Open For Business Chronicles

Arianna Ross - Story Tapestries

Arianna Ross founded in 2010, Story Tapestries, where she works to empower, educate, and engage. Story Tapestries and Arianna Ross create educational, entertaining, international programs that weave the power of dance, storytelling, writing, poetry, hip-hop, visual art, and theatre with other subjects including STEAM, Literacy, Mental Health, Equity, and Workforce Development. The organization has served over 800,000 in the last 10 years. For over 20 years, Arianna has performed and taught using the arts as a means to bridge barriers and help individuals foster a deeper connection to what they are learning and teaching at schools, libraries, community centers, performing arts facilities and universities. She has performed and taught at the University of MD, Millenium Stage, The Reach at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Wolf Trap, The National Theatre, and many other locations around the world. She custom designs every program to fit the age and needs of the audience.

Marilyn Balcombe - Germantown Gaithersburg Chamber of Commerce

In this episode Eric interviews Marilyn Balcombe, President / CEO of the Germantown Gaithersburg Chamber of Commerce. Marilyn Balcombe has been a community leader in Montgomery County for over 20 years. As the President & CEO of the Chamber she feels blessed that every day her job is to help make Montgomery County a better place to live. Thorough her efforts in GGCC, Marilyn helps create a sustainable economy that supports the shared values of our community.

Sonja Der - Bridge Performance Coaching

Sonja Der is the founder and owner of Bridge Performance Coaching & Targeted Recruiting. BPC is differentiated from other coaches and recruiters by her unique CoachCruiting process, a customized combination of both. BPC provides strategic solutions to small business owners who are struggling with staffing performance issues. Sonja used her master’s degree in the healthcare field as a speech-language pathologist to gain invaluable operational experience while leading a progressive rehabilitation unit. She brings a mindset of systems strategy and organizational structure to her clients, paired with sharp intuition. Sonja has over 25 years of leadership coaching experience, to which she has added 3 years of targeted recruiting experience. Her mission is Best Person = Best Performance = Best Result. Sonja’s passion lies in helping small businesses reach their full staffing performance potential across the board.

Manisha Eigner - Clear Skies Meadery

In this episode Eric interviews Manisha Eigner a former biotechnology industry professional and a military spouse. She inherited her family’s entrepreneurial spirit and has been eager to start a small business. For the past year she has channeled her energy setting up Clear Skies Meadery. She has lived in Korea, the Pacific Northwest and North Carolina where she enjoyed learning about the local cuisines and building new communities. Clear Skies Mead is made by Yancy Bodenstein who is an award winning mead maker in local, national and international competitions with a variety of entries. He has been creating mead for over 17 years. 325 Main Street, Gaithersburg, MD 20878 (240) 261-4328 contact@clearskiesmeadery.co [contact@clearskiesmeadery.co] https://clearskiesmeadery.co/ [https://clearskiesmeadery.co/]

Paul Smith - The Abrams Group at RLAH Real Estate

In this episode Eric interviews Paul Smith of The Abrams Group at RLAH Real Estate, a Berkshire Hathaway Company. Paul is a full-time, licensed Realtor and helps buyers and sellers in the Metro Washington DC area As a long term resident and homeowner in Montgomery County, Paul has seen firsthand the incredible changes in the Montgomery County Real Estate market - from the once non-existent Kentlands and Lakelands neighborhoods to the redevelopment of downtown Silver Spring to the emergence of the Clarksburg area to the opening of the new ICC Route 200. Paul raised three children who attended Montgomery County Public Schools. He is actively involved in several of the local area Chambers of Commerce. Many people also recognize me as having owned Bagel City in Rockville and Bagel Capitol in Gaithersburg.