One Act of Leadership Inspires 120 Maryland Entrepreneurs at Prosperity Small Business Event

Inspired by Comptroller Brooke Lierman’s leadership, the Prosperity Small Business Event brought together 120 Maryland entrepreneurs.

COLUMBIA, MD, UNITED STATES, October 29, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — A single act of leadership helped inspire a gathering of 120 Maryland entrepreneurs at the Prosperity Small Business Event held September 29 in Columbia, Maryland.

For Christine Lee, founder and CEO of ACHIEVE Clinical Expertise, the event began with a meeting with Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman, who took the time to listen and connect her with state resources.

“She did not know me. She did not know my business. But she listened,” Lee said. “That is what genuine leadership looks like — opening doors for others. It made me wonder what could happen if more entrepreneurs had that same chance.”

Lee turned that experience into the Prosperity Small Business Event, organized through OCA-DC and the Maryland Commission for Women. Originally planned for 60 participants, the event ultimately brought together 120 Maryland entrepreneurs, with 18 more on the waiting list.

Maryland Secretary of State Susan C. Lee opened the program with remarks on entrepreneurship and the role of Maryland’s diverse communities. Comptroller Lierman delivered the keynote address and later joined Christine Lee for a conversation on connecting small businesses with resources. Other speakers addressed access to capital, technical assistance, and professional networks.

“In Maryland, when small businesses succeed, our communities thrive. Small businesses represent 99% of businesses in our state, employ nearly half of our workforce, create jobs, and help drive our economy forward,” said Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman. “That kind of impact deserves support from the state, and that’s why I was pleased to join more than 100 entrepreneurs to engage in discussions around accessing important resources and building community partnerships.”

Speakers included Secretary Susan C. Lee; Comptroller Brooke Lierman; Delegate Lily Qi; Ariana Kelley of the Maryland Commission for Women; Dr. Pam Love of Executive Alliance; Darshni Patel of the Howard County Economic Development Authority (HCEDA); and April Davis-Hurtt, representing TEDCO and The Bridge Program.

The organizers also expressed appreciation to Clove & Cardamom for hosting the event and welcoming attendees and community partners.

The event demonstrated how one meaningful connection can open doors for a wider community of entrepreneurs. For Lee, it also reflected the mission of ACHIEVE Clinical Expertise: building connections that strengthen communities. The company supports community clinicians in connecting patients with clinical research opportunities.

Following the event, attendees expressed interest in continuing the conversation. In response, organizers launched the Prosperity Small Business LinkedIn Group, a community where Maryland entrepreneurs and partners can share resources related to funding, access to capital, business services, and education.

Join the community: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/42828155/

About ACHIEVE Clinical Expertise

ACHIEVE Clinical Expertise, founded by Christine Lee, Pharm.D., Ph.D., builds clinician-centered infrastructure that connects trusted community clinicians with nearby clinical trial sites. The company supports clinician education, research readiness, and more representative trial participation through programs including Catalyst Connect™ (clinician-led patient and caregiver education with trial connections), ACHIEVE Deploy™ (research-ready clinicians for decentralized and community-based trials), Insight Connect™ (clinician-enabled patient insights, PROs, HEOR, and mixed-methods research), and ACHIEVE Academy™ (training physicians, specialists, PharmDs, RNs, NPs, and PAs as investigators and research staff).

Learn more at https://www.achieveexpertise.com.

Christine Lee
ACHIEVE
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