DMV Resources

Maryland Women’s Business Center (MWBC)
Business counseling, training programs, peer-group support, and resources to help entrepreneurs — especially women and underrepresented business owners — start or grow a small business.
🔗 https://marylandwbc.org/

Maryland Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
Free one-on-one business consulting, training, funding guidance, marketing support, and bookkeeping assistance for new and growing businesses. Ideal for pivot-ventures.
🔗 https://www.marylandsbdc.org/

Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC / Think MoCo)
Business incentives, grants, site-selection support, and programs for small, minority-owned, and women-owned businesses in Montgomery County.
🔗 https://thinkmoco.com/

Montgomery County Small Business Association (MCSBA)
Local networking, advocacy, training, and relationship-building for entrepreneurs and small business owners.
🔗 https://www.mcsbamd.com/

Montgomery County Volunteer Center
A centralized hub for volunteer and civic-service opportunities across the county — great for staying engaged, building new networks, or giving back during transition.
🔗 https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/volunteercenter/

Business Volunteers Maryland
Connects professionals with nonprofits for pro-bono consulting, board service, and skills-based volunteer opportunities.
🔗 https://businessvolunteersmd.org/

Montgomery Parks Volunteer Program
Volunteer opportunities in parks, conservation, programming, and community spaces across Montgomery County.
🔗 https://www.montgomeryparks.org/support/volunteer/

State of Maryland Job Portal
The official job board for State of Maryland government positions across all agencies and counties. Ideal for those pivoting into state public service.
🔗 https://www.maryland.gov/pages/jobs.aspx

Maryland Department of Labor – Federal Worker Resource Hub
Dedicated support for displaced federal workers, including job fairs, re-employment services, training programs, and unemployment guidance.
🔗 https://labor.maryland.gov/federalworkers/

WorkSource Montgomery
Montgomery County’s primary workforce center offering job placement, résumé assistance, career coaching, training programs, certifications, and hiring events.
🔗 https://worksourcemontgomery.com/

Montgomery County Government Careers Portal
County government job opportunities across departments including health, education, transportation, communications, and public services.
🔗 https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/montgomerycountymd

Montgomery County Hiring Initiative for Displaced Federal Workers
A county program designed to prioritize and support displaced federal employees seeking county government roles.
🔗 https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/hr/recruitment/federal-workers.htmlsible.

Prince George’s County Government Careers Portal
County-level job openings across agencies including public safety, health, education, human services, and administration.
🔗 https://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/departments-offices/human-resources-management/careers

Prince George’s County American Job Center
Job-search assistance, résumé workshops, training referrals, re-employment resources, and support services.
🔗 https://labor.maryland.gov/county/pg/

DC Department of Employment Services (DOES)
Unemployment benefits, Rapid Response services, job-matching, job training, and career-transition support for DC residents.
🔗 https://does.dc.gov

Virginia Employment Commission (VEC)
Unemployment insurance, re-employment services, job-matching, and job-training coordination for displaced workers across Virginia.
🔗 https://www.vec.virginia.gov

Virginia Career Works – Northern Region
Career coaching, credential programs, training, and hiring events for residents in Northern Virginia.
🔗 https://vcwnorthern.com

Thousands of people across DC, Maryland, and Virginia have been impacted by the 2025 federal workforce reductions. Behind every job loss is a personal story of service, disruption, resilience, and reinvention — and those stories matter here.

RIF2RISE is creating a living, growing collection of DMV-based voices to help restore visibility, share real experiences, and remind others that they are not alone in this transition. Whether your journey is still unfolding or you’ve already taken bold steps forward, your story can help light the way for someone else.

We especially invite you to share your pivot-venture — your new or revived business idea, creative project, consulting practice, nonprofit, or income pathway that emerged after workforce disruption. A pivot-venture may be something you launched for the first time or an idea you finally dusted off and brought to life.

By sharing your pivot-venture, you help us:

• Spotlight DMV talent and resilience
• Promote community-based innovation
• Connect others to services, inspiration, and opportunity
• Increase visibility for your work and help drive traffic to your website, business, or offering
• Show what reinvention really looks like in real time
   

Your pivot-venture deserves to be seen. Let your next chapter open new doors — not just for you, but for others watching what’s possible.

You choose your level of visibility. Stories may be shared:

• Anonymously
• With first name only
• With your pivot-venture feature 
• With full attribution (optional): Your name, business, and links may be shared publicly to promote your work. This is completely optional — you always control how your story is shared.

Your comfort, privacy, and safety always come first.

We welcome stories from:

• Former federal employees
• Contractors & consultants
• Career-switchers & early retirees 
• Entrepreneurs & creatives
• Community builders & public servants 
• Anyone in the DMV navigating career disruption and reinvention
   

Your story doesn’t have to be polished. It doesn’t have to be finished. It just has to be real.

Whether you’re grieving what was, building what’s next, or standing somewhere in between — your voice belongs here.

Share your story. Share your pivot-venture. Help the DMV rise together.