In a community too often defined by barriers, 20 new entrepreneurs are redefining what opportunity can look like in Fairfax County.
Over the weekend, a one-time cohort of the Workforce Innovation Success Through Entrepreneurship (WISE), entrepreneurship program celebrated graduation after completing a nine-month journey of mentorship, business training, and hands-on learning. The program, a partnership among George Mason University, Fairfax County, the WISH Center, and Melwood, is open to all Fairfax County residents, but strategically rooted in one of Northern Virginia’s most underserved neighborhoods, bringing resources and opportunity directly into the community.
Inside classrooms and mentorship sessions, participants did more than study entrepreneurship. They built businesses, strengthened confidence, and created new possibilities for themselves and their families.
“The success we see here today is not by accident,” said Eboni Borden, program director at the WISH Center. “This is the result of the hard work and dedication of our participants. They are stepping into an ecosystem of support. We are seeing families gain confidence and seeing people move from surviving to thriving and from thriving to leading.”
For graduate Maha Sian, the program helped turn years of ideas into a clear path forward. Maha and her sister completed the program side by side after learning about WISE through community connections. Today, Maha is launching a laundry pickup and delivery service centered on something deeper than clean clothes.
“I’m not selling a laundry service,” she said. “I’m selling the fact that people can buy their time back. Time with their family, hobbies, or career growth.”
Graduate Dion Lebby, an artist and aspiring entrepreneur, said the program finally gave him the push he needed to move forward with his dream business creating custom jackets that celebrate the Black experience.
“The program forced me to take a concept and turn it into something scalable,” he said.
And for Jacqueline Den Otter, a dual George Mason graduate with an MBA from the University of Wyoming, WISE became the launchpad for a niche business bringing fashionable European-style knee-high socks to the U.S. market.
Together, the graduates represent more than business success stories. They represent what can happen when communities invest in talent that has always been there — waiting for the right support to grow.
Learn more about the WISH Center and the opportunities available.
