Startup Businesses

Interested in giving back to your community, while meeting likeminded people along the way? Come grab a drink at El Rey to learn more! ---------------------------------------------------------- The Arlington Jaycees is the premier civic organization of Arlington and the surrounding DMV. We provide young adults [ages 21-40] with opportunities for community service and outreach, personal & professional growth, business networking, and social engagement. We are a local branch of the Junior Chamber International, which provides the opportunity to build lifelong connections both at home and abroad! **Build** your community. **Build** friendships. **Build** yourself. [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/arlingtonjaycees?igsh=ZHd0cml3ZXh2MXFu&utm_source=qr) for more 👀

This is a monthly class designed for guitar players of all levels to fine tune their technique while learning essential skills and concepts. Each class will cover different guitar skills on an accessible level, creating a good foundation for further exploration and practice. **Topics will include:** Right hand technique for strumming and picking Right hand technique for fingerpicking Essential open position scales Chord inversions Improvisation strategies The CAGED System Jazz Chords and More! Each class will start with some basic warmup exercises and move into specifics with a focus on healthy technique, practicing strategies, and producing the best possible sound. This is a live, in-person lesson where students will have opportunities to ask questions and receive feedback. PDFs will be provided. Classes are on the 2nd Monday of the month from 7:15 - 8:15 pm Register Here: [https://square.link/u/iayb0jXQ](https://square.link/u/iayb0jXQ?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExMXlZWXFLVkY1aktKMlFGdnNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR5xXexpM9-HmVBmj_F1XnvlykfPn3ukFQv7X8bgClcrPRs4MvrHtN9vmigMsA_aem_q5syCWKyuiDlhbMeFmiHug)

[Profs and Pints DC](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“Wink, Nod, Kill,”** a look at implicit calls for violence and other speech that leads to bloodshed and threatens democracy, with Kurt Braddock, assistant professor of communications at American University and expert on terrorism. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-wink-nod-kill](https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-wink-nod-kill) .] Over the last decade, President Donald Trump and many of his allies have used language that implicitly advocates for the use of violence without directing it outright. From telling the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by” to suggesting that legal acts of Democratic lawmakers should be “punishable by death,” Trump has consistently suggested that violence is a viable means of addressing political grievances. Support for political violence—implicit or explicit—goes beyond the sort of spirited debate and disagreement upon which the American experiment was founded. It represents a gray area in the connection between violent language and violent acts, an area that Kurt Braddock has spent years studying. Learn about research on the connection between real bloodshed and coded language, dogwhistles, and implicit calls for violence with Dr. Braddock, who has conducted research on communication and terrorism for several national and international organizations, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Department of State, and the United Nations Office of Counter Terrorism. Professor Braddock will give his audience a firm grounding in the concept of “stochastic terrorism,” or political violence spawned by vague calls to violent action. Tapping into decades of research on communication and decision-making and accounts of specific violent acts inspired by implicit orders, he’ll show us that the threat posed by implicit calls to violence is real. He’ll discuss whether implicit calls for violence represent a “new” form of political communication protected by the First Amendment, and he’ll describe the real-world dangers posed by these kinds of statements. Among the questions Dr. Braddock will tackle: Why do politicians use this language if they can reasonably assume that someone may be motivated by it to hurt someone else? Perhaps most importantly, what can we do about it, especially given the sacrosanctity of the First Amendment? His talk promises to give you a much more sophisticated understanding of recent events and a clearer sense of what might lie ahead. (Door: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. The talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: Right-wing pundit and podcaster Steve Bannon routinely uses violent rhetoric. (Photo by Nordiske Mediedager / Creative Commons. )

**West Coast Swing with Lara Deni** **Where:** Deni Danzco Studio - 3408 Annandale Rd, Falls Church, VA ​ \*Max 16 people per class **Monday** 7:00pm - Level 2 (Novice) 7:45pm- Drills/Musicality/Technique - Levels 2-4 8:30pm - Level 3 /4 (Intermediate/Advanced) ​ **Thursday** 7:00pm - Level 1 (no experience/beginner) **Cost: *$74/month*** \- Three classes per month in any one level ***$199/monthly subscription*** \- Unlimited Class Monthly Membership of any level \- cancel anytime **Explanation of Levels** * Level 1 (No Experience/Beginner) - 6 count Rhythm, Left and Right Side passes ), Starter Step, Connection, and a few other basics * Level 2 (Novice -Beyond Basics) - See 6 month Syllabus on the website * Level 3 /4 (Intermediate/Advanced) - Turn techniques, Leaders Turns, Hammerlocks, Re-directs, Sling Shots, Whip Variations, and so much more. The moves and information learned in this class is endless. You will not be bored! :o) * Drills/Technique/ Musicality (Levels 2-4) ​- Each month will be concentrating on one of the three mentioned. We will dive deep into that area of dance, so you walk away with a better understanding, more knowledge, and musicality to enhance and make your dance more fun! Definitely a class not to miss! ###### Q&A * Classes are 45min * Refunds offered only 48 hours before class/class series starts * You can make-up a class with a class that is of a lower level and running during your current series class time period ​

Pitch Labs is happy to partner with George Mason University's Computer Science Graduate Student Association to host a tech talk for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, AI, and more. Damon Feldman, co-founder of Advocara, will be joining us to share his experiences in a fireside-chat styled event. **About the Event** This fireside chat will bring together students, founders, and innovators for an engaging conversation at the intersection of AI, entrepreneurship, and real‑world problem‑solving. Damon will share insights from: * Building and scaling AI‑driven products * Navigating the startup landscape from idea to execution * Lessons learned from leading engineering teams and deploying mission‑critical systems * Opportunities for CS students in emerging tech and founder ecosystems The session will include a moderated discussion, audience Q&A, and opportunities to connect with fellow students, founders, and members of the DMV startup community. **About the Speaker** Damon Feldman is the President and Co‑Founder of Advocara, an AI‑based healthcare navigation startup working to bring transparency to medical billing. His career spans leadership roles in customer engineering, large‑scale data integration, and complex system design across healthcare, government, and enterprise technology. Damon holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science and has led engineering initiatives for organizations of various sizes and industries

Small business Owners who do business through referrals and community. Come visit our chapter to see how help each other expand our business and maximize our time. Our group has over 30 members from different backgrounds! We meet every Wednesday morning, network, and share great ideas! We are looking for a few more like-minded business professionals to grow our group! Come visit our chapter and see if we are fit! Breakfast and drinks are provided at $30. Location: Seva Spaces Tysons 1604 Spring Hill Rd 2nd floor, Vienna, VA 22182

Pitch your idea, get feedback, give feedback, meet with a mentor and most importantly, take action. Come to the meetup with a specific issue you are stuck with. **10:30 am Introductions:** 2-minute pitches tell us who you are? What you're working on? and what you need help with? **11:00 am Problem Solving:** Let's figure out how we can help, and what action you can take today to move forward. **12:00 pm** Open Networking: Keep the discussion going and connect with other attendees. Bring yourself, notebooks, laptops and anything else you need to pitch your idea and get work done. Interested in joining the Studio? [APPLY NOW](https://unstucklabs.com)

**DC Service Jam is back.** This March, SD:DC is hosting the DC edition of Global Service Jam 2026 week. We are part of a worldwide movement of designers, strategists, and curious minds who come together to build real service concepts from scratch. From **Saturday March 14 to Sunday March 15**, you'll work in a small team around a secret theme revealed at kick-off. No briefs, no client. Just hands-on design, rapid prototyping, and plenty of Post-its. This year we're bringing AI into the mix. Throughout the weekend we'll look at how AI tools can support service design work, as a sensemaking tool, to build artifacts faster, and to push prototypes further. **WHAT TO EXPECT** **Saturday March 14th** * **9 - 10am:** social / breakfast (theme reveal + team formation) * **10am - 6pm:** full day of research, ideation, and prototyping (meals provided) * **6:30pm (optional):** social / happy hour (nearby bar) **Sunday March 15th** * **9 - 10am:** social / breakfast * **10am - 12pm:** finalize prototyping & storytelling * **12pm - 2pm:** present your work and share what DC made with the world **WHO SHOULD COME** You don't need to be a service designer. If you're a UX or product designer, strategist, public servant, researcher, or just someone curious about how services actually work, you're welcome here. **LOGISTICS** * **Dates:** Saturday March 14th & Sunday 15th (ending at 2pm) * **Venue:** SteamPunk, McLean, VA * **Capacity:** 50 spots only (first come, first served) * **Attendee fee:** $60\* (covers meals, materials, and space) *\* If the fee is a barrier for you, we have a limited number of discounted tickets available, just reach out to Sergio Venegas directly for a code.* **WHAT TO BRING** ✔️ An open mind and a willingness to make things ✔️ Laptop and charger ✔️ Curiosity about Service Design (no experience needed) **Follow SD:DC on LinkedIn and @DCServiceJam on Instagram for updates!** \*\*\* Many thanks to our host and sponsor, **SteamPunk** *Design. Disrupt, Repeat. Steampunk is anchored by a startup culture with a customer-centered delivery approach. We put our Federal government clients in the center of everything we design, develop, and deliver to drive high quality mission impacts and user experiences at speed.*

A weekly networking meeting where we have a lot of fun and of course, meet other busy professionals!

Join us on zoom call zoom from your phone free at 1929 436 2866; meeting id is 896 0197-4108 that's all, see you today 3rd Sunday at 12:45pm 2-15-26 ask for Howard!

The BNI Capital Business Alliance is a business and professional networking organization for all industry leaders. We are one of the top BNI groups in the region, focused on building business relationships and friendships that lead to growing each others business. We meet every Wednesday morning to build relationships, showcase our services, and meet new people! We welcome all visitors who are looking to expand their referral networks and grow their business. There is no fee for visiting our lite fare breakfast meeting and if your business category is open in our chapter you can learn more about how to become a member and join us every week! We are very active outside of our Wednesday morning meetings as well! We host member-only events regularly and are always out and about networking at other events. Due to COVID-19 circumstances our meetings are currently being held virtually through a Virtual Zoom Meeting from 7:30 - 9:00 am. A link to the meeting will be sent to you once you register as Attending on Meetup. We can't wait to meet you! Be prepared to tell us all about your business!

**PLEASE BUY TICKETS THROUGH EVENTBRITE. RSVP THROUGH MEETUP IS NOT A TICKET PURCHASE CONFIRMATION.** Strive welcomes you to 'General Business Networking', Columbus' hottest networking event! We are set in the perfect central location in Downtown for all to join. Are you interested in business? Want to elevate your career? Meet Consultants, Analysts of all types, Bankers, Software Engineers, Entrepreneurs, and more who are active in the space or are eager to get started. **\*\*This will be a multi-vertical event\*\*** **There will be professionals with backgrounds in the arts, finance, tech, real estate, healthcare, and more. Come with an open mind, and leave with connections that wouldn't be possible otherwise!** Pack some business cards and come with an open mind! Meet your future business partners, employers, coworkers, investors, and friends. You don't want to miss this opportunity to expand your network and create a brighter future. We will have a space for our event to check-in. The event will go from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM (feel free to come at any point in this timeframe). Name tags will be provided. Business casual dress code. Job fair attire. **Remember, it's not who you know, it's who you meet tomorrow!** We look forward to meeting you at the event! Sincerely, Strive Networking Team *Refund requests are permitted up to 24 hours after purchase, so long as we are not within 48 hours before the event start time. Refunds will be made in full and repaid to your method of payment. Note that we are unable to reimburse PayPal fees.* *Disclaimer: By attending Strive Networking events you agree to photos/videos taken during the event being used to promote future events.*

Calling all founders, CEOs, lawyers, doctors, and entrepreneurs to join our special *Founder Edition* of Sip & Read meetup event. Let's sip on fine wine and discuss our first book **The 5AM Club- Own Your Morning Elevate Your Life, by Robin Sharma**. We will pair this book with our favorite wine at **Wine on High** and engage in thought-provoking discussions on startup businesses and entrepreneurship, and network with like-minded individuals in a cozy book club setting. Come prepared to discuss this month's book. At the end of each book club meeting, we will take next book and venue suggestions from the participants for the next meeting. Whether you are a book lover, women entrepreneur, or a content creator, this event is perfect for sharing ideas and insights with other funders and founders in the entrepreneurial world. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to connect, learn, and grow together. Sign up now to reserve your spot! *Fun fact! This meetup was established in 2015 and had over 1,000 members. I had to shut down operations while attending law school, but we're back!!*

Bring your business cards and network in person with other business professionals! Gold Star Referral Clubs is one of the most established professional networking organizations in the country, with multiple groups in central Ohio. Join us!

**Confidence in Bloom: How Creativity Builds Confidence** What happens when creativity becomes an intentional practice? In this month’s Confidence Lab, we’ll gather at **Petals That Inspire: The Flourish Studio** for an evening exploring the connection between creativity and confidence. How making with our hands, engaging our senses, and allowing space for expression can shift how we see ourselves and what we believe is possible. Our featured speaker, **Amanda Lorenzetti**, owner of Petals That Inspire, will share how creativity has shaped her own confidence journey and why creative environments play such a powerful role in well-being, resilience, and personal growth. Drawing from her work leading an experience-driven floral studio and a community-centered workforce development program, Amanda will reflect on creativity as both a personal and collective catalyst. Amanda will also guide us through a **hands-on floral design experience**, creating a fresh arrangement in a wide mouth mason jar. No prior floral experience is needed, just curiosity and a willingness to engage the process. This evening is an invitation to slow down, create, and reconnect with the part of yourself that grows through care, attention, and imagination. You’ll leave with a floral arrangement to take home, and a deeper understanding of how confidence can be cultivated through creative practices. **Featured Speaker: Amanda Lorenzetti** Amanda Lorenzetti is the owner and founder of [Petals That Inspire](https://www.petalsthatinspire.com/) and The Flourish Studio, a social enterprise florist based in Columbus, Ohio. She brings more than a decade of experience in wedding and event sales, paired with hands-on expertise in floral and event design. Amanda’s connection to the floral industry began early, spending time alongside her godmother, a professional florist on the East Coast. After earning her business degree, she returned to her hometown in Connecticut to work as a floral and event designer, blending creative artistry with strong operational and client-focused skills. In 2020, Amanda returned to the floral industry with a renewed purpose, driven by a desire to build a business rooted in creativity, community impact, and sustainability. During this pivotal time, she founded Petals That Inspire—an innovative floral concept that reimagines the traditional florist model by combining event florals, workshops, and experiential offerings with a mission-centered approach to workforce development. Today, Petals That Inspire is a thriving social enterprise known for its thoughtful design, educational experiences, and commitment to empowering young adults facing barriers to entry in the workforce. Amanda is deeply passionate about building businesses that are both profitable and purpose-driven, and she leverages her strong business acumen to create a scalable & sustainable model that inspires creativity while giving back to the community. **What is Confidence Lab?** Confidence Lab is a monthly community experience for bold, thoughtful leaders building confidence from the inside out. Whether you’re launching a business, leading a team, navigating change, or simply striving to show up more fully—you belong here. Our work demands clarity, courage, and conviction—but the pace of daily life can erode our sense of self. Confidence Lab creates space to reflect, reconnect, and grow with others doing purpose-driven work. It’s designed for entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders, creatives, corporate professionals, activists, and anyone ready to lead with authenticity and impact. ***Please note:*** *All are welcome! If cost is a concern, please use promo code PUBLIC to access a free ticket—we want you to join us.*

Is your business taking more of your time than you would like? [Rob Young](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cinci-robyoung/) principal at [Stage 3 Group](https://www.linkedin.com/company/stage-3-group/), hosts this workshop series and is the author of Stage 3 Success. * Provides a framework and a playbook for leaders of emerging businesses * Reviews business management tools and techniques for scaling and maturing a business * How to recognize and leverage stories hidden in financial statements * How to implement financial and operational controls and use leading indicators to spot trouble before it occurs * How to manage your time for maximum effect * How to deal with nonperforming employees * How to create standard operating procedures throughout your organization Four sessions will include two hours of content and an optional 90-minute hands-on lab. Reserve your spot via this link: https://clintonvilleba.com/calendar/#!event/2026/3/20/chaos-to-clarity-to-control ($200 for non-CABA members.)

One of the most valuable parts of this community is the opportunity to think out loud with other product professionals. This session is built for exactly that. As we wrap up the quarter, it’s a great time to pause and reflect. What’s on track? What needs adjustment? Where could a small shift create bigger impact? Join fellow product professionals for a focused, interactive conversation designed to help you recalibrate for the next quarter. You’ll have the opportunity to share where you are, hear how others are thinking through similar challenges, and gain fresh perspective you can bring back to your team and organization. We’ll gather at 8:00AM, with discussion starting promptly at 8:15AM. 📍 First Watch - 7227 N High St Located in: The Shops at Worthington Ample parking is available. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. Start your morning with clarity and connection — we hope to see you there! ☀️