U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

29–529 WASHINGTON : 2018

COMMUNITY SUPPORT: ENTREPRENEURIAL 

DEVELOPMENT AND BEYOND 

HEARING 

BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON INVESTIGATIONS, 

OVERSIGHT, AND REGULATIONS 

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS 

UNITED STATES 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS 

SECOND SESSION 

HEARING HELD 

APRIL 12, 2018 

Small Business Committee Document Number 115–066 

Available via the GPO Website: www.fdsys.gov 

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Congress.#13
(II) 

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS 

STEVE CHABOT, Ohio, Chairman 

STEVE KING, Iowa 

BLAINE LUETKEMEYER, Missouri 

DAVE BRAT, Virginia 

AUMUA AMATA COLEMAN RADEWAGEN, American Samoa 

STEVE KNIGHT, California 

TRENT KELLY, Mississippi 

ROD BLUM, Iowa 

JAMES COMER, Kentucky 

JENNIFFER GONZA ́ LEZ-COLO ́ N, Puerto Rico 

BRIAN FITZPATRICK, Pennsylvania 

ROGER MARSHALL, Kansas 

RALPH NORMAN, South Carolina 

JOHN CURTIS, Utah 

NYDIA VELA ́ ZQUEZ, New York, Ranking Member 

DWIGHT EVANS, Pennsylvania 

STEPHANIE MURPHY, Florida 

AL LAWSON, JR., Florida 

YVETTE CLARK, New York 

JUDY CHU, California 

ALMA ADAMS, North Carolina 

ADRIANO ESPAILLAT, New York 

BRAD SCHNEIDER, Illinois 

VACANT 

KEVIN FITZPATRICK, Majority Staff Director 

JAN OLIVER, Majority Deputy Staff Director and Chief Counsel 

ADAM MINEHARDT, Staff Director 

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C O N T E N T S 

OPENING STATEMENTS 

Page 

Hon. Trent Kelly ...................................................................................................... 1 

Hon. Alma Adams .................................................................................................... 2 

WITNESSES 

Mr. Ara Bagdasarian, CEO, Omnilert, Leesburg, VA, testifying on behalf 

of America’s SBDC ............................................................................................... 5 

Mr. Derrick Braziel, Founding Partner & Managing Director, MORTAR Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, testifying on behalf of SCORE ................................... 7 

Ms. Stephanie Carter, President, SCB Management Consulting, Upper Marlboro, MD, testifying on behalf of the Association of Women’s Business 

Centers .................................................................................................................. 9 

Ms. Tamara Bryant, Director, Veterans Business Outreach Center at Fayetteville State University, Fayetteville, NC ............................................................. 11 

APPENDIX 

Prepared Statements: 

Mr. Ara Bagdasarian, CEO, Omnilert, Leesburg, VA, testifying on behalf 

of America’s SBDC ........................................................................................ 21 

Mr. Derrick Braziel, Founding Partner & Managing Director, MORTAR 

Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, testifying on behalf of SCORE ...................... 26 

Ms. Stephanie Carter, President, SCB Management Consulting, Upper 

Marlboro, MD, testifying on behalf of the Association of Women’s Business Centers .................................................................................................. 30 

Ms. Tamara Bryant, Director, Veterans Business Outreach Center at 

Fayetteville State University, Fayetteville, NC ......................................... 36 

Questions for the Record: 

None. 

Answers for the Record: 

None. 

Additional Material for the Record: 

None. 

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COMMUNITY SUPPORT: ENTREPRENEURIAL 

DEVELOPMENT AND BEYOND 

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2018 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS, SUBCOMMITTEE ON INVESTIGATIONS, OVERSIGHT, AND

REGULATIONS

Washington, DC. 

The Subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 11:00 a.m., in Room 

2360, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Trent Kelly [chairman 

of the Subcommittee] presiding. 

Present: Representatives Kelly, Chabot, Marshall, Norman, and 

Adams. 

Chairman KELLY. Good morning. I call today’s Subcommittee on 

Investigations, Oversight, and Regulations hearing to order. 

I would like to thank everyone for joining us. The importance of 

small businesses in supporting the United States economy cannot 

be overstated. With 29.6 million small business employing 47.8 percent of the workforce, small business success is essential to the economic well-being of both individual communities throughout the 

country, as well as our Nation overall. 

While there are many factors that contribute to the success of a 

small business, one factor that is often overlooked is the community-small business relationship. This relationship is complex and 

reciprocal, requiring effort and support from both the community 

and the small businesses to achieve mutual success. Today’s hearing will focus on understanding the community-small business relationship, the resources currently available to foster this important 

relationship, and areas for resource expansion in the future. When 

we are talking about the community-small business relationship, 

all sources of community are important. Some of the most business 

centric communities are found within the Small Business Administration, or SBA’s, Entrepreneurial Development programs. My 

home state of Mississippi is fortunate to have a Women’s Business 

Center, a Veterans Business Outreach Center, or VBOC, multiple 

SCORE chapters, and Small Business Development Centers. These 

entrepreneurial development communities, along with many others, 

have been integral to the success of Mississippi’s 252,000 small 

businesses. 

Why are these and other communities so important? Statistically, a small business owner who is involved in a community and 

has the support of the community, is significantly more likely to receive patronage, promotion, assistance, and advice from that community. Many small business owners rely on communities, such 

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the SBA’s Entrepreneurial Development programs, to offer them 

the knowledge and resources they need to be successful. Conversely, many communities rely on the success of small business to 

survive and thrive. A successful small business provides 3.7 times 

more direct local economic benefit than a large non-local business. 

Clearly, understanding and fostering this relationship is vital to 

not only the small businesses and communities involved, but to the 

economic well-being of our Nation. 

Our witnesses today will speak to their experiences regarding the 

community-small business relationship, both in terms of the communities found in the SBA’s Entrepreneurial Development programs, as well as those found elsewhere. I look forward to hearing 

their stories and their advice on what Congress can do better to 

provide small businesses and communities with the resources they 

need to succeed. I now yield to Ranking Member, Ms. Adams, for 

her opening statement. 

Ms. ADAMS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to all of 

the witnesses for being here today. Mr. Chairman, thank you for 

holding this important hearing regarding the SBA resources available in our communities. 

The SBA administers a portfolio of Entrepreneurial Development 

programs, including Small Business Development Centers, Women’s Business Centers, the Service Corps of Retired Executives, or 

SCORE, and Veterans Business Outreach Programs. These initiatives provide aspiring entrepreneurs and existing businesses with 

invaluable counseling, training, technical assistance, and 

mentorship. This hearing gives us the opportunity to celebrate the 

role of SBA resources partners in the diverse ways they serve our 

country and learn more about how they tailor their offerings to 

their unique communities. 

Whether it is help creating a business plan, navigating the procurement process, marketing a new product, or identifying international trade opportunities, the SBA’s Entrepreneurial Development Programs provide an array of services to help small firms 

navigate regulatory obstacles, grow, and thrive. Entrepreneurs, 

therefore, significantly benefit from having tools to identify, fiscally 

plan for, and maintain critical business improvements. 

Small business owners located throughout the country, including 

in underserved rural and inner city communities, also benefit from 

accessible, affordable technical assistance. This reduces their isolation from buyers and other businesses. 

In addition to outreach, hands-on counseling is critical for businesses to obtain information pertinent to their local market and capacities. This is why the SBA Entrepreneurial Development programs are so critical to our local communities. As an example, the 

Agency’s network of Small Business Development Centers is one 

such program. They operate in nearly 1000 locations across the 

country, located at colleges, universities, Chambers of Commerce, 

and local economic development corporations, allowing them to harness local community resources. In a single year, this initiative has 

helped more than 17,000 entrepreneurs launch new businesses, advised nearly 200,000 clients, provided training sessions for over 

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nancing. Clearly, this program is vital, it is a vital part of our Nation’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. 

The SBA has also undertaken efforts to connect younger entrepreneurs with more experienced businessmen and women through 

the SCORE program, an expansive network of entrepreneurs, business leaders, and executives who volunteer as mentors to small 

firms, both in-person and online. SCORE has become one of the 

federal government’s largest volunteer business advisor and mentoring programs with over 11,000 business professionals at over 

320 chapters nationwide. By offering advice from real world professionals, SCORE is helping many business owners within all categories of the entrepreneurial community. 

Small businesses are as diverse as our Nation and the SBA has 

entrepreneurial development initiatives targeted at specific demographic groups. 

Women’s Business Centers, or WBCs, are a critical initiative for 

female entrepreneurs. WBCs provide in-depth counseling, training, 

and mentoring to small firms, resulting in substantial economic impact as measured by successful business startups, job creation and 

retention, and increased company revenues. Women business owners have used this program to develop business plans, obtain financing, and expand their operations. As more women turn to entrepreneurship as a career path, it is critical this initiative remain 

in place to close those gaps. 

And, finally, there are a range of SBA programs targeted at our 

veterans, most notably the Veterans Business Outreach Centers, 

which serve over 60,000 clients each year. The VBOC program, 

along with Boots to Business and other veteran-oriented initiatives, 

ensure that our service members have the tools they need to go 

into business for themselves. There are currently 20 VBOCs responsible for ensuring veterans’ access to capital through marketing and outreach efforts. Most importantly, they promote veterans for federal procurement opportunities to ensure three percent 

of federal prime contracts and subcontracts go to service-disabled 

veteran-owned small businesses. 

The SBA programs are key to helping business owners remain 

competitive in a global market. It is critical that we consider ways 

to legislatively strengthen SBA Entrepreneurial Development Programs; we do so with our local communities in mind. 

Today’s hearing will focus on the efforts within each of the SBA 

programs regarding community outreach. It also gives Members 

the chance to hear about the challenges they face in developing 

their networks and assisting local small businesses adapt to a rapidly changing economy. 

I look forward to the witnesses’ insight, and I want to thank you 

all for being here today. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back. 

Chairman KELLY. I thank the gentlelady. I also want to recognize our full Committee Chair. Chairman Chabot is here and at the 

hearing. And also I just want to thank our Ranking Member, Ms. 

Adams. She is such a joy and this is such a great Committee to 

be on. She is a joy to work with, both in Committee and outside 

of Committee on legislation that we work together on. And I just 

think that it is quite an honor to be on a Committee where there 

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we still like each other in some of these jobs. So I just want to 

thank our Ranking Member. 

And to the panel today, if Committee members have an opening 

statement prepared, I ask that they submitted for the record. I 

would like to take a moment to explain the timing lights for you. 

You each have 5 minutes to deliver your testimony. The light will 

start out green. When you have 1 minute remaining, it will go to 

yellow, and when it turns red your time is up. Now, I will give you 

a little bit of time, by you all have got remember I have got a little 

military in me, so I may tap you out. So try to adhere to the time 

limit as much as you can, but if you go a little bit over we will be 

understanding. 

And, with that, our first witness is Mr. Ara Bagdasarian. Mr. 

Bagdasarian is a CEO and Co-Founder of Omnilert, an emergency 

alert and notification systems company. In 2011 he authored the 

book, The Lemonade Stand a why-to book for entrepreneurs that 

later led to his founding of the Lemonhead Council. The 

Lemonhead Council serves as an advisory board of entrepreneurs, 

helping entrepreneurs. Mr. Bagdasarian is an active member of his 

community, serving on the board of a number of organizations, including the George Mason University Enterprise Center and the 

United Way of the National Capital Area. He is testifying on behalf 

of America’s SBDC, the association that represents America’s nationwide network of Small Business Development Centers. 

Thank you for joining us today, Mr. Bagdasarian. 

I now yield to Chairman Steve Chabot, Chairman of the full 

Committee to introduce our next witness. 

Mr. CHABOT. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. And I am 

very pleased to introduce Derrick Braziel, who is the co-founder 

and managing director of MORTAR Cincinnati business accelerator 

in my district, in Cincinnati. The mission of MORTAR is to ‘‘enable 

underserved entrepreneurs and businesses to succeed, creating opportunities to build communities through entrepreneurship’’. And 

they really do provide and fight for that mission on a daily basis. 

Mr. Braziel and his many talented colleagues have created an outstanding organization, which continues to assist in bringing economic growth and opportunity to many of Cincinnati’s neighborhoods. 

Prior to his time at MORTAR, Mr. Braziel worked as the director 

of civil projects at Lewis & Clark Co. and the project manager at 

Strive Together. He also co-founded Dreamapolis, and entrepreneurial development nonprofit located in Indianapolis, Indiana. 

He is testifying on behalf of SCORE, the Nation’s largest network of volunteer expert business mentors, with more than 10,000 

volunteers in 300 chapters across the country. 

We thank you very much, Mr. Braziel, for being here today and 

look forward to visiting you all in the past, both there and here in 

Washington. And we are looking forward to your testimony. 

Thank you. I yield back, Mr. Chairman. 

Chairman KELLY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Our next witness 

is Ms. Stephanie Carter. Ms. Carter is the president of SCB Management Consulting, Inc., a public and private sector financial and 

operation strategy and implementation consultation practice. SCB 

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Management Consulting is also certified as both a women’s business enterprise and a women-owned small business. 

Ms. Carter brings 25 years of experience to her current role, having previously worked at companies such as Pricewaterhouse Cooper, CIGNA, and Resources Global Professionals. She is testifying 

on behalf of the Association of Women’s Business Centers, which 

works to secure entrepreneurial opportunities for women by supporting and sustaining a national network of over 100 Women’s 

Business Centers. 

Thank you for being here, Ms. Carter. 

I now yield to Ms. Adams to introduce the final witness. 

Ms. ADAMS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is my pleasure to introduce Ms. Tamara Bryant, the director for Veterans Business 

Outreach Center at Fayetteville State University, in my home 

State. 

Ms. Bryant previously owned and operated a trucking company 

while also holding a position as director of the Small Business Center at Fayetteville Community College. Under her leadership, 

FTCC’s Small Business Center was recognized with the Small 

Business Center Excellence Award for innovation in programs and 

services in 2013 and in 2015. During those years she also received 

Direct of the Year Award. And in 2017, under Ms. Bryant’s leadership, FTCC received a national award from the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship for College of Excellence. 

Ms. Bryant earned her degree from Fayetteville State University—she is a Bronco—and her master’s degree from Central Michigan University. 

Welcome, Ms. Bryant; thank you for being here. 

Chairman KELLY. Thank you again to our Ranking Member, 

Ms. Adams. 

And, with that, Mr. Bagdasarian, you are recognized for 5 minutes to deliver your statement. You may begin. 

STATEMENTS OF ARA BAGDASARIAN, CEO, OMNILERT; DERRICK BRAZIEL, FOUNDING PARTNER & MANAGING DIRECTOR, MORTAR CINCINNATI; STEPHANIE CARTER, PRESIDENT, SCB MANAGEMENT CONSULTING; TAMARA BRYANT, 

DIRECTOR, VETERANS BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER 

STATEMENT OF ARA BAGDASARIAN 

Mr. BAGDASARIAN. Thank you. I would like to begin by thanking the Congressional Small Business Committee for inviting me to 

testify today, on behalf of America’s Small Business Development 

Centers, to share a few of my thoughts on the impact of community 

support for entrepreneurial development. 

As a serial entrepreneur, who founded his first enterprise before 

the age of ten, I believe that the opportunities for small businesses 

to innovate on a local, national, even global scale, have never been 

better than they are today. I say this not just because I am an 

unyielding optimist, but because I cannot think of a time in the 

whole of human history when such a wealth of resources and technologies were so readily available to anyone with a will and that 

most precious resource of all: an idea. 

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I am the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Omnilert, the 

world’s first emergency notification system for colleges and university campuses; though our customer base has since expanded to include private enterprise, government, and nonprofits from all 

across the country. As a company founder, I have developed a keen 

appreciation for the obstacles and challenges one must endure 

when embarking upon such a venture. In fact, a few years back, 

I took it to task to distill my experiences into a book, titled The 

Lemonade Stand, which I co-authored. The Lemonade Stand is, 

simply put, the why-to book on entrepreneurship; a memoir based 

my own, real-world experience, revelations, successes, and, of 

course, ?failures. 

I have also served as a chairman for the Town of Leesburg, Virginia’s Economic Development Commission, a post that I held for 

seven years, and am on numerous local and regional advisory 

boards, whose purpose are to advocate for entrepreneurship. It is 

from this vantage point that I have seen the positive returns that 

result when a community invests in and supports entrepreneurial 

development. 

That is why I was stumped when, ten years ago, I was asked for 

a Town of Leesburg marketing campaign why the town would be 

a good destination for entrepreneurs. I am embarrassed to admit 

that I could not think of a single reason other than the fact that 

our town was a ‘‘quaint, idyllic community’’. We had all the standard small business resources, a Small Business Development Center, SCORE, and a Chamber of Commerce, however, we did not 

have a community that was systematically supportive of local entrepreneurship. This realization led to a concerted effort on my 

part, and that of many others, to start building the infrastructure 

for an entrepreneurship ecosystem: a shared effort between community partners, both private and public, that was assembled program by program. The fruits of this effort, I believe, have yielded 

a model that can be replicated in large and small communities 

across America. 

It is through this model, and others like it, that communities suffering from high unemployment or the uprooting of key industry 

can plant the seeds of entrepreneurship and cultivate the growth 

of new businesses, through proper education and a supportive, local 

infrastructure. Much like civic infrastructure, such as highways or 

the power grid, communities can build and develop infrastructure 

to harness great ideas that solve problems to power the economy. 

We have taken significant steps in Loudoun County Virginia to 

build this ecosystem. And the three core aspects of this infrastructure are: entrepreneurship education. This means learning how to 

view problems as opportunities, knowing how to develop an idea to 

something real and tangible, and learning how to fail and how to 

learn from failure to build a world view that embraces challenges. 

Secondly, resources. A network of systems and programs that support the planning, creation, launch, and operations of a new venture. And, thirdly, community, which is developed by proactively 

creating opportunities to connect and discover synergies with one 

another through events, engagements, and other programs designed exclusively for founders and supporters. 

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My written testimony outlines some of these key programs that 

we have implemented for each of these components. 

I believe that building the infrastructure to support the development of entrepreneurship is well within the means of every community in America, be it large or small. But the decision to go boldly forward is too often hindered by a fear of change, or a desire to 

hang on to the industries and ways of the past. Ironically, it was 

by embracing change that the great American industries of the 

past and present even came to exist. But in a world that the only 

constant is change itself, I believe that congress has a purview and 

responsibility to provide the incentives and support that will help 

the American entrepreneurs continue to lead the world in innovation and industry. That’s why I believe it should advocate for the 

building for infrastructure for entrepreneurship through championing entrepreneurship education, support programs, and community engagement. 

Once this framework is built, an entrepreneurial ecosystem will 

develop and flourish incrementally. But this must be a deliberate 

effort requiring deliberate undertaking, requiring the participation 

of current entrepreneurs, businesses, communities and education 

leaders; as well as public sector cooperation, advocacy, and resources. 

Of course, what works in Leesburg may not work in Oxford, Mississippi or Charlotte, North Carolina. Every community has its own 

unique strengths and assets, but the ideas I have been grateful to 

present through my testimony amount to a framework of sorts for 

communities to empower its most resourceful and motivated to be 

a catalyst for positive economic and community change. There are 

thousands of communities around the world filled with smart, passionate individuals with brilliant ideas. We can all advocate for an 

initiative to develop entrepreneurship in America, and it all starts 

with the local community level. 

I thank the Chairman and Subcommittee members for the opportunity to testify this morning. Thank you. 

Chairman KELLY. Thank you, Mr. Bagdasarian. And I now recognize Mr. Braziel for 5 minutes. 

STATEMENT OF ARA BRAZIEL 

Mr. BRAZIEL. Chairman Chabot, Subcommittee Chairman 

Kelly, Ranking Member Adams, members of the Subcommittee and 

members of the full Committee, thank you for inviting me today 

and for the opportunity to offer testimony on the work of MORTAR, 

and more specifically, the value of our partnership with SCORE. 

Today I would like to share why I believe that MORTAR and our 

partnership with SCORE, a national nonprofit that mentors aspiring and existing entrepreneurs, represents our best chance for everyone, regardless of background, to achieve full participation in 

the American dream. 

Founded in 2014, MORTAR works to create diverse communities 

by enabling historically marginalized entrepreneurs to access the 

resources needed to start and run successful businesses. Utilizing 

nontraditional methods, we take risks on an entrepreneur’s abilities to start and grow businesses where others may not, providing 

an unparalleled connection to technical assistance, pop-up retail 

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spaces to test ideas, and flexible ‘‘friends and family’’-styled microloans to grow businesses. Our business academy, for example, 

which works with mostly low-income, African American entrepreneurs, has a 96 percent graduation rate and is considered a 

model program across the country. 

We exist because we believe that there are minority men and 

women all across our country, especially in our inner cities, with 

an undeniable amount of world-changing talent. People like my father, Dennis, who through athletic potential was adopted by his 

white high school football coach, giving him the opportunity to become the first person in his family to graduate from college, to become a published author, and father three amazing kids; one of 

them, my twin brother named Desmond Braziel, is serving our 

country as a Captain in the United States Army. 

Another example is MORTAR graduate Means Cameron. Last 

Friday, I met with Means, the owner of one of America’s hottest 

clothing brands, Black Owned, and his SCORE counselor, Jim 

Stahly. And if you are nice to me, I promise to bring you all a tshirt. They were meeting with me because Means, despite being 

college educated and the founder of a successful, hip street wear 

company, needed access to capital to grow his business. To see Jim, 

a white seasoned business executive, working with Means, an African American millennial entrepreneur from the inner city, 

seamlessly working through a sophisticated business plan, brought 

tears to my eyes. Jim’s experience, coupled with Means’ resourcefulness and MORTAR’s resources, will help Means continue to succeed. 

The reality is that many people like Means will never have an 

opportunity for their dreams to be realized without support from 

organizations like MORTAR and SCORE. Our partnership with 

SCORE has helped MORTAR graduates to exceed national business averages. 

For example, we know that of the 170 graduates of MORTAR’s 

program, 132 are still in business, with 71 percent engaged in our 

alumni support network. We estimate that in the past year alone 

our entrepreneurs have added $1 million to our regional economy. 

One graduate, Brian Jackson, is on pace to open Cincinnati’s first 

black-owned brewery. 

The work of MORTAR is just getting started. We recognize that 

by partnering with organizations like SCORE, great things can 

happen. In four short years, we have worked together to offer 13 

of our accelerated courses in 5 Cincinnati communities, and every 

graduate has received a mentor from SCORE. We have opened 

three additional pop-up spaces and SCORE continues to help us 

evaluate the feasibility of future expansion opportunities. In addition, we are applying our framework in Milwaukee, testing our approach to community and economic development for the first time 

outside of Cincinnati. We recognize the power in bringing together 

people of different backgrounds around a common shared passion 

for entrepreneurship. As a result, we have forged lifetime bonds between people who may have never met otherwise. 

Moving forward, our plan is to continue partnering with SCORE, 

working to teach entrepreneurship in communities where the next 

Steve Jobs, Kanye West, or Walt Disney may live. We see a counSBREP-219A with DISTILLER

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try where with a MORTAR on every inner city corner, where the 

crazy dreamers who see the world differently will be encouraged, 

inspired and trained to change the world. 

Thank you for again for your time and for allowing me to testify. 

I am happy to answer any questions. 

Chairman KELLY. Thank you, Mr. Braziel. And thank your twin 

brother for his service to this great Nation. I am always impressed 

with those who choose to do that. 

Ms. Carter, you are now recognized for 5 minutes. 

STATEMENT OF STEPHANIE CARTER 

Ms. CARTER. Thank you, Chairman Kelly, Ranking Member 

Adams, and distinguished members of the Subcommittee, for the 

opportunity to share this testimony with you. 

My name is Stephanie Carter, and I am founder and president 

of SCB Management Consulting, whose core services are program 

and project management, risk management, strategic planning and 

business process improvement as a subcontractor for the federal 

government and private sector organizations. 

I am testifying today on behalf of the Association of Women’s 

Business Centers, which supports the national network of 107 

WBCs throughout the United States. 

As you know, the WBC program is a public-private partnership 

with 30 years of success in providing training, counseling, mentoring, and access to capital to women entrepreneurs across the 

country. Women in businesses, like me and SCB. 

Today’s hearing is a needed discussion. Too often we do not fully 

recognize the factors at the periphery of traditional business creation, despite their importance. I believe that the community fostered by the WBCs is playing a key role in my success, and its replication can only mean good things for women entrepreneurs nationwide. 

Business success is predicated on a host of factors, ranging from 

the expertise of the business owner, to wisdom of the business 

plan, to the ability to access capital, to picking the right location 

or marketing, to hiring the right staff. What is undeniable, however, is that those businesses that have a network of support behind them fare better than those without. In my view, here are a 

few reasons why. 

First, a network allows you to problem solve the early crises of 

launching and growing a business. Along the way, whether its incorporation or tax questions, to the logistics of office space or your 

first hire, there are myriad challenges in every business. When you 

have a network of fellow entrepreneurs you can collectively solve, 

and even anticipate, many of these issues. Second, a strong community helps identify new opportunities. Every business, whether 5 

minutes or 5 generations old, is seeking new opportunities. A community that understands your business and its offerings is incredibly helpful in spotlighting business development. Similarly, it also 

allows for teaming of entrepreneurs who may collectively offer an 

innovative solution to the market than individually is not available. Finally, and perhaps the hardest to define but also the most 

important, a community and network gives you the confidence to 

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become an entrepreneur and the persistence to thrive after that 

business is created. 

All three of these were true for my business. I launched my business after nearly 20 years in corporate consulting and internal 

leadership roles. While I had the business, finance, and operations 

foundation of my Duke MBA and corporate roles, there were many 

aspects of entrepreneurship that I felt I needed including legal, tax, 

sales and marketing. I initially enrolled in entrepreneur and business planning courses with the Women’s Business Development 

Center in Center City Philadelphia in early 2016. 

Once I was in the Washington DC area, and with the public sector being one of the greatest opportunities for consulting, I embarked on learning as much as I could. I took my first seminar 

with the WBC in July 2017. During that session, I learned about 

other WBC courses including the procurement series offered by 

Prince Georges County and Montgomery County. I started that sixpart series in August 2017 because it offered a host of information 

about accessing the public sector market. The series culminated 

with a matchmaking session with procurement specialists in November. 

I enrolled in the procurement series for the business development 

information, however, I gained so many relationships that ultimately formed a community of support for my business. The WBC 

counselor who facilitated the series has become a great ongoing resource for business development opportunities, as well as other information. I forged a partnership with one of the speakers who noticed during my ‘‘elevator pitch’’, that we may have some synergies, 

and currently pursuing business development opportunities together. I included one of the procurement series participants, who 

is just starting her consulting business, in a recent bid of mine. 

Public sector panelists have been very accessible and helpful in 

gaining a greater understanding of their respective organizations. 

It also is not just the network at the WBCs alone that has provided benefit. I learned of other networks at the WBC that I should 

engage and have expanded my ability to grow my business through 

them. I learned through the WBC courses that an effective market 

penetrator for new entrepreneurs such as myself are Woman and 

Minority certifications. As a newly certified WBE and MBE, I regularly attend informational and matchmaking sessions offered by 

the certifying agencies. I also attend a variety of forums, including 

those by the State of Maryland, ‘‘Ready, Set, Grow’’ monthly informational sessions offered by the Governor’s Office that also offer 

the opportunity to meet industry leaders. As a result, I have begun 

to forge new relationships in the public sector. 

One of the first questions I often receive in these networks is 

‘‘where do you live?’’ People are consistently shocked that I have 

traveled from Calvert County, which is in southern Maryland, to 

Baltimore, Columbia, Northern Virginia, et cetera, to attend an 

event. However, opportunities for the information and access that 

I need generally are not offered in Southern Maryland. 

My example is not unique. Companies hover around these networks and we must do a better job of creating communities of support in areas that need business growth the most. 

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Similarly, we must continue to enhance the WBC program at 

SBA. With jurisdiction over the program, this Committee has the 

opportunity to make the benefits I have experienced more widespread. The limitations of an outdated authorization are evident in 

the day-to-day experiences of these centers. 

I encourage policymakers to consider legislation that would allow 

for more flexibility for WBCs, particularly eliminating the many 

burdens they face and choose not to operate in certain areas. 

The role of AWBC, who I am representing here today, should 

also be leveraged. Through statute, we should build on the best 

practices of other resource partners and allow for accreditation. 

Part of this process would ensure that every WBC has the skilled 

resources to develop communities of support for women business 

owners. 

Finally, Congress should increase the visibility of the WBC program. I encourage this Committee to use its extensive media abilities to talk about WBCs. The more we do that, the larger the community of support becomes. 

With the help of Congress, the SBA, and the WBC, I believe we 

can continue to build a community of support that will allow 

women entrepreneurs and small business owners around the country to realize their full entrepreneurial potential and contribute significant economic growth and job creation. 

Thank you again for this opportunity to testify. 

Chairman KELLY. Thank you, Ms. Carter. And I now recognize 

Ms. Bryant for 5 minutes. 

STATEMENT OF TAMARA BRYANT 

Ms. BRYANT. Good morning. I would like to thank Ranking 

Member Alma Adams and Chairman Trent Kelly for the invitation 

to share with you the Veterans Business Outreach 

Center programs and services. 

Again, my name is Tamara Bryant. I am the director of the Veterans Business Outreach Center at Fayetteville State University, 

serving the States of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Kentucky. The Veterans Business Outreach Center, also called VBOC, 

is one the Small Business Administration’s program that provides 

business training, counseling and SBA resource partner referrals to 

active duty service members, National Guard and Reserve personnel, veterans, and military spouses interested in starting or 

growing a small business. 

VBOC entrepreneurial program development programs is collaborations of resources and partnerships are critical success factors for 

VBOC’s mission and to help increase the success rate of Veteranowned businesses. 

VBOC is hosted by at Fayetteville State University College of 

Business and Economics, a historically black college university, and 

it is known for its support of military-affiliated students through 

serving large numbers of active duty soldiers, their spouses and 

families, as well as veterans. This collaboration with FSU is a natural fit for VBOC’s target customers. It has allowed VBOC the opportunity to collaborate and partner in the College of Business and 

Economics Entrepreneurship Programs, such as small business 

consulting teams. The small business consulting teams are underSBREP-219A with DISTILLER

12 

graduate and graduate students, and many of the students are 

military affiliated, minorities and women, that work closely with 

our clients to solve business needs in areas of marketing research, 

feasibility studies, to name a few. 

These student engagement opportunities provide the students 

with real world educational experience, focused on helping small 

businesses and our clients receive valuable assistance at no charge. 

FSU-VBOC is extremely fortunate to have great partnerships 

with highly valued resource partners. We understand our clients 

come with a unique technical skill set, impeccable leadership skills, 

core values, and a mission focused mindset. But often times they 

may lack business acumen skills or the ability to transfer their 

military skills into an entrepreneurial career pathway. 

FSU-VBOC client base is very diverse, serving over 400 clients 

this past fiscal year, 47 percent minority and 21 percent women 

with various needs. 

I would like to highlight one successful client for whom VBOC 

leveraged other resources that yielded the clients’ great results. 

Marcella Eubanks, Army Veteran, 82nd Airborne, owner of Bravery 

Kids Gym, came to VBOC with her idea of owning an all-inclusive 

children’s gym with a focus on children with special needs. She received assistance with developing her business plan and startup assistance and referral to a local community bank to obtain and SBA 

loan. She came back to the Center for other services because she 

viewed the staff at VBOC as a trusted advisor and was willing to 

work with other agencies. She has been referred to the SBTDC for 

specialized training in QuickBooks and utilized College of Business 

and Economics student internships. These referrals have helped 

her hire six part-time employees and win pitch competitions, improve the business operations and marketing systems. 

This is one of many success stories demonstrating FSU-VBOC’s 

collaboration with resource partners and local organizations to deliver desirable outcomes for our clients. 

Veteran-owned businesses are the pillars to the American economy. Nearly one in ten businesses are veteran-owned Veteran 

women-owned business steadily increase each year. Fifteen percent 

of business are owned by veteran women. The past fiscal year for 

VBOC network was marked by very significant levels of outreach, 

training, and services for veteran-owned and military spouses 

small businesses. Over 1700 training events were held, 178 businesses created, and 1006 jobs created and retained, 243 prime and 

subcontracts awarded, and $8.5 million in SBA loans approved. 

Most of the VBOC centers cover multiple states and attend Boots 

to Business course, all with a budget of $6 million. 

The 22 Veterans Business Outreach Center through its cooperative agreement is committed to ensuring that every service member 

and military spouse has the resources they need in their communities to start and operate small businesses, achieve post-secondary 

career success, and strengthen the Nation’s economy. 

My ask to you is to continue to support VBOC’s services to increase the success rate of this highly skilled workforce. 

Again, thank you for this opportunity to share and represent the 

VBOC program, a program that helps our service men and women 

and veterans who fought, protect, and serve this great Nation. 

SBREP-219A with DISTILLER

13 

Thank you. 

Chairman KELLY. Thank you, Ms. Bryant. I now recognize myself for 5 minutes of questions. 

First of all, Ms. Bryant, I just want to comment. I am a huge 

supporter of the VBOC. We have one at Mississippi State University and they do such a great job with both our veterans and communities and making sure that we have those small businesses 

that are veteran-owned. Because we know what is in their heart, 

we have just got to make sure they have the right tools, and I really appreciate our VBOCs for doing that. 

And, Ms. Carter, your testimony mentions a great deal about 

networking opportunities within a Women’s Business Center, WBC. 

What role does community networking play in encouraging small 

business creation? 

Ms. CARTER. Well, it has provided a tremendous opportunity. 

So the example I gave where a speaker actually did outreach, but 

they also encouraged us while we were in those sessions to think 

about teaming with each other, right. So we are not competitors, 

we might have many synergies. And so that is exactly what I did. 

So I was able to do that recently on a bid. I met a woman who had 

similar experience to me and we might be competitors one day, but 

right now we are partnering together. 

Chairman KELLY. You know, I am an old business guy. I have 

been out so long I don’t even remember what it is, but I know you 

never have one store in a mall, you have four anchor stores because 

even though you are competitors you also share a lot and you generate. So I really appreciate your comments on that. And I am 

proud of what you have been able to accomplish. 

Mr. Braziel, you discussed the success of the partnership between SCORE and MORTAR in your testimony. How does this 

partnership harness the existing knowledge within the community 

to enable small business success? 

Mr. BRAZIEL. I would say that the folks that SCORE are able 

to offer for our entrepreneurs are invaluable because they bring 

with them many a times decades of business experience that our 

entrepreneurs would never have access to without having that relationship with SCORE. I would say that the value of a successful 

business person is the network that they have. And SCORE brings 

not just a network of other coaches, but their own personal networks. Our SCORE coaches have provided so many connections 

just from that initial interaction. So, for us, there is a value in resource exchange that SCORE offers, but it is also the networks 

that SCORE is able to offer for the entrepreneurs that we are 

working with. 

Chairman KELLY. And once again, I mean it is so important to 

know where the resources and the things that you need to do that, 

but it is also important for people to believe in you. 

Mr. BRAZIEL. Right. 

Chairman KELLY. And to know. As my daddy used to tell me 

when I was a kid, he said, you know, we are often scared to do 

things because we are scared of being told no or failing. And my 

daddy always said you start at no and if you don’t do anything you 

stay there. 

SBREP-219A with DISTILLER

14 

So I think all of these organizations do that. I think they help 

people get off no and to do things and to have at least chance possible of failing, but they encourage them to reach out and chase 

their ideas. 

Mr. Bagdasarian, your testimony refers to the need for strong 

community to support small business growth and creation. What 

role do small businesses play in creating strong communities? 

Mr. BAGDASARIAN. It plays a very important role, because I 

believes it takes entrepreneurs to create more entrepreneurs, to encourage, as you mentioned, to provide the resources, connecting the 

experiences of experienced entrepreneurs, some of the challenges 

they face. The reality is most startups, most new businesses will 

fail. It will fail many times. I know in my personal experience, 

prior to starting Omnilert I had three or four businesses that never 

took off. And so knowing that, having the confidence to go back and 

the resilience to go back and try again, try again, because something will fit if you are solving a problem that is not being met in 

the community. There is an opportunity there. 

And it is important also I think there is a cultural factor, building a culture that you can do it, it can be done, versus simply find 

a good job. But you can do this. And that is probably the biggest 

obstacle to taking that the first step to starting a business. 

Chairman KELLY. Thank you. Ms. Bryant, given the limited 

number of VBOCs, how do you work with other entrepreneurial development resource partners to ensure that returning veterans find 

a supportive community? 

Ms. BRYANT. Because everybody gave into the FSU, the support 

that we have in North Carolina has been tremendous and critical. 

We have been fortunate to have Entrepreneurial Development programs such as SCORE, such as the Women’s Business Center, and 

SBTDC, in that area. We are also fortunate in North Carolina to 

have another State government program called the Small Business 

Centers of North Carolina. And so collaboratively together we are 

able to assist veterans, military spouses in starting and growing 

small businesses by working together with different developmental 

programs and getting access to loans and procurement opportunities. 

Chairman KELLY. Thank you. And I yield back the balance of 

my time. And I now recognize our Ranking Member, Ms. Adams, 

for 5 minutes. 

Ms. ADAMS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you all for 

your testimony. 

Beyond SBA’s business assistance services there are a number of 

training opportunities and resources available to veteran-owned 

small businesses, such as partnerships between VBOCs and college 

campuses. Ms. Bryant, can you explain how effective educational 

classes can be for entrepreneurs and whether they are an efficient 

way to supplement other training programs? 

Ms. BRYANT. Thank you, Congresswoman, for that question. 

Yes, another example I would say is one course that is offered like 

at Fayetteville State University is called our small business management course. With this course it teaches business concepts and 

strategies and principles on how to operate a successful small business. A lot of times you have minorities and women that are in 

SBREP-219A with DISTILLER

15 

those classes. Those classes also are required that they work with 

a local entrepreneur to assist them with that business need that 

they have. This allows that student to be exposed to real world examples and be able to apply the knowledge that they learn in the 

classroom to a real world example of helping that small business. 

So that is an example that we give in terms of how class and real 

world can come together to help small businesses, as well as the 

student, gain that particular skill set to be able to get the job. 

Ms. ADAMS. Great. Thank you very much. I am a strong advocate of HBCU, started the first bipartisan HBCU caucus here, 

which I co-chair with Congressman Bradley Byrne from Alabama, 

graduate twice of North Carolina A&T State University, 40 years 

on the campus of Bennett College. 

But, given your position on an HBCU campus, how important is 

it to coordinate the coordination between government, private industry, educational institutions, and nonprofits in advancing the 

position of entrepreneurs? And where can Congress better support 

your efforts? 

Ms. BRYANT. I will say to continue to provide access to affordable and accessible education for these students. A lot of time these 

are minorities and women, and first generational children that are 

looking to obtain a degree. Having these programs in place will 

allow them and expose them to opportunities that they would not 

have before. So having that access to affordable education will assist not only those students, but it will also assist the small businesses where they have a high skill set to be able to continue to 

grow and sustain their business. 

Ms. ADAMS. Thank you. Mr. Braziel, could you please describe 

the efforts made to recruit volunteers from different backgrounds 

and how that has impacted the business ownership in your community? 

Mr. BRAZIEL. Yes. I would say first and foremost, SCORE has 

stepped to the plate and provided the lion’s share of the volunteering for the entrepreneurs who are going through our program. 

And that has been an amazing partnership for our organization. I 

would also say that from that experience many other people who 

may have maybe been nervous our anxious about working with our 

entrepreneurs have stepped forward to sometimes even double up 

to volunteer and provide business support for MORTAR graduates. 

I would say, in a lot of ways the MORTAR program and our partnership with SCORE has become an example to our community on 

how race relations can continue to improve. We have mostly again 

low income African Americans, and SCORE sometimes can be a little seasoned in white. But our folks are coming together around a 

shared common objective and the partnership is amazing. We do 

these surveys at the end of every class and five is a perfect score 

from a satisfaction perspective, and no survey has gone under 4.6 

out of 5. So that initial relationship with SCORE around business 

coaching has been amazing and acted as a multiplier effect, that 

now we are seeing someone from our board, who is an African 

American male, he is now joined SCORE’s corps of volunteers and 

he is now providing business support for other not just graduates 

of MORTAR’s program, but other participants who go through 

SCORE. 

SBREP-219A with DISTILLER

16 

So I would say that MORTAR has provided this great example 

of what is possible and we are seeing a lot of growth from our volunteers. 

Ms. ADAMS. Thank you very much. I have got 38 seconds. Mr. 

Bagdasarian, some of the obstacles unique to startup, if you can 

maybe give me one? 

Mr. BAGDASARIAN. Fear. Fear is probably the greatest obstacle, not knowing what needs to be done. I have worked with hundreds of entrepreneurs or would-be entrepreneurs over the years 

and the greatest obstacle is the expectation that I need to write a 

500 page business plan and then go out and raise $15 million of 

seed capital, and then go get a big office. Just knowing how to take 

that first step. Like I mentioned, there has never been a better 

time to start a business than now because there are so many resources that are available today that did not exist 20 years ago. 

Ms. ADAMS. Great. Right on time. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

I yield back. 

Chairman KELLY. The gentlelady yields back. I now recognize 

Dr. Marshall from Kansas for 5 minutes of questions. 

Mr. MARSHALL. Good morning, everybody. First question would 

be, to kind of continue, what are the biggest barriers to market, to 

enter the market? And then what are the biggest reasons for lack 

of long-term success? So barriers to entering the market to start a 

small business, and then barriers to keep you from being successful? 

And maybe just spend 15 or 20 seconds with each one of you, 2 

or 3, right off the top. Maybe start with Ms. Bryant on the far end 

and then we will come back. 

Ms. BRYANT. Some of the barriers that I see a lot of small businesses face is access to capital. A lot of times not knowing what 

that financial literacy is and what it takes to obtain that capital. 

Another barrier is not understanding some of the small business 

skill sets that it takes, especially in our veteran population. They 

understand and know what it is like being in the military, but 

translating that military skill set onto an entrepreneurial pathway 

and understanding those business skills of marketing and sales, 

and having that technical assistance to be able to help them navigate that system. 

Mr. MARSHALL. Ms. Carter, anything to add? 

Ms. CARTER. Yes. As I mentioned during my testimony, there 

are probably many barriers. The ones that come to mind particularly are some skills that you currently don’t have. And what is 

most important is building your business is sales and marketing. 

So the technical skills that I have been able to gain through the 

WBC, as well as I have taken sessions with SCORE and SBDC, 

have been extremely helpful. 

The other is access to capital. So one of the things that I continually fall into is, you know, when I bid on something do I have the 

staff. Well, I can’t hire the staff until I have the contracts. So it 

is this cycle until someone, you know, kind of gives me the opportunity and I am able to do that. 

Mr. MARSHALL. Okay. 

Mr. BRAZIEL. I would briefly add unconscious bias. I think a lot 

of times we expect for successful entrepreneurs to look a certain 

SBREP-219A with DISTILLER

17 

way, to speak a certain way, to behave a certain way. But a lot of 

time there are entrepreneurs who are out there who may not understand social norms. So maybe they use slang, or maybe they 

have misspellings in their business plans. And despite all of those 

things they still have a viable idea, and if given an opportunity and 

some access to capital, they could be successful. But until we are 

able to dismantle some of the biases we have around successful entrepreneurship, those folks will continue to be left behind. 

Mr. MARSHALL. Okay. 

Mr. BAGDASARIAN. The only thing I would have to add is 

knowing, understanding the product market fit and understanding 

that the first idea, the first business that you may take to market, 

the initial market may not be the market that you ultimately pursue that has the greatest growth. But having the right mentors, 

having the right advice resource, having that community that provides that support, may provide you with that insight on which direction to take. And that happens all too often. 

Mr. MARSHALL. Okay. I am surprised nobody said the cost of 

healthcare. I think the cost of healthcare would be one of the biggest barriers for someone to leave a job and start a new business. 

Talk about the Tax Cuts and Jobs bill. Has the Tax Cuts and 

Jobs bill, is it impacting any of your businesses? Do you see it 

going forward impacting it? 

Maybe we will start here and go back that way. 

Mr. BAGDASARIAN. It has not directly impacted my business. 

If we were required to distribute funds towards headcount, for example, that maybe more of an incentive to hire people, reinvest 

those funds back into the business. But it has not made a direct 

impact into my specific business. 

Mr. MARSHALL. Are you a C Corp an LLC or an S Corp? 

Mr. BAGDASARIAN. We are an LLC. 

Mr. MARSHALL. And you don’t think lowering the LLC tax is 

going to help you any? 

Mr. BAGDASARIAN. Well, it certainly helps, but as far as driving new job growth, I don’t think it is directly tied to creating new 

jobs. I think that it certainly helps from a business owner perspective. 

Mr. MARSHALL. Okay. 

Mr. BAGDASARIAN. I could go into more depth later. 

Mr. BRAZIEL. I would briefly add that I think our folks are so 

far behind that it hasn’t directly affected them yet. 

Mr. MARSHALL. So decreasing their taxes, giving the $2000 

more, the average salary, in their own pocket, is not impacting 

them in any way? 

Mr. BRAZIEL. In the conversations that I have had with our 

graduates, they have not communicated that that has been a benefit for them. So it is possible, but I have not had those direct conversations yet. 

Mr. MARSHALL. Okay. Ms. Carter? 

Ms. CARTER. Because I am so small, I think it may make an 

incremental business, but not significant at this point, stage in my 

business. 

Mr. MARSHALL. Okay. Ms. Bryant? 

SBREP-219A with DISTILLER

18 

Ms. BRYANT. We have had some businesses that have said that 

the bill have helped and some that said it has not. In regard to 

have helped, it does help them in regards to being able to put more 

funds to their business. If that be via being able to purchase additional equipment or hire a new personnel. 

Mr. MARSHALL. Yes. I have talked to tens, maybe hundreds of 

companies that are making capital purchases because they can 

write it all off. I talked to an accountant where 96 out of 100 of 

his clients in a small rural Kansas community are seeing significant tax benefits in their own pocket as well. And this American 

consumer is what drives this economy. 

Thank you. 

Chairman KELLY. The gentleman yields back. I now recognize 

Mr. Norman from South Carolina for 5 minutes. 

Mr. NORMAN. Thank you, each one of you for taking your time 

out today. Regulations. I know I am a small business owner. What 

regulation would you cut if you had the opportunity? And address 

the workforce. I am having trouble with as you mentioned, Mr. 

Braziel, people coming to work; they have either never worked before or they don’t have the basic skill set to interact with people. 

How do we address that? 

Mr. BAGDASARIAN. Well, typically, the regulations that my 

business encounters are really industry specific, specifically with 

telecommunications, because we work with cellular providers, and 

they are really specific to that. So in the context of this discussion 

I really don’t have any specifics to share with you. 

Mr. BRAZIEL. I would say the Jobs Act has been a great start 

to open the flow of capital for entrepreneurs. But I would say that, 

again, what we are looking for from the threshold to have people 

even able to access those initial resources can be very challenging 

for people that are coming from a different culture. 

I would also argue that even though somebody may not speak or 

behave based upon traditional social norms, they still, in my opinion, could run successful businesses. 

I like to often give this example of when I go to my local Kroger 

down the street I get asked all the time if I want a ride. And in 

my opinion that same idea could have been translated into an 

Uber, it is ride sharing. However, there is other access to technology or capital, or whatever it might be, to start that kind of a 

business. So I would say that if we can do more to unlock the flow 

of capital for those kinds of entrepreneurs, the better. 

Mr. NORMAN. Let me follow up with this, now how would you 

do that? I mean when you go for a loan at a bank you have got 

to have—they have shareholders too. How would you say to do 

that? 

Mr. BRAZIEL. Sure. Let us say you are my uncle, which would 

be an honor, and it was Thanksgiving, and I said could you loan 

me $500. I doubt that you would ask me for my credit score, for 

collateral, for some of these other things, because you know me and 

you know my track record. You would hopefully give me a loan. I 

think the same thing could apply to how we offer access to capital 

for disadvantaged entrepreneurs, just to give them a leg up. Maybe 

it is lower amounts of capital, but we can lower collateral, interest 

SBREP-219A with DISTILLER

19 

rates, et cetera, to still give them an opportunity to at least test 

their business ideas. 

Ms. CARTER. With respect to the workforce, I think as a small 

business owner we have tremendous opportunities when we can. So 

I actually just recently formed a nonprofit organization, called the 

Vendor Community Partnership, to try to address the crime in 

downtown Baltimore. There is a tremendous problem with joblessness. I believe it starts with education and opportunities. So the 

nonprofit has formed a partnership with the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore and those large business—we created a preferred 

vendor list of small businesses. Those small businesses get on the 

list if they hire at least one person from these underserved communities. We are partnering with some nonprofits who will help with 

the job training, preparing, you know, many people who want to 

work but just haven’t had the opportunity. So they will be prepared 

to work, they will show up every day, and they will be productive 

citizens. And we believe that that is also going to, you know, have 

a positive impact on the crime and overall allow people to contribute to their families. 

Ms. BRYANT. In regards to the lack of the workforce as well, I 

agree. I think we need to continue to work with the local high 

schools, the community colleges, the universities, and collaborate 

with the business industries, and to find out what are those skill 

sets that they are looking for, continue to implement more programs in the high schools and community colleges with the 21st 

century skills that are lacking from interpersonal skills, those 

things that are lacking the workforce. To be able to assist them 

and help those small businesses obtain and retain those students. 

I think education and exposure is the key to be able to try and recruit and train highly skilled employees. 

Mr. NORMAN. Yes. And I think you all in your role, when you 

go into these schools, high schools particularly, we ought to stress 

we have customers to please now. There is a sense of not understanding that you have got a boss, you have got customers you 

have to sell your product to. And there is a certain responsibility 

that comes with that. 

Thank you all. I yield back, Mr. Chairman. 

Chairman KELLY. Thank you. And I just want to thank all four 

panel members. You know, one thing you didn’t mention, Mr. 

Braziel, you kind of hit on it, is role models are so important, to 

see successful people. And I look at the panel that I have got sitting in front of me, and I know, as Chairman Chabot likes to say, 

all 30 people watching C-SPAN right now can—but, you know, it 

is important, each of you represent role models that people can look 

up to and they believe they can do it right. And I go back to believing you can succeed is the very first step and all those other things 

before they can even fall into place. 

And I would like to thank everyone for joining us today. The 

community-small business relationship is a vital factor in not only 

the success of the individual community and small businesses, but 

also in the growth of the United States economy overall. 

I would particularly like to thank our witnesses. 

I do want to mention, Congressman Vela ́zquez, the Ranking 

Member, is coming. I am already in the middle of closing and I am 

SBREP-219A with DISTILLER

20 

going to close. But I hope you all will stay around and talk to her. 

She is quite a phenomenal team player on this Committee. And I 

have got to get to another Committee and I know Ms. Adams does 

too, but I do ask that you stay around and please take the opportunity to talk to her because she is a phenomenal member of this 

Committee. 

I would particularly like to thank our witnesses for their testimony. I appreciate each of your insights into this relationship and 

what Congress can do to further foster this relationship going forward. 

Now, I ask unanimous consent that members have five legislative days to submit statements and supporting materials for the 

record. Without objection, so ordered. 

We are adjourned. 

[Whereupon, at 12:04 p.m., the Subcommittee was adjourned.] 

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21 

A P P E N D I X 

Testimony of Mr. Ara Bagdasarian 

Co-Founder & CEO Omnilert, LLC 

Co-Author ‘‘The Lemonade Stand’’ Book 

‘‘Community Support: Entrepreneurial Development and Beyond.’’ 

Before The Committee on Small Business 

Subcommittee on Investigations, Oversight, and Regulations 

I would like to begin by thanking the Congressional Small Business Committee for inviting me to testify today, on behalf of America’s Small Business Development Centers, to share a few of my 

thoughts on the impact of community support for entrepreneurial 

development on local communities and economies. As a serial entrepreneur who founded his first enterprise before the age of 10, a 

neighborhood lawn and gardening service called ‘‘KidCo,’’ I believe 

that the opportunities for small businesses to innovate on a local, 

national—even global scale—to be sure, there are challenges to be 

faced and overcome—but because I cannot think of a time in the 

whole of human history when such a wealth of resources and technologies were so readily available to anyone with a will and that 

most precious resource of all: an idea. 

I am the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Omnilert, 

LLC, the world’s first emergency notification system for college and 

university campuses; though our customer base has since expanded 

to include private enterprise, government, and nonprofits from all 

across the country. As a company founder, I have developed a keen 

appreciation for the obstacles and challenges one must endure 

when embarking upon such a venture. 

In fact, a few years back, I took it to task to distill my experiences into a book, titled ‘‘The Lemonade Stand,’’ which I co-authored. ‘‘The Lemonade Stand’’ is, simply put, the why-to-book on 

entrepreneurship; A memoir. Based my own, real-world experience, 

revelations, successes, and, of course, failures. 

I have also served as the Chairman for the Town of Leesburg, 

Virginia’s, Economic Development Commission; a post that I held 

for 7 years. And I am on numerous local and regional advisory 

boards, whose purpose are to advocate for entrepreneurship. It is 

from this vantage point that I have seen the positive returns that 

result when a community invests in and supports entrepreneurial 

development. 

That’s why I was stumped when, 10 years ago, I was asked, for 

a Town of Leesburg marketing campaign, why the town would be 

a good destination for entrepreneurs. I’m embarrassed to admit 

that I could not think of a single reason other than the fact that 

our town was a ‘‘quaint, idyllic community’’. We had all the standSBREP-219A with DISTILLER

22 

ard small business resources—SBDC, SCORE, and a Chamber of 

Commerce—,however, we did not have a community that was systematically supportive of local entrepreneurism. 

This realization led to a concerted effort on my part, and that of 

many others, to start building the infrastructure for an entrepreneurship ecosystem: A shared effort between community partners— 

both private and public—that was assembled program by program. 

The fruits of this effort, I believe, have yielded a model that can 

be replicated in large and small communities across America. 

It is through this model—and others like it—that communities 

suffering from high unemployment or the uprooting of key industry 

can plant the seeds of entrepreneurship and cultivate the growth 

of new businesses—through proper education and a supportive, 

local infrastructure. 

Much like civic infrastructure—such as highways or the power 

grid—communities can build and develop infrastructure to harness 

great ideas that solve problems to power the economy. We have 

taken significant steps in Loudoun County Virginia to build this 

ecosystem. The three pillars of this infrastructure are: entrepreneurship education, resources, and community. Here are some of 

the key programs developed as part of our plan—though it is, by 

no means, a comprehensive list: 

I. Entrepreneurship Education 

The foundation for developing a community support system for 

entrepreneurship is education. The objective is to develop the entrepreneur mindset or perspective. This means viewing problems as 

opportunities, knowing how to develop an idea into something tangible, learning how to fail and how to learn from failure to build 

a world view that embraces challenges. A few of the programs implemented in Loudoun County to support Entrepreneurship Education include: 

• School Curricula (Lemon Lessons, IncubatorEdu) - 

In 2011 we introduced one of the country’s first Entrepreneurship Education curricula to several high school business programs. The Lemon Lessons curriculum, based on the why-tobook on entrepreneurship that I co-authored (‘‘The Lemonade 

Stand’’) supplemented the overall business and marketing curricula. Today, there are a number of Entrepreneurship Education curricula designed for high schools and higher education 

is offering major studies in entrepreneurship. They encompass 

hands-on skill development including speaking, listening, and 

writing while developing critical thinking skills and analysis. 

I recently had the privilege of teaching an entrepreneurship 

course at Shenandoah University which also has a Loudoun 

campus. 

• Step Up Loudoun/Loudoun Youth - As entrepreneurship is based on problems in need of a solution, this program 

started in 2013 by Loudoun Youth Inc., challenges high school 

students to identify an issue and create a plan to address the 

issue, and most importantly, implementing the plan. Students 

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learn the lifecycle of developing ideas into real products or programs and are supported by business leaders during the process. Link to Program 

• Young Entrepreneurs Academy - A program initiated 

through the Loudoun Chamber of Commerce and Small Business Development Center was in 2016 to provide a 7-month extracurricular program that teaches middle and high school students the fundamentals of entrepreneurship. In addition to 

learning the core principles, students work on their own startup business or program. Students are then paired with an experienced entrepreneur to mentor for several months to develop their new venture and prepare for a pich event. Link to 

Program 

• Academies of Loudoun - To further fortify the educational foundation for entrepreneurship, in fall 2018 a new 

magnet high school which focuses on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math with a pathway in Entrepreneurship is 

opening. Again, the key is to teach the entrepreneur mindset 

and creating tangible solutions from challenges. Opportunities 

to innovate surface when entrepreneurship is overlaid with 

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Link to Program 

II. Support Programs 

A network of systems and programs to support the planning, creation, launch, and operations of a new venture. In Loudoun we 

have a number of programs that help entrepreneurs take new businesses to market: 

• Small Business Development Center - The Loudoun 

SBDC has been the primary source of support for small business since 1988. The SBDC provides counseling on the mechanics of starting and launching a business. Frequent seminars provide an additional educational resource for individuals 

interested in learning what is required to start a business, fundamentals of small business marketing, sales, accounting, and 

operations. The SBDC manages a network of experienced entrepreneurs and professionals who advise clients at no cost. 

One-on-one advising has proven to be an invaluable tool for 

countless entrepreneurs I have encountered. Over the years, I 

have utilized the counseling services to help vet new ideas, 

structure partnerships, and various other operational assistance. Link to Program 

• George Mason University Enterprise Center (MEC) - 

In 2011, this small business incubator was established through 

a partnership between the Town of Leesburg, Loudoun County, 

and George Mason University. The facility and programs are 

operated by George Mason University acts as a ‘‘one stop shop’’ 

for many of the county’s entrepreneurship programs. In addition to providing shared office space to 46 startup members, 

meeting rooms, and training space, the MEC is the home of the 

Loudoun Small Business Development Center, SCORE, and 

Town of Leesburg Department of Economic Development. This 

unique destination frequently inspires collaboration with it’s 

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entrepreneur members, and I have frequently jumped into a 

whiteboard session to brainstorm ideas with other incubator 

members. Link to Program 

• Loudoun Lemonhead Council - In 2012 a group of seasoned entrepreneurs formed an organization to share their experiences by acting as a sounding board for emerging entrepreneurs. At meetings, presenting entrepreneurs pitch their 

new venture, share their challenges, and discuss opportunities. 

Connections are frequently made into professional networks, 

plus ongoing support and mentorship continues following the 

session. Also, ‘‘Lemonhead’’ entrepreneurs are invited to share 

their story as guest speakers in high school classes. As an 

member, I frequently meet and advise a number of entrepreneurs who have presented at Council meetings. Link to Program 

• SCORE - In 2013, this program which provides experienced mentors to advise entrepreneurs opened a Loudoun 

Chapter to serve our growing community. This group of vetted 

advisors share their experience with specific domains. I utilized SCORE to help with the legal structure of an early venture, and continue to use SCORE advisors for various perspectives. Link to Program 

• 1 Million Cups (1MC) - A program started by the 

Kauffman Foundation where entrepreneurs pitch their idea to 

an open group of entrepreneurs was introduced to our community in 2013. This facilitates open discussion, insight, and feedback to help develop new business ventures. IMC meets weekly 

at the George Mason Enterprise Center. This brings the entrepreneurship community together to foster a dynamic of collaboration and collective support. In many cases, startups present 

to the Lemonhead Council for a deeper dive after they present 

at 1MC. Link to Program 

• Economic Development (County and Local) - As a testament to our community’s support of entrepreneurial development. In April 2015 Loudoun County’s Department of Economic Development hired a dedicated Small Business and Entrepreneurship Manager. This Manager serves as a central 

point of contract for entrepreneurs, connects them with resources, and creates synergies between entrepreneurial partners. Both Loudoun County and Town of Leesburg advocate for 

and are key partners in building community support for entrepreneurial development. Link to Program 

III. Community 

Finally, fostering a collaborative community of entrepreneurs, investors, mentors, educators, and community leaders to live and 

thrive within this ecosystem must be a very deliberate effort. Community is developed by proactively creating opportunities to connect; and discovering synergies with one another through events, 

engagements, and other programs designed exclusively for founders 

and supporters. 

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In Loudoun, we started 5 years ago with a monthly founders-only 

networking event, and now have a number of MeetUp groups, 

guest speakers, happy hours, and pitch events. This helps crosspollinate relationships be4tween complimentary startups and entrepreneurs. Unlike typical business networking events, ‘entrepreneur networking events’ do not encourage the participation of 

those soliciting professional services. They tend to be more collaborative and supportive in nature. Often new innovations emerge 

though collaborations and partnerships. 

After 7 years of development, we have a growing entrepreneurial 

community functioning within an ecosystem supported by a solid 

infrastructure. 

Conclusion 

I believe that building the infrastructure to support the development of entrepreneurship is well within the means of every community in America—be it large or small. But the decision to go 

boldly forward is too often hindered by a fear of change; or a desire 

to hang on to the industries and ways of the past. 

Ironically, it was by embracing change that the great American 

industries of the past—and present—even came to exist. But in a 

world where the only constant is change itself, I believe that Congress has the purview and responsibility to provide the incentives 

and support that will help American entrepreneurs continue to 

lead the world in innovation and industry. That is why I believe 

it should advocate for the building of infrastructure for entrepreneurship through championing entrepreneurship education, support programs, and community engagement. 

Once this framework is built, an entrepreneurial ecosystem will 

develop and flourish incrementally. But this must be a deliberate 

undertaking, requiring the participation of current entrepreneurs, 

businesses, communities and education leaders; as well as public 

sector cooperation, advocacy, and resources. 

Of course, what works in Leesburg may not work in Oxford, Mississippi or Charlotte, NC. Every community has its own unique 

strengths and assets. But the ideas I’ve been grateful to present to 

you here today amount to a blueprint, of sorts, for communities to 

empower its most resourceful and motivated to be a catalyst for 

positive economic and community change. There are thousands of 

communities around the country filled with smart, passionate individuals with brilliant ideas. All that is needed is the blueprint. 

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Derrick Braziel 

Managing Director 

MORTAR 

Statement to the Committee on Small Business 

United States House of Representatives 

Subcommittee on Investigations, Oversight, and Regulations 

‘‘Community Support: Entrepreneurial Development and Beyond’’ 

April 12, 2018 

Chairman Chabot, Ranking Member Vela ́zquez, Subcommittee 

Chairman Kelly, Ranking Member Adams, members of the subcommittee and members of the full committee: Thank you for inviting me today and for the opportunity to offer testimony on the 

work of MORTAR and more specifically, the value of our partnership with SCORE. 

When I was in college, I was introduced to a quote by Author 

Stephen Gould. Mr. Gould said that he was, ‘‘less interested in the 

weight and convolutions of Einstein’s brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton 

fields and sweatshops.’’ 

Founded in 2014, MORTAR works to create diverse communities 

by enabling historically marginalized entrepreneurs to access the 

resources needed to start and run successful businesses. We exist 

because we believe that there are minority men and women all 

across our country—especially in our inner cities—with an undeniable amount of world-changing talent. People like my father, who 

through athletic potential was adopted by his white high school 

football coach, giving him the opportunity to become the first person in his family to graduate from college, become a published author and father three amazing kids, one of which, my twin brother 

named Desmond Braziel, who serves our country as a Captain in 

the United States Army. 

For the past four years, MORTAR has worked in Cincinnati to 

uncover latent entrepreneurial talent operating under the surface 

over our urban neighborhoods. We believe that any entrepreneur 

can thrive—when equipped with the right resources and hustle. 

Our strategy is a practical solution to a common problem for minorities across the country—it’s very difficult to access the resources needed to start and grow businesses. Further, with the 

rapid gentrification of neighborhoods, many indigenous entrepreneurs are not connected to opportunities to prevent displacement while increasing engagement. 

Utilizing non-traditional methods, we take risks on an entrepreneur’s abilities to start and grow businesses where others may 

not, providing an unparalleled connection to technical assistance, 

pop-up retail spaces to test ideas, and flexible, ‘‘friends and family’’- 

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styled micro-loans to grow businesses. Our business academy, for 

example, which works with mostly low-income, African-American 

entrepreneurs, has a 96% graduation rate and is considered a 

model program across the country. 

Our innovative work provides a critical piece of our Cincinnati’s 

startup ecosystem, showing what’s possible when people work together towards a common goal, elevating Cincinnati into a national 

conversation around diversity and inclusion. Every day, MORTAR 

shows Cincinnatians and other communities what’s possible when 

you invest in previously underestimated entrepreneurs. 

Unfortunately, Cincinnati suffers from chronic economic inequality, as over 75% of African-American families live in poverty and 

17.1% of African-Americans are looking for work. The Kauffman 

index ranked Cincinnati 32 out of 40 in terms of entrepreneurial 

opportunity. Forbes ranked Cincinnati 50th out of 52 cities in 

terms of economic opportunity for minorities, and the Urban 

League listed Cincinnati at 73rd out of 77 cities in terms of economic mobility for African-Americans. 

Within these sobering statistics are minority entrepreneurs with 

talent who could make a tangible impact in our region if given the 

opportunity. 

Take Means Cameron, for example. Last Friday, I met with 

Means, the owner of one of America’s hottest clothing brands, 

Black Owned, and his SCORE mentor, Jim Stahly. They were 

meeting with me because Means, despite being college educated 

and the founder of a successful, hip streetwear company, needed 

access to capital. 

To see Jim, a seasoned business executive, working with Means, 

an early-thirties entrepreneur from the inner city, seamlessly work 

together through a sophisticated business plan brought tears to my 

eyes. Jim’s experience, coupled with Means’ resourcefulness and 

MORTAR’s resources, will help Means continue to succeed. 

The reality is that many people like Means will never have an 

opportunity for their dreams to be realized. 

Luckily, I have the opportunity to make a positive impact on entrepreneurs like Means every day. 

Central to our work is our partnership with SCORE. Any person, 

whether you intend to be an artist, plumber, entrepreneur or politician, needs to have a support system in place if you want to succeed. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small 

business owners who receive three or more hours of mentoring report higher revenues and increased growth. 

SCORE is the nation’s largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors, with 10,000 volunteer mentors nationwide providing 

free small business mentoring sessions, workshops and educational 

services to clients. Since 1964, SCORE has helped more than 10 

million aspiring entrepreneurs to start or grow a business. In 2017, 

SCORE mentors volunteered 3.6+ million hours to help create 

54,506 small businesses and 61,534 non-owner jobs. 

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SCORE has filled a critical gap for MORTAR entrepreneurs, offering their time and expertise to support and cultivate the dreams 

of our high-potential, under-resourced entrepreneurs. Since day 

one, SCORE has provided a mentor for every single one of MORTAR’s 170 graduates. In the beginning, I was nervous—how would 

this organization of seasoned, mostly white professionals interact 

with our graduates? Well, I can say with certainty that our partnership with SCORE, and the resources they provide, has made 

our entrepreneurial community one of the strongest in the country. 

SCORE has also stepped in to support MORTAR, helping us 

evaluate our own business model along with opportunities to expand our footprint in Cincinnati and beyond. 

Our partnership with SCORE has been instrumental to our 

growth—we’ve recently expanded to five communities in Cincinnati, and opened three additional pop-up spaces there. We plan 

to pilot our new curriculum with partners in Milwaukee, and we 

recognize that working with SCORE is an indispensable component 

of our success. We recognize the power in bringing together people 

of different backgrounds around a common, shared passion for entrepreneurship. As a result, we’ve forged lifetime bonds between 

people who may have never met otherwise. 

The experience of MORTAR entrepreneurs connecting with 

SCORE mirrors that of my father, who, through the generosity of 

my grandfather, forever changed his trajectory and that of my family. 

At the end of the day, our hope is that our approach—in close 

partnership with SCORE—will catalyze the creation of local ecosystems where entrepreneurs of all backgrounds and colors can not 

only participate, but also transfer economic opportunity and ownership to future generations. 

Our partnership with SCORE has helped MORTAR graduates to 

exceed the national business averages. For example, we know that 

of the 170 graduates of MORTAR’s program, 132 are still in business, with 71% engaged in our alumni support network. We estimate that in the past year alone, our entrepreneurs have added $1 

million to our regional economy. One graduate, Brian Jackson, is 

on pace to open Cincinnati’s first black-owned brewery. 

It’s been proven that MORTAR graduates—despite coming from 

disadvantaged backgrounds—are staying in business longer, creating more jobs and real economic change for individuals and communities in our region. The impact of our work has been featured 

in publications such as Forbes, NBC Nightly News, the Stanford 

Social Innovation Review, Politico Magazine and others. 

The work of MORTAR is just getting started. We recognize that 

by partnering with organizations like SCORE, great things can 

happen. Our plan is to continue working to teach entrepreneurship 

in communities where the next Steve Jobs, Kanye West or Walt 

Disney may live. We see a world where with a MORTAR on every 

inner city corner, where the crazy dreamers who see the world differently will be encouraged, inspired and trained to change the 

world. 

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Thank you for again for your support and for allowing me to testify. I am happy to answer any questions. 

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0\.·J. ASSOCIATION OF {_\;;j WOMEN'S BUSINESS CENTERS 

Testimony of 

Stephanie Carter 

on behalf of the 

Association of Women's Business Centers to the 

U.S. House of Representatives 

Committee on Small Business 

Subcommittee on Investigations, Oversight, and Regulations 

Community Support: 

Entrepreneurial Development and Beyond 

April 12, 2018 
31 

Testimony of Stephanie Carter: Community Support: Entrepreneurial Development and Beyond 

Thank you, Chairman Kelly, Ranking Member Adams and distinguished Members of the Subcommittee, for the opportunity to share 

this testimony with you. My name is Stephanie Carter, and I am 

founder and President of SCB Management Consulting. SCB resolves complex business challenges and develops tailored solutions 

for corporate executives, public sector organizations, and business 

owners. SCB’s core services are program and project management, 

risk management, strategic planning and business process improvement. 

I am testifying today on behalf of the Association of Women’s 

Business Centers (AWBC), which supports the national network of 

Women’s Business Centers (WBCs) by providing training, mentoring, programming, and advocacy with the goal of improving 

services to women entrepreneurs. The AWBC’s membership includes all of the 107 WBCs throughout the United States. 

As you know, the Women’s Business Center program is a publicprivate partnership with 30 years of success in providing training, 

counseling, mentoring, and access to capital to women entrepreneurs across the country. Women and business like me and 

SCB. 

Before I begin, let me thank the subcommittee for holding this 

hearing today. Understanding the challenges of launching and 

growing a business is difficult, and too often we do not fully recognize the factors at the periphery of traditional business creation— 

despite their importance. I fully believe that the community fostered by the WBC played a key role in my success, and its replication can only mean good things for women entrepreneurs nationwide. 

Strength in Numbers 

Business success is predicated on a host of factors, ranging from 

the expertise of the business owner, to wisdom of the business 

plan, to the ability to access capital, to picking the right location 

or marketing, to hiring the right staff. When a business succeeds 

or fails, there are so many variables to point to as a driver of where 

an entrepreneur made or did not make it. 

What is undeniable, however, is that those businesses that have 

a network of support behind them fare better than those without. 

In my view, here are a few reasons why this is. 

First, a network allows you to problem solve the early crises of 

launching and growing a business. Along the way, whether its incorporation or tax questions, to the logistics of office space or your 

first hire, they are myriad challenges in every business. When you 

have a network of fellow entrepreneurs you can collectively solve— 

and even anticipate—many of these issues. 

Second, a strong community helps identify new opportunities. 

Every business, whether five minutes or 5 generations old, is seeking new opportunities. A community that understand your business 

SBREP-219A with DISTILLER

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and its offerings is incredibly helpful in spotlighting business development. Similarly, it also allows for teaming of entrepreneurs who 

may collectively offer an innovative solution to the market than individually is not available. 

Finally, and perhaps the hardest to define but also the most important, a community and network gives you the confidence to become an entrepreneur and the persistence to thrive after your business is created. 

For these reasons, developing communities of support around 

women entrepreneurs should be considered critical. The potential 

of the nation’s 11 million women business owners thrives only 

when the challenges of business can be addressed through sufficient access to counsel. 

The Role of Women’s Business Centers in Fostering Community 

The network of 150 women’s business centers service locations 

across the country spend each day unlocking this potential—and 

addressing those challenges. The WBC program plays a different 

role to each of the two million women who have walked through 

our doors, but in so doing, has created a community of two million 

women entrepreneurs. 

A study of WBC clients done by the Center for Women’s Business 

Research found that, aside from general business management information, gaining financial management skills, and learning about 

the legal aspects of organizing a business, what the clients valued 

highly from their experience in the center was finding a community 

of other women with whom to build relationships. Unlike a ‘‘transactional’’ short-term course—after which a prospective business 

owner is on their own—women’s business centers provide a venue 

for ongoing learning and relationship-building. 

Simply put, the WBC’s role is the glue of the women’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. In communities that have WBCs, entrepreneurs 

of all kinds are developing the skills and confidence to launch or 

grow their business. 

How WBCs and Community Support Helped SCB 

I launched my business after nearly twenty years in corporate 

consulting and internal leadership roles. While I had the business, 

finance and operations foundation of my MBA and corporate roles, 

there were many aspects of entrepreneurship that I felt I needed 

including legal, tax, sales and marketing. 

I began enrolling in Entrepreneur and Business Planning 

Courses with the Women’s Business Development Center in Center 

City Philadelphia and the SBDC in Baltimore in early 2016. 

Once I was in the Washington DC area, and with the public sector being one of the greatest opportunities for consulting, I embarked on learning as much as I could to help me directly penetrate the market and begin to grow my business. I took my first 

seminar with the WBC in July 2017 ‘‘Orientation to Small Business Resources-Montgomery County.’’ During that session I learned 

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about other WBC courses including the Procurement Series offered 

by Prince Georges County and Montgomery County. I started that 

six-part series in August 2017 because it offered a host of information about accessing the public sector market. The series culminated with a matchmaking session with procurement specialists 

in November. 

I enrolled in the Procurement Series for the business development information, however, gained several relationships that ultimately formed a community of support for my business: 

• The WBC counselor who facilitated the series has become 

a great ongoing resources for business development opportunities as well as other information I may need including securing 

office space. 

• I forged a partnership with one of the speakers who noticed during my ‘elevator pitch’ that we may have some 

synergies, and currently pursuing business development opportunities together. 

• I included one of the Procurement Series participants who 

is just starting her consulting business, in a recent bid. 

• Public sector panelists have been very accessible and helpful in gaining a greater understanding of their respective organizations. 

It also is not just the network at the WBCs alone that has provided benefit. I learned of other networks at the WBC that I should 

engage and have expanded my ability to grow my business through 

them. There is an exponential impact of the initial network supplied by the WBC. 

I learned through the WBC courses that an effective market penetrator for new entrepreneurs such as myself are Woman Business 

Enterprise (WBE) and Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certifications. I began the process in 2017 and now certified in all qualifying categories. As a newly certified WBE and MBE, I regularly 

attend informational and matchmaking sessions offered by the certifying agencies. 

I also attend a variety of forums such as Pre-Bid Conferences, 

Economic Forums, and State of Maryland ‘‘Ready, Set, Grow’’ 

monthly informational sessions offered by the Governor’s Office 

that also offer the opportunity to meet industry leaders. As a result, I have begun to forge new relationships in the public sector. 

Some of these relationships are leading to immediate collaborations 

while others are laying the foundation for long-term mutual relationships. 

I am also a member of the DC Chapters of the Financial Executives International (FEI) and the Risk and Insurance Management 

Society (RIMS). I was previously with other business organizations, 

however, have generally found daytime chapter meetings are not 

conducive to my subcontracting engagements. 

Furhtering Community Support 

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One of the first questions I often review in these networks is 

‘‘where do you live?’’ People are consistently shocked that I have 

traveled from Calvert County to Baltimore, Columbia, Northern 

Virginia, etc. to attend an event. However, opportunities for the information and access that I need generally are not offered in 

Southern Maryland. 

My example is not unique. Companies hover around these networks and we must do a better job of creating communities of support in areas that need business growth the most. 

Similarly, we must continue to enhance the WBC program at 

SBA. With jurisdiction over the program, this Committee has the 

opportunity to make the benefits I have experienced more widespread. The limitations of an outdated authorization are evident in 

the day-to-day experiences of these centers. 

I encourage policymakers to consider legislation that would allow 

for more flexibility for WBCs—particularly eliminating the many 

burdens they face and choose not to operate in certain areas. 

The role of AWBC, who I am representing here today, should 

also be leveraged. Through statute, we should build on the best 

practices of other resource partners and allow for accreditation. 

Part of this process would ensure that every WBC has the skilled 

resources to develop communities of support for women business 

owners. 

Finally, Congress should increase the visibility of the WBC program. I encourage this Committee to use its’ extensive media abilities to talk about WBCs. The more we do that, the larger the community of support becomes. 

The commitment of this Committee to the WBC program deserves recognition as Congress is working to enhance WBC’s role 

in fostering a positive environment for women entrepreneurs. We 

are grateful to Committee Chairman Chabot, Ranking Member 

Velazquez and Representatives Knight and Lawson for introducing 

leg8islation to re-authorize the program. Representative Stephanie 

Murphy, too, championed the program and restored to the FY2018 

WBC funding the additional $1 million in appropriations included 

in FY2017. 

These actions make the WBC’s role in the broader women’s business community profound. I am excited that they will continue 

their work and continue to support the growth of women’s entrepreneurship and the community of support created by this important program. 

Conclusion 

In closing, I appreciate the opportunity to celebrate the 

unstoppable community of women-owned businesses and the impact they are having on our nation’s economy and to update this 

subcommittee on the role that community played in my success. 

Many challenges remain for women-owned businesses, but we have 

only begun to tap the potential of this economic powerhouse. 

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With the help of the Congress, the SBA, and the WBC Program, 

I believe we can continue to build a community of support that will 

allow women entrepreneurs and small business owners around the 

country to realize their full entrepreneurial potential and contribute significantly to economic growth and job creation. 

Thank you again for this opportunity to testify. 

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Community Support: Entrepreneurial Development and Beyond, a VBOC Perspective 

U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 

------------~-----------

VETERANS BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTERS 

Testimony of Tamara Bryant 

on behalf of 

Fayetteville State University-Veterans Business Outreach Center 

U.S. House of Representatives 

Committee on Small Business 

Community Support: Entrepreneurial Development and Beyond 

April 12, 2018 

1 
37 

Community Support: Entrepreneurial Development and Beyond, 

a VBOC Perspective 

Good morning, I am Tamara Bryant. I am the director of the Veterans Business Outreach Center at Fayetteville State University 

serving the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Kentucky. The Veterans Business Outreach Center or VBOC is the 

Small Business Administration’s program that provides business 

training, counseling, and SBA resource partner referrals to active 

duty service members, National Guard & Reserve personnel, veterans, and military spouses interested in starting or growing a 

small business. The SBA has 20 organizations participating in this 

cooperative agreement and serving as Veterans Business Outreach 

Centers (VBOC) across the mainland US and one in Hawaii. I 

would like to thank Ranking Member Alma Adams and Chairman 

Trent Kelly Representative for the invitation today to share with 

you VBOC’s entrepreneurial development programs, a collaboration 

of resources and partnerships to help build stronger entrepreneurial communities and to increase the success rate of Veteranowned businesses. 

VBOC’s core competencies are entrepreneurial development 

training designed to deliver interactive and experiential workshops 

that give the attendee the opportunity to walk away with tangible 

outcomes and takeaways they can immediately employ in their 

business. One major point of entry to VBOC services is during the 

active duty service member’s transition out process in a training 

called Boots to Business. This is a two-day training workshop conducted at military branches that introduces our target audience to 

the idea of entrepreneurship. The training is taught by VBOC and 

other SBA resource partners including Small Business Development Centers, SCORE and Women’s Business Centers. Last fiscal 

year, Fayetteville State University’s VBOC conducted 68 training 

sessions. The 20-VBOC’s as a whole conducted 607 training sessions across the country. Our second core competency is business 

counseling that assists clients with evaluating the feasibility of a 

business concept and turns it into an actionable plan, start-up assistance/expansion, business planning, loan package assistance, 

and more. Third, is our resource referral program, VBOC works 

closely with other SBA resources partners across the U.S. when a 

specific area of expertise or greater assistance is needed. For instance, if a client needs to get a Veterans Administration (VA) certification as a VOSB or SDVOSB we will refer the client to the Procurement Technical Assistance Center who are certified to do VA 

certifications. The entrepreneurial development training, collaboration of resources and community support are critical success factors 

for VBOC’s mission which I will elaborate on. 

Fayetteville State University Veterans Business Outreach Center 

(FSU-VBOC), since its inception in 2010, is committed to assisting 

veterans, transitioning soldiers, active duty, guard, reservist, and 

spouses to start, purchase or grow a small business. FSU VBOC is 

located in North Carolina with a total population of 790,000 Veterans who reside in each of the 100 counties across the state. Close 

proximity to the largest Army Installation, Fort Bragg-home of the 

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82nd Airborne. VBOC is hosted at Fayetteville State University’s 

(FSU), College of Business and Economics, a Historically Black College University (HBCU). FSU is a constituent member of the University of the North Carolina System, and it is known for its support of military-affiliated students through serving large numbers 

of active duty soldiers, their spouses and families, as well as veterans. The college has over 6,200 students with almost 25 percent 

of that population being the military community. This collaboration 

with FSU is a natural fit for VBOC’s target customers and mission. 

It has allowed VBOC the opportunity to collaborate/participate in 

the College of Business and Economics entrepreneurship programs 

such as small business consultant teams. The small business consultant teams are undergraduate or graduate students (many of 

the students are military affiliated, minorities and women) that 

work closely with our clients to solve business needs in areas of 

marketing research, feasibility studies, and financial analysis, and 

to help them pursue new opportunities. These student engagement 

opportunities provide the students with real-world practicum educational experience focused on helping small businesses and our clients receive valuable assistance at no charge. In addition to collaborating with CBE, we conduct government and corporate procurement training to better position the target audience to compete 

for all levels of contracting, and judge entrepreneurial pitch competitions, to name a few undertakings. This collaboration allows 

VBOC to promote and market our services to military students and 

alumni’, provide our clients access to student internships, provide 

government procurement technical training/plans rooms, workshops/seminars taught by awarded winning entrepreneurial professors, as well as, access to state-of-the-art classrooms and technologies. 

FSU-VBOC is extremely fortunate to have great partnerships 

with highly valued resource partners to help service our clients in 

an exemplary manner. VBOC’s network offers invaluable services 

and programs for our veterans and military community, however, 

we do have our challenges for example, not having centers in each 

state, which leaves several VBOC’s to cover multiple states. Therefore, it is critical for the VBOC’s to leverage other resource partners to assist their client’s needs. We understand our clients come 

with a unique technical skill set, impeccable leadership skills, core 

values, and a mission-focused mindset but often they may lack the 

business acumen skills or the ability to transfer their military 

skills into an entrepreneurial career pathway. VBOC’s entrepreneurial development training, business counseling and referral 

services address those needs with the assistance of SBA Resource 

Partners, local/state agencies and community support which becomes an added-value to their clients. It is imperative that we 

know and understand the population of our target customers and 

the available resources to meet the client needs and manage and 

exceed their expectations. FSU-VBOC client base is very diverse 

serving over 1,400 clients this past fiscal year, 47% minority and 

21% women with various needs in access to capital, securing government contracts/certifications, business plan development and access to human capital. Having a clear understanding of who we 

serve and what their needs are allows VBOC to leverage the right 

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resources and provide in-depth counseling that results in impactful 

outcomes. I will be highlighting two successful clients for whom 

VBOC leveraged other resources that yielded the clients’ great results. 

Marcella Eubanks, Army Veteran owner of Bravery Kids Gym, 

came to VBOC with her idea of owning an all-inclusive children’s 

gym with a focus on children with special needs. She received assistance with developing her business plan/start-up assistance and 

referral to a local community bank to obtain funding. She came 

back to the center for other services because she viewed the staff 

at VBOC as a trusted advisor and was willing to work with other 

agencies. She’s been referred to the Syracuse University V-WISE 

pitch competitions, SBTDC for specialized training in QuickBooks 

and utilized CBE student internships. These referrals have helped 

her win pitch competitions, hire 6 part-time employees and improve the business’ operational and marketing systems. 

Robert Fletcher, Army Veteran owner of Bob’s Smokin’ Southern 

BBQ Sauce, attended VBOC’s annual Entrepreneurial Bootcamp 

for Service Disabled Veterans. The week-long training provides a 

learning and development opportunity for veterans and spouses 

who are interested in starting a business. Robert’s idea of his famous barbecue sauce concept started in the boot camp. He later 

worked closely with the VBOC staff to form the business. Robert 

was also introduced to one of VBOC’s core strategic partners the 

North Carolina Veterans Business Association (NC Vet Biz). Its 

mission is to support, educate and connect all veterans in commerce in North Carolina with resources to become successful in 

business. The association assisted Robert with additional distribution channels to get his sauce to the market. The training, counseling and partnership assisted Mr. Fletcher in operating nationally with sauces now in over 200 stores, as well as being offered 

expansion internationally to Australia, Germany, and Okinawa. He 

will soon be a part of a Netflix documentary scheduled to begin 

production in late 2018. These are two of man success stories demonstrating FSU-VBOC collaborations with resource partners, and 

local organizations to deliver desirable outcomes for their clients. 

FSU-VBOC’s impact on the US economy’s during the past fiscal 

year includes: contributing to 41 businesses started, 537 jobs created and retained, 2.2 million loans acquired, and 1.3 million contracts awarded with the assistance of great partnerships and community support. 

Veteran-Owned businesses are the pillars of the American economy. Nearly 1 in 10 businesses are veteran-owned, generating approximately 1.1 billion of the nation’s total sales per year. These 

businesses hire 5.03 million people per year, and have an annual 

payroll of $195 Billion (data collected by the Office of Veterans 

Business Development). Veteran-owned businesses are found across 

diverse industries with the above average representation in finance/insurance, transportation/warehouse, construction, and agriculture/forestry/fishing. The State of North Carolina sees growth in 

these industry sectors as well. FSU-VBOC partnered with NC Department of Agriculture, USDA and NC Department of Veterans 

and Military Affairs to host annual Veterans in Agriculture summit 

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to promote, support and expose more Veterans to the agriculture 

industry. Veteran women-owned businesses steadily increase each 

year, (15.2% of businesses are owned by veteran women). To continue the steady increase, VBOC co-hosted ‘‘A New Mission: Military Women as Entrepreneurs Conference’’ with the Women’s Business Center of N.C. across the state. VBOC’s recognized the challenges these veterans faced as business owners in obtaining access 

to capital and government/corporate procurement. To assist our clients with these critical needs FSU-VBOC partnered with the North 

Carolina Veterans Business Association to provide veterans and 

the military community with access to more procurement opportunities, removing barriers to entry and networking opportunities. 

The past fiscal year for the VBOC network was marked by very 

significant levels of outreach, training, and services for veteranowned and military spouses’ small businesses. Over 1,700 training 

events held, 178 businesses created, and 1,006 jobs created and retained, 243 prime and subcontractors awarded, and 8.5 million dollars in SBA loans approved. Starting May 1st, the award expands 

the existing VBOC network from 20 to 22 centers across the nation, ensuring 100 percent geographic coverage. Each of the 22 

awardees displays proven commitment and continued excellence in 

providing comprehensive entrepreneurial services to the veteran 

and military community. Most of the VBOC centers cover multiple 

states and attend every Boots to Business course, all with a budget 

of $6,000,000. The 22 Veterans Business Outreach Center through 

its cooperative agreement is committed to ensuring that every service member and military spouse has the resources they need in 

their local communities to start and operate small businesses, 

achieve post-service career success, and strengthen the Nation’s 

economy. My ask is for your continued support of VBOC services 

to increase the success rate of business ownership with this highly 

skilled workforce. Again, thank you for this opportunity to share 

and represent the VBOC network-a program that helps our service 

men and women, and Veterans who fought, protected and served 

this GREAT NATION! 

Submitted, 10 April 2018 

Tamara Bryant, Director 

tcbyrant@uncfsu.edu 

Fayetteville State University-Veterans Business Outreach 

Center 

www.FSUVBOC.com 

1200 Murchison Rd 

Fayetteville, NC 28301 

(910) 672-1107 

Æ 

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