Published May 29, 2024
Twelve local small businesses were honored on Tuesday at the SCORE Washington DC annual Client of the Year awards luncheon. SCORE Washington DC provides free mentoring, resources, and training to anyone looking to start or grow a small business. The celebrated businesses ranged from a comedy production company showcasing diverse voices to a software system training certified nurse assistants to meet the demand of an aging population. The 2024 winners are:
- Services Award: Caroline Dockery, Categorically Caroline (Manassas, VA)
- Retail Award: Amanda Preske, Because Science (Washington, DC)
- Medical Services Award: Timothy Zelch, Spine and Orthopedic Solutions (Ashburn, VA)
- Government Contracting Awards: John J. Yim, Intelligence Federal (Vienna, VA) AND Cori Kelly, NATECH (Leesburg, VA)
- Arts & Entertainment: Kim Levone, Improbable Comedy (Silver Spring, MD)
- Education Award: Kaltun Jama, Montessori School of Chantilly (Chantilly, VA)
- Technology Start-up: Matt Ruck, XOP.AI (Gaithersburg, MD)
- Health & Wellness: Scott Dance, District Martial Arts (Arlington, VA)
- Medical Technology: Charlene Brown, CNA Simulations (Washington, DC)
- Advertising, Design & Marketing: Lopaka Purdy and Jocelyn Fontaine, Waldinger Creative Communications, Inc. (Towson, MD)
- Engineering & Construction Management: Yves Rugasaguhunga, PrimECS (Oxon Hill, MD)
In accepting their respective awards, the honorees credited their SCORE mentors for the success of their businesses and instilling the confidence to succeed. As award winner Charlene Brown said, “I believe that my mentor also deserves an award. Her insights and coaching kept me focused on business priorities. She supported my vision and helped me to lay the groundwork for an incredible company. I’m grateful to SCORE for bringing us together.”
Following the presentations of awards, SCORE CEO Bridget Weston, who attended the event along with SBA District Director Larry Webb, lauded the awardees for their hard work and perseverance. She added, “SCORE is immensely proud of our volunteer mentors who generously share their time and expertise with small businesses. Your success is vital to our economy, our nation, and our communities. You truly make a difference.” As evidence of the strong commitment to small business growth and development, Weston noted that, in 2023 alone, the SCORE Washington DC chapter’s assistance helped to generate 1,222 business openings and 4,100 new jobs in the Metropolitan area.
For more information about starting or operating a small business, visit SCORE Washington DC.
