About DSLBD Mission The Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD) supports the development, economic growth, and retention of District-based businesses, and promotes economic development throughout the District's commercial corridors. Vision DSLBD envisions a business environment in which: DC businesses are connected in real-time with local, federal, and global business opportunities; businesses navigate government quickly, confidently, and effectively; and, every entrepreneur and business with a great idea and a great plan has the capital to make it happen.

1. SmallBiz Quarterly
NEWSLETTER
4th Quarter // September 2019
Let Your
Dreams SoarDSLBD partners with Reagan National Airport to bring
small business owners together through the first-ever
Made In DC kiosk.
P.03
DC Business Spotlight
Meet Ronnette Meyers, President and CEO of JLAN
Solutions, a full-service IT management and consult-
ing firm.
P.05Robust Retail Grants
Through fines collected, DSLBD infuses $1,000,000 into
the small businesses of local entrepreneurs.
P.04

2. 2
Looking back, I am incredibly honored to have been a
part of such an amazing summer for the Department
of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD).
DSLBD has been laser-focused on: awarding grants to
local retail establishments, engaging the community
through workshops & trainings, and creating new
opportunities for the District’s small and local
businesses to grow and thrive.
While our city is enjoying a moment of prosperity, I
often say that a rising tide does not raise all boats. I
know that DSLBD must remain hyper-focused on the
changing needs of our small business community,
specifically our CBEs. That’s why in 2020, we are
designing programs (such as: a mentor-protégé
program, access to capital, and technical assistance)
that address the specific challenges within the business
community. In addition, we continue to develop our
internal systems by using cutting edge technology that
increases transparency and overall efficiencies.
As we move into Fiscal Year 2020, I remain committed
to building on the momentum of this year and doubling
down on Mayor Bowser’s mandate of a relentless
pursuit of a fair shot for all District residents
and businesses.
Message from the
Director
This has been one of the most exciting and
successful summers with more than $2.5 mil-
lion going out to support the development and
growth of District businesses.
ASSISTANCEFINESADVOCACY
Year to date, DSLBD has logged
thousands of enagement hours with
District small and local businesses
through workshops, trainings, match-
making opportunities, one-on-one
counseling and technical assistance.
In the past year, the DSLBD team has
been on the frontline advocating on
behalf of small and local businesses
in every industry and at more than
250 DSLBD-hosted or external-
hosted events.
Mayor Bowser is dedicated to uphold-
ing and enforcing the District’s CBE
law. Her administration is the first to
levy fines for non-CBE compliance.
In the past three (3) years, these fines
have reached over $1 Million.
A few of the Department of Small & Local
Business Development’s summer highlights
Pictured Above: DC Department of Small and
Local Business Director Kristi Whitfield
SmallBiz Quaterly

3. 3
Meet Rahama Wright,
founder and Chief Execu-
tive Officer (CEO) of Shea
Yeleen Health & Beauty.
Rahama is the curator for
the first round of makers at
the retail pop-up’s airport
debut.
Let Your Dreams Soar
Department of Small & Local Business Development
partners with Reagan National Airport to bring small business
owners together through the first-ever Made In DC kiosk, which
is currently outpacing other airport vendors in its category.
DSLBD works tirelessly to identify and open
new market opportunities to District entre-
penuers. Recently, DSLBD and the Metropol-
itan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA)
celebrated the grand opening of the Made in
DC retail pop-up at Reagan National Airport,
providing a new national and international
presence for local makers and small busi-
ness owners.
The Made in DC pop-up, which is implement-
ed in conjunction with the airport’s conces-
sions management contractor MarketPlace
Development, features a rotating variety of
products throughout its stay at the airport.
All of the Made in DC products featured in
the retail space are from DC businesses that
are members of the DSLBD program and
include apothecary, apparel, art, food, jewel-
ry and stationary items created by 12Past7,
Bailiwick Clothing, Culture Socks, Bicycle
Trash, Definition Studio, Harper Macaw,
Little Likes Kids, Mischo Beauty, O-Mazing
Food, Shea Yeleen and The Nineteenth DC.
Made In DC program member, Rahama
Wright, founder and CEO of Shea Yeleen
Health and Beauty, curated the first round of
local makers for the retail pop-up’s airport
debut. Wright is also founder of the Pop-Up
Collaborative, a collective of women and
minority-owned businesses in the Washing-
ton, D.C., metropolitan area aiming to pro-
vide inclusive business opportunities. The
businesses represented in the retail pop-up
are all part of the Collaborative as well.
To shop any of the products featured in the
pop-up store, visit the kiosk, located pre-se-
curity in Reagan National Airport Terminal
B/C.
Pictured above: CEO of Shea
Yaleen Health and Beauty,
Rahama Wright
Meet DSLBD Innovation and
Equitable Development
Program Manager,
Kate Mereand
Quarter 4 | 2019

4. 4
Fines Fuel $1M in Robust Retail Grants
Through fines collected by DSLBD Compliance & Enforcement Division, the
agency was able to pilot an innovative grant program and that infused $1,000,000
into the small businesses of local entrepenuers!
1
3 4
SmallBiz Quaterly
Fines Create Access To $1.5M in Loans
Through fines collected by DSLBD Compliance & Enforcement Division, the
agency partnered with local Community Development Financial Institutions
(CDFIs) to provide local entrepenuers with access to much needed capital by
leveraging $200,000 into over 300 loans totaling $1,500,000!
Pictured Above: Uptown Main Street Big Check
Ceremony with DSLBD Director Kristi Whitfield
Pictured Above: Ward 7 - Eclectic Cafe Big Check
Ceremony with DSLBD Director Kristi Whitfield

5. 5
DC Business
Spotlight
DSLBD has supported the growth of
JLAN Solutions every step of the way.
The staff is laser-focused on providing
superior customer support, and we
will continue to take advantage of this
tremendous resource as we grow our
business.
I am Ronnette Meyers, president and CEO
of JLAN Solutions, a full-service IT manage-
ment and consulting firm. As a minority and
woman-owned small business located in the
District of Columbia, DSLBD was instrumen-
tal in facilitating JLAN Solutions’ certification
to do business in the District. We utilized
the DC Professional Technical Assistance
Center (PTAC) for specialized services with
Small Business Industry Day match-making
sessions, one-on-one counseling and much
more.
JLAN Solutions has also taken advan-
tage of several of the training sessions
offered by DSLBD to include winning
contracts and networking, proposal
writing and building effective gov-
ernment cost proposals, which have
helped position JLAN Solutions with
the right tools to serve as a valued
business partner to numerous DC and
federal government agencies, as well
as, to potential teaming partners.
Since JLAN was awarded our CBE Cer-
tification, we have received work from
two different District agencies. We were
also honored to be recognized as the
DSLBD CBE of the Year in 2018. This
distinguished recognition has given
us even more credibility in marketing
our business and has resulted in more
contract awards.
To learn more about the District’s CBE
Program, visit: dslbd.dc.gov
DC Business Toolkit
If you have not gotten the chance yet, check
out the DC Business Toolkit. The DC Busi-
ness Toolkit is an interactive online portal
that centralizes the vast number of business
assistance resources that are available
citywide through DSLBD, sister agencies
and service providers. This allows District
businesses and residents exploring entrepre-
neurship to quickly find and use these tools
to open, operate and grow their business in
the District of Columbia.
To learn more about the DC Business Toolkit,
visit: www.dcbusinesstoolkit.com
UNDERSTAND WHAT DSLBD DOES TO
ENSURE CBEs HAVE ACCESS TO DC DOLLARS
The District’s Certified Business Enterprise (CBE) law requires that all Dis-
trict Government contracts exceeding $250,000 require a 35% subcontract-
ing set-aside with CBEs. DSLBD ensures that this requirement is met and
that DC businesses get a fair shot to opportunities by doing the following:
DSLBD makes a proactive effort to keep DC businesses on
the frontline to opportunities through our Annual Green Book,
ongoing waiver process, and numerous outreach events.
Quarter 4 | 2019
Identify Spend Opportunities
When DSLBD identifies projects that are noncomplaint with
the District’s CBE law, DSLBD is granted the power to impose
fines on noncompliant primes or general contractors (GCs).
Issue Fines To Bad Actors
DSLBD works with CBEs and primes/GCs to resolve payment
disputes and subcontractor agreement requirements.
Dispute Resolution and Advocacy for CBEs

6. 6
DC STATEHOOD AT
ART ALL NIGHT
DSLBD WEBSITE REFRESH
COMING SOON...
MORE GRANT FUNDING
Mayor Bowser unveiled a special work of
art created by local artists and resi-
dents to highlight the District’s fight for
statehood. The project featured eight
separate pieces of wood cut to scale in
the shape of the District’s eight wards
and hand-painted by eight different art-
ists placed in each of the participating
District Main Street locations during DC
Art All Night, the District’s free overnight
arts festival.
The project was curated by Chris Pyrate
and included the following artists: Trap
Bob, Keyonna, Jamilla, Dieglo, Rikasso,
Mensa, and Pzay. The art activation
was commissioned by Mayor Bowser,
DMPED and DSLBD.
Have you noticed changes on the
DSLBD Website? Well... As a part of an
initiative by DSLBD Director Kristi
Whitfield, the DSLBD Communications
Team has started a full refresh of the
DSLBD Website. This website refresh
will use real-time analytics and user
feedback to determine best practices for
the DSLBD website.
The goal of this website refresh initiative
is to improve and enhance overall user
interface and experience.
Let us know what you think we could
add or improve about the website by
emailing us your feedback to:
DSLBD.Comms@dc.gov
DSLBD launched THREE different grants
in the summer of 2019: DC Main Streets,
WeAspire and Build a Dream.
The combined grant amounts, to be
awarded in Fiscal Year 2020, will total
more than $700,000 once final selec-
tions have been made!
The DC Main Streets Grants will go
toward funding six new DC Main Streets,
including U Street and the long-awaited
Cleveland Park areas. The Dream Grants
will provide funding for budding entre-
preneurs in Wards 7 & 8, while the
WeAspire Grant will assist returning
citizens with the creation, growth and
expansion of a District-based small
business.
SmallBiz Quaterly
441 4th Street, NW, Suite 850 North,
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: (202) 727 3900
Email: dslbd@dc.gov
Website: dslbd.dc.gov
Reports of CBE fraud can be made to DSLBD
by phone at (202) 727-0019, by email at
DSLBD.CBEFraud@dc.gov, or by regular
mail at: 441 4th Street, NW., Suite 850 North,
Washington, DC 20001.
If your CBE business has changed locations
or other pertinent business information,
please contact our CBE Certification Division
immediately at: cbe.info@dc.gov