👀 TOP JOB SEEKERS
Scott Schechter, Member Board of Directors, Business Banker, Vice President
👉 Seasoned and experienced Business Banker actively seeking employment |📍 Bel Air, MD (Profile)
Wilfred Keats, Principal, Accessibility Consultant
👉 Seeking for new opportunities |📍 Washington, DC (Profile)
Ashley Gletner, Customer Service and Inside Sales Representative
👉 Seeking for new opportunities |📍 Silver Spring, MD (Profile)
SALES
📈 Greater DC Leads
Who's Buying in DMV Right Now?
Video Remote ASL Interpretation Services needed at Maryland Judiciary (Link)
City of Rockville, Maryland, is seeking consultant assistance to perform professional engineering services (Link)
Create five (5) Power BI Data Visualization Dashboards for AOC in Maryland
Grounds Maintenance Services for the IHS, Mid-Atlantic Tribal Health Center (Link)
County of Loudoun, Virginia needs a variety of financial processing services to include, but not limited to, credit card processing, recurring payments, and electronic check (E-check) payments (Link)
SUPPORT
✅ DMV Resources
Helpful Tools & Positive Developments in Greater Washington, DC
$1M Grant from the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund (MSCRF) Powers Novel Adipose Tissue Allograft Therapy for Osteoarthritis (Read)
FY25 Ward 8 Community Investment Fund Grant Program (Read)
Special Event Relief Fund (Read)
DSLBD “DC Main Streets Grant Program (Read)
Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (Read)
Department of Small and Local Business Development (Read)
KNOWLEDGE🔎DMV Insights
AI-Powered Business Tips & Trends for DMV Professionals
What are the top tips for doing business in Washington, DC?
1. Understand the Government-Driven Market - DC’s biggest “industry” is government—federal agencies, regulatory bodies, contractors, and nonprofits
2. Master the Networking Culture - DC runs on relationships, introductions, and trust circles.
3. Be Policy-Aware and Current - Even private-sector deals are influenced by legislation and agency priorities.
4. Leverage DC’s Global Footprint - Five blocks can take you from a U.S. Chamber meeting to an embassy reception.
5. Embrace Professional Form & Etiquette - DC culture is buttoned-up compared to other U.S. hubs
NETWORKING
📅 DMV Events
Top Business & Networking Events in Greater Washington, DC
🤝 11/07 DMVs GREATEST: NETWORKING MIXER Event | Business Networking (Register)
🤝 11/08 DOPE, BLACK & BRUNCHIN’: A Branding and Networking Experience Event | Business Networking (Register)
🤝 11/09 Sonne Daes | Open Studio + Creative Networking Ice Cream Social Event | Business Networking (Register)
🤝 11/13 A POWER NETWORK Event | Business Networking (Register)
🤝 11/15 Pretty Connected: A Generation Next Networking Event | Business Networking (Register)
🤝 11/18 Afro Descendants & Friends Networking Event | Business Networking (Register)
🤝 11/20 Veterans Connect Networking Event | Business Networking (Register)
💻 11/20 Empowered Coach Referral Network- Virtual Networking Event | Zoom (Register)
🤝 12/28 Blunt & Brunch Networking Event | Business Networking (Register)
🤝= In Person, 💻 = Virtual
Thank you for being part of our Greater Washington DC business community!
Have a great weekend!
- Mike
👀 WHERE TO FIND ME
Substack: https://www.thestrategicnetworker.com