Startup Businesses

**Are you overpaying** for credit card processing? 💳 Most businesses and nonprofits accept fees as a "cost of doing business" without understanding how they are calculated. Join us for a high-value Lunch & Learn featuring **Daniel Garedew** to learn how to keep more of your revenue. What we’ll discuss: * **Lowering Fees:** How processing rates are determined and ways you can potentially reduce yours. * **Increasing Efficiency:** Using recurring payment plans and QuickBooks integrations to save time. * **Automated Technology:** How Card Updater software fixes expired cards automatically to prevent failed payments. **Stop overpaying and start streamlining your payment systems.** **Event Details:** 📍 **Location:** Founding Farmers, MD 🎟️ [Save Your Spot](https://bnicentralmaryland.com/en-US/eventdetails?eventId=qdlTIXHYJ0xUdNWJEzC83g%3D%3D)

On https://blackecon101.podbean.com/ Thursdays at 6 pm. discussing the economy...and Black people.

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

HH @ Crooked Run in the Union Market neighborhood. Come and go as your schedule allows.

Network with an average of 60+ business professionals, all attendees get an opportunity to give a 30 second elevator pitch, enjoy a light breakfast, 10 minute educational presentation on topics that change weekly, and enjoy networking before and after the meet up.

• What we'll do Economist William Michael Cunningham on Podbeam Thursdays at 6 pm. https://www.podbean.com/

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

**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.*

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!

**Welcome to Flourish Collective meetup!** Join us for a time of **inspiration, connection, and empowerment** with Christian businesswomen who are ready to grow in both their faith and their businesses. We’ll start with a brief introduction and **icebreaker activities** to help you connect with others in the group. Then, we’ll dive into a **motivational session** on **combining faith with business**—how to lead with purpose, integrity, and impact in today’s world. Whether you’re just starting your business journey or are a seasoned entrepreneur, you’ll leave feeling encouraged and equipped to take your next steps! We'll also spend time in **prayer** and discussing how we can support each other’s businesses and walk together in faith. *** ### **Agenda:** * **10:00 AM - 10:30 AM** – Welcome & Introductions * **10:30 AM - 11:00 AM** – Icebreaker Activities (get to know each other) * **11:00 AM - 11:30 AM** – **Inspiring Talk** on Integrating Faith and Business * **11:30 AM - 12:00 PM** – Prayer & Business Support Circle (share your challenges & successes) *** ### **Why You Should Attend:** * **Connect** with like-minded Christian businesswomen who share your passion for success and purpose. * **Learn** how to integrate your faith into your business for greater impact and fulfillment. * **Grow** spiritually and professionally as we build a supportive community together. *** ### **What to Bring:** * An **open heart** and willingness to connect. * Your **business ideas, questions, or challenges** you want to discuss with the group. * A **positive attitude** ready to grow and inspire others! ### **Blessings!** **Helen Ogbu, CPA**

Every year MoCo Makers is proud to partner with the DMV Petri Dish to celebrate Pi Day, 3/14, which is a celebration of the mathematical "transcendental number" pi - 3.14159.... Pi day is also a great excuse to be social and eat Pie! This event is open to all backgrounds, even if this is your first event! We are meeting at the 7 Locks Brewery, and they kindly let us bring our own food. No worries if you don't drink alcoholic drinks, all are welcome. Bringing your own food is encouraged but not required. If you are planning to bring something, please enter your name, item name, and quantity in the spreadsheet below: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ldQxYBECyxwTeX_woLhbQZlj0EkAyB5qrc-Q16hBOn0/edit?usp=drivesdk There will be a countdown leading up to 1:59 pm, complete with disco ball drop. 🪩 Dr. Cheryl Lohman is sponsoring an assortment of chef-crafted savory-style pies, and they come well reviewed (just ask past attendees). Join us for some good times, and tasty eats!

**RESTON AREA ROCKERS** We meet 2x/mo, once in-person and once on Zoom. We meet for lunch on the 2nd Friday 11:30 to 1:00 pm at various locations in the Reston area. We meet on Zoom on the 4th Friday 9:30 to 10:30 am. Visit https://teamnetwork.affnetz.us/events for updates and details. NOTE: We welcome visitors, however, we are an "Exclusive Business Category" Networking group, therefore we vet all guests. Questions? Call Curt at 301-260-0060 Thank You! You can find the Reston Area Rockers and other Team Network groups and events at https://www.teamnetwork.com. Our group is made up of local area business people who wish to grow their business by developing relationships that grow partnerships and increase business through collaborative problem solving and education and introductions in a unique and stimulating environment. If you want to get on top of the latest thinking and hottest topics, and turn this intelligence and collaboration into game changing results for your business please join us. For guests, the first two meetings are free, then joining is required.

The Runstr District 5K is a charity race with a twist. Your finish decides which cause wins. Pick a team. Run your best. The charity with the most runners in the top 100 takes home $500. 🎟️ Tickets: [https://runsignup.com/Race/DC/Washington/Runstr5k](https://runsignup.com/Race/DC/Washington/Runstr5k) 🎫 You can also [buy a ticket with Bitcoin here](https://www.satlantis.io/events/1571/RUNSTR%3A-DISTRICT-5k) **Choose Your Charity** * Human Rights Foundation * ALS Network * Chimes International **Race Day** 📅 March 15, 2026 at 7:00 AM 📍 Haines Point, DC 🏃‍♀️‍➡️ Flat, scenic loop along the Potomac 🎶 After Party Brunch at [Pubkey DC](https://www.pubkey.bar/dc/home) with LIVE MUSIC and awards. 🎟️ Tickets: [https://runsignup.com/Race/DC/Washington/Runstr5k](https://runsignup.com/Race/DC/Washington/Runstr5k) 🎫 You can also [buy a ticket with Bitcoin here](https://www.satlantis.io/events/1571/RUNSTR%3A-DISTRICT-5k) [RUNSTR](https://www.satlantis.io/) is a free, privacy-first fitness app that turns your workouts into charitable impact, complete a workout, support a cause you care about.

**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!!*

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.)

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!

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! ☀️

NFT's are here to stay folks! This is a group for like minded people interested in understanding, leveraging, using, creating for, profiting from, trading too i suppose, NFT's.. everything around them, complexity, fear and exploits, best practices and more. **PLUS** This group will talk AI ART tools, techniques, artists, video, audio, prototypes and more in the AI assisted production space- ART specifically, but we can get into any aspect of some of the cooler things happening in AI in general.