Mason Enterprise Center 
MEC-Leesburg launches federal contractor peer group 
MEC-Leesburg is working with past and present member companies to create a federal contracting peer group. Companies will meet monthly to share information as well as form partnerships and teams that will increase their competitive edge. Founding member Pete Curry of DAR Partners describes the program as "graduate-level professional development." The peer group is just one of the many services that MEC-Leesburg provides to members to accelerate their growth. 
SBDC manager Eric Byrd elected EDC chair 
Eric Byrd, manager of the SBDC at MEC-Leesburg, was elected chair of the Town of Leesburg Economic Development Commission. Byrd will lead the commission in advising the town council on matters of economic development in Leesburg. He plans to focus on "practical, achievable projects" and guiding the discussion of the EDC "so we can make good, thoughtful policy recommendations to council."  Read more 
Loudoun gears up for Small Business Conference 
Preparations for the 2018 Loudoun Small Business Conference are in full swing. Approximately 200 attendees will participate in 12 breakout sessions focusing on business building topics, including marketing, operations, and finances. Eric Major, founder and CEO of the Leesburg-based medical device company K2M, will deliver the keynote. Building on the success of last year, the MEC-Leesburg team has even more in store for this year.  Read more 
Leesburg HUBZone doubles in size
MEC-Leesburg members involved in government contracting received the good news that the Leesburg HUBZone will double in size, leading to new jobs for Leesburg residents and expanding the employee pool for HUBZone companies. HUBZone, a program from the Small Business Administration, gives preferential treatment to businesses who locate in areas of economic disadvantage and who hire local employees. Read more
CBP (Springfield)CBP
Kathy Wheeler, CEO of MEC-CBP, retires
Community Business Partnership staff celebrated Kathy Wheeler's 20 years of service with a surprise retirement luncheon. Staff from CBP and other MECs, CBP Board of Directors, former and current clients, and community dignitaries honored Kathy for her service, leadership, promotion of economic development, and dedication to providing small business support services to Fairfax County and beyond.  Read more
CBP hires Mark Scarano  as Executive Director  
Mark Scarano has a strong background in economic development. Appointed by the President, he led the Northern Border Regional Commission, a Federal/State partnership for economic development in three northern New England states and New York.  Scarano worked with their Governors to create a respected economic development funder and advocate. Previously, Scarano led county economic development agencies in New Hampshire and Maine, building business assistance programs that led to direct job creation, new businesses, and significant corporate investments. Welcome aboard, Mark Scarano!  
Join CBP at the annual Veterans in Business Conference 
The Veterans in Business Conference returns on Thursday, March 22, providing education, networking, and business opportunities for the military community (including all Veterans, active duty, National Guard, Reservists, and military spouses), who continue to strengthen our country with their small business endeavors and entrepreneurial spirit. This year's focus is "Igniting Business Success," and an incredible array of workshops and speakers are lined up to help position businesses for success in starting and growing.   Read more 

MEC-FairfaxMECfairfax
The MIX debuts to high praise
Mason President Ángel Cabrera joined Virginia's Secretary of Technology Karen Jackson, regional business leaders, and members of the Mason community for the grand opening of a new student-centered collaboration and event space. The MIX, designed to foster student innovation and experimentation, comes to life daily  on the Fairfax campus. The event also kicked off  Growth4VA, a statewide plan to expand access to high-paying jobs and retain Virginia's  top ranking for business.  Read more
Get It Right conversations with Lori Muhlstein
Entrepreneurs are always on -- with clients, suppliers, vendor partners, and employees. In a perfect world every conversation would be easy, but in reality some don't work out the way we'd like. In this highly interactive workshop, attendees learned strategies to get more out of interactions with key stakeholders. Using fun improvisational activities and group discussion, participants learned the power of "yes and," plus practice skills, such as thinking on your feet, listening, articulating ideas, creativity, collaborating as a team...and much more.
Success comes from speaking with confidence
In her talk, Develop Your Executive Presence, Christine Clapp claimed that the ability to speak with confidence, no matter where you are, drives a career forward. She spoke to MEC-Fairfax clients and others in the community about powerful insights and practical strategies that rapidly transform public-speaking anxiety and apprehension into poise and polish.
Five Habits of Profitability lead to growth
Scott Thompson presented the Five Habits of Profitability to a group of entrepreneurs at the MEC-Fairfax.  They learned how to examine, forecast, and grow by using this system, based on the premise that business owners need to examine and forecast in order to grow.
MEC-FauquierMEC-Fauquier
The Freiling Agency joins MEC-Fauquier
The Freiling Agency, a digital and new media-marketing agency servicing national non-profit organizations, ministries, and cause-related campaigns, joined MEC-Fauquier. Founder and CEO Tom Freiling explains, "I chose to move my agency to the MEC in Warrenton because I needed a professional yet affordable office environment. The MEC offers all the amenities and conveniences of a large corporate office but at a fraction of the cost. My business has grown by more than 25% since moving here. The increased productivity has allowed us to move into new markets, including marketing for cancer research. We're excited about new opportunities for growth and hope to expand our presence at the MEC!"
Workshops at the Mason Enterprise Centers
MEC-Fairfax, MEC-Leesburg, MEC-Fauquier, and MEC-CBP (Springfield) continue offering their highly successful lunches and workshops, attracting full houses of entrepreneurs and small business owners from The Northern Virginia area.