Wheaton Business Innovation Center (WBIC) company Elan International and Silver Spring Innovation Center (SSIC) company Social Solutions both made the 2008 Top 100 Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) list which honors minority and women entrepreneurs from throughout Maryland, the District of Columbia and Virginia.

Founded by the Center for Business Diversity and Inclusion, Inc., and grieBo media, the Top 100 Minority Business Enterprise Awards recognize enterprising women and minority entrepreneurs that fuel this nation’s economy through their innovation, sacrifices and dedication and are living their dreams while making significant contributions to their clients, professions, industries and communities. The 2008 Top 100 MBE winners were selected from over 1,400 nominations and were honored during a recent awards ceremony.

"We are honored that Elan International was selected from among the numerous applicants as one of the region’s Top 100 MBEs, as we are constantly striving to provide our clients with outstanding service and innovative solutions while also serving our community through involvement in both professional and community activities,” said President and CEO of Elan International Phyllis Jones. “Our business has grown significantly since joining the Wheaton Business Innovation Center, as we’ve gained not only a great physical office location but also to a host of support services. I truly thank the County’s incubator program, along with our employees, clients, consultants, family and friends for helping us achieve this great honor.”

Elan International LLC provides comprehensive consulting services and products to support clients both nationally and internationally. The company’s five core competencies are Conference Facilitation and Logistical Support, Information Technology Services, International Consulting, Management Consulting, and Technical and Administrative Support Services. They were admitted to the WBIC in 2007 and currently have three full-time employees and work with several consultants.

Social Solutions International, Inc. (Social Solutions) is a research and evaluation firm dedicated to the creation of social and health solutions to improve the welfare of underserved populations worldwide. The company conducts quality research and evaluation, develops evidence-based education materials, and provides cultural adaptation and translation services. They have nine full-time employees.

“The Montgomery County Business Innovation Network has been very helpful in supporting Social Solutions, thanks to the resources and benefits available to the participating companies including access to small and large conference rooms, access to a network of other companies, CEOs and professionals colleagues, numerous networking and partnering opportunities, and valuable seminars on relevant topics for small-but-growing companies like ours,” said President and CEO of Social Solutions International, Inc. Dr. Susanna Nemes. “We are very proud to be recognized as a Top 100 MBE firm and credit our team’s hard work and commitment to creating social and health solutions to improve the welfare of underserved populations worldwide and our location in the Silver Spring Innovation Center for earning us this distinction.”

This year’s Top 100 MBEs host organizations were the University of Maryland University College (UMUC), Southwest Airlines, the Maryland Governor's Office of Minority Affairs and the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT).

“We are very proud of this latest achievement by two of our Business Innovation Network companies and applaud the hard work and commitment that garnered them this honor,” said John Korpela, manager, Montgomery County Business Innovation Network. “We are also proud to play a role in successes like these by providing entrepreneurs with prime office facilities in strategic locations along with targeted business and professional development programs that all combine to give them that extra support they need to grow and succeed.”

About the Montgomery County Business Innovation Network

The Montgomery County Business Innovation Network is a program of the Montgomery County Department of Economic Development, that works to create a globally competitive, highly diversified and knowledge-based economy that provides for the retention and growth of existing companies, stimulates new job creation and enhances entrepreneurial opportunities for all businesses. The network consists of five facilities located in Shady Grove, Downtown Silver Spring, Wheaton, Rockville and Germantown. The network provides more than 150,000 square feet of incubator office and lab space and currently houses over 140 companies that employ 350 county-based employees. Since 2000, the network has graduated over 85 companies that have created more than 1,800 jobs and occupy well over 500,000 square feet of commercial space in the county.