The DCMBDC TEAM
In no other city in the world is it so important to have the
right players on your team. In Washington especially, your business
network, associates and support—essentially your business “team”
—is the key to your success.
When you team up with DCMBDC, you’re joining a powerful alliance.
With an advisory board comprised of key players in the Washington
business community, DCMBDC has experts in virtually every business
sector available to lend their expertise at the various stages
in the developmental process.
Internally, DCMBDC is home to a powerhouse of professional expertise. DCMBDC’s in-house consultants’ specialties include:
- International Trade
- Finance, including Equity Investment
- Mergers and Acquisitions
- Operations Management
Reginald J. Richter
Director
Rrichter@dcmbdc.org
Mr. Richter brings experience as an investment banker, corporate
attorney and Director of Operations of a non-profit organization
that assisted minority entrepreneurs in understanding and raising
equity capital. Mr. Richter has worked as a corporate attorney
with Sullivan & Cromwell Law Firm in New York City and as
an investment banker with the Mergers & Acquisitions Group
of Morgan Keegan & Co. and later with Deutsche Banc Alex
and Brown.
Notably, while serving as director of operations with the Emerging
Venture Network, a non-profit organization based in the District
of Columbia, Mr. Richter was instrumental in helping minority-owned
companies raise over $30 million of growth capital.
Mr. Richter holds degrees from Howard University and the University
of Pennsylvania Law School.
Ulhas N. Kamat,
Assistant Director of Program Services
Ukamat@dcmbdc.org
With 20 years of global management experience and 40 years'
experience overall, Mr. Kamat brings a valuable global trade
perspective to DCMBDC. He has managed companies for an India
based investment group with ownership stakes in companies located
in India, Africa and the United States. Mr. Kamat has held progressive
management positions with ICI, Unilever, IBM, and Unisys and
has also trained and mentored a number of entrepreneurs in the
United States.
Mr. Kamat specializes in crisis management and business turn-arounds.
He has demonstrated skill in turning loss-generating units into
profitable ones.
Mr. Kamat holds a degree from IIT-Bombay with specialization
in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research.
Owen A. Jackson
Assistant Director, Procurement
Ojackson@dcmbdc.org
Mr. Jackson brings over ten years’ experience in private and public sector contract procurement. As the president of a computer services organization, Mr. Jackson secured contracts with Fortune 500 and 100 firms throughout the northeast region. Mr. Jackson also brings experience securing Federal, State and City contracts. In 2002, Mr. Jackson took his procurement experience to the-nonprofit arena, assuming the role of Vice President of Procurement for the Jamaica Business Resource Center (JBRC), Queens Long Island Minority Business Development Center, located in Jamaica, New York. In this role, Mr. Jackson worked directly with clients, with specific focus on marketing and sales strategies and access to private and public sector procurement opportunities. While serving as Vice President of Procurement for JBRC, Mr. Jackson provided technical assistance to hundreds of clients and secured over $40,000,000 in direct contracts for the organization’s client base.
Mr. Jackson holds a degree in Chemistry from City University of New York (CUNY) and a certificate in Executive Management from the University of Anchorage, Alaska.
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Karthik Natarajan
Americorps *VISTA Business Resource Specialist
Knatarajan@dcmbdc.org
Karthik Natarajan graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2000 with a degree in computer science, and worked with technology companies in both California and Texas. Wanting to do pursue something more personally satisfying, Mr. Karthik decided to become an Americorps*VISTA volunteer. As the DCMBDC’s Business Resource Specialist, he facilitates the consulting services that DCMBDC offers to minority entrepreneurs; he also tracks performance data for reporting purposes.
Avis R. Allen
Manager, Entrepreneurial Development & Lender Relations
Avis@dcmbdc.org
Avis Allen has worked for NCRC since 1997, primarily in entrepreneurial development initiatives. She staffed NCRC's Banker/Community Collaborative Council in the creation of CommunityExpress, a small business loan and technical assistance program developed with the U.S. Small Business Administration. She continues managing NCRC's role in CommunityExpress, along with other NCRC work. She assists DCMBDC with resource development, lender relations and events management.
Prior to coming to NCRC, Ms. Allen worked as a housing specialist with Fannie Mae and as a community development loan officer for affordable home mortgages with a Washington area bank. Previously, she served nine years as senior marketing specialist with Manna, Inc., helping over 200 first-time homebuyers purchase Manna's rehabilitated or newly constructed properties. Ms. Allen completed a BA in Sociology at Eckerd College, followed by graduate work in Latin American Studies at Vanderbilt University.
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