Nspiregreen Owners Named "Small Business Women of the Year"

WASHINGTON, DC - On Monday, January 20, 2014, the Congress Heights Community Training & Development Corporation's Great Streets Business Leadership Council will honor outstanding community and business leaders who have excelled in their fields at its 4th Annual Awards Ceremony.  

Nspiregreen LLC is proud to announce that our Partners, Veronica O. Davis, P.E. and Chanceé Lundy, will receive the "Small Businesswomen of the Year" award at this year's ceremony.

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Nspiregreen, LLC is an environmental consulting firm located in Washington, DC. We specialize in Environmental Solutions, Urban Planning, and Public Outreach. We are engineers who specialize in understanding the unique needs of communities and cater our solutions to uplift their needs.

"I am humbled and honored to be recognized, along with Veronica," said Chanceé. "Being a small business owner is both a challenging and rewarding experience and this award is a testament to our faith in building a business that is competitive and positively impacts the lives of others. I look forward to what the future holds for Nspiregreen."  

Veronica is thankful and honored as well. "Like Chanceé, I'm humbled to receive this award. The best part is being honored with a great business partner and an even better friend."   

The other Honorees for the 4th Annual ceremony are: Anwar Saleem - Community Developer, Arrington Dixon - Living Legend, Calvin Reid - Small Businessman of the Year, Aniekan Udofia - Arts & Humanitarian. There will also be two posthumous honorees James Bunn Sr. and Gregory Thomas Sr. - Lifetime Achievement. 

"Being honored in The Great Streets Awards is an important achievement," said Monica Ray, Executive Director of Congress Heights CTDC. "It means that the community has agreed that the nominee's contribution to our community is worthy of recognition in his/her chosen field. We congratulate all of the honorees on their achievement and thank them for their contribution to Moving Our Community FORWARD."

The event will take place from 11:30am until 2:30pm, Monday, January 20, 2014, at the Old Congress Heights School, 3100 Martin L. King Jr. Ave SE, Washington, DC 20032. Tickets are $60, available at www.greatstreetshonors.eventbrite.com.

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Breakdown with Commuting

This week, I missed my shuttle connection because of the backed up metro during rush hour, which means I had to wait for another 45 min to get home. A long commute of an hour just got extended by another 45 min.

I am sharing my experience of that day because I am resolved to speak up to make a difference in the quality of my commute and that of others.

On most days riding the metro to work and back is somewhat digestible, today it is frankly annoying. We stopped more than a dozen times between Navy Yard and East Falls Church. I have an upset stomach and I just want to get home, but my trip time got almost doubled. I already paid $40 this morning to take a cab to be in DC at 8 am so I can’t take a cab again to get home.

Ideally, I'd live close to work so that I maximize the quality of my life. For that, housing needs to be affordable, and land use and zoning accommodate uses like a mosque. Until then, I will continue commuting and regularly experience frustration, stress, and apprehension to get to work and home on time.

What would work is a reliable transit service that will help me better schedule time for other important commitments, such as spiritual growth, time with family and friends, exercise, community activities, and continuing education and development.

Since Washington, DC is taking on improving its transportation system, I highly recommend that its transit policy includes upgrading regional travel. The majority of the labor force commutes from MD and Northern Virginia to the District. I believe that enhancing regional travel will greatly impact commuters' well being and truly make DC a premiere destination for work.

Deadline Extended! - Environmental Engineer with 1-5 years of experience!

Nspiregreen LLC is a sustainability firm located in Washington, DC that provides consulting in the following service areas: environmental solutions, transportation planning and public involvement and outreach for civil infrastructure projects. 

Position: Environmental Engineer with 1-5 years of experience

Location: District of Columbia Residents Preferred 

Roles and Responsibilities:

Nspiregreen is seeking an Environmental Engineer to focus on the District of Columbia’s Stormwater Management Plan (Consolidated Total Maximum Daily Load Implementation Plan). This position will consist of full time technical support with some stakeholder coordination. At the conclusion of this project, the Environmental Engineer may also work on other technical storm water, solid waste management and planning projects within Nspiregreen. 

This position requires the candidate to perform well in a fast paced team oriented environment. Our planners and engineers work closely together to develop sound approaches for addressing our clients’ problems. Responsibilities include data management and analysis, development of inputs for models, and interpretation and presentation of results.

Nspiregreen emphasizes collaborative learning, advanced training, and professional leadership, providing team members with the tools and work environment needed to chart their career paths. Opportunities abound for increased responsibilities and professional growth.

The engineer will provide support for a variety of interesting and innovative projects in Nspiregreen’s service areas, which includes but is not limited to:

• Environmental consulting on storm water, solid waste, construction and environmental planning projects
• Public Outreach for civil infrastructure projects

Essential Functions:

·      Experience working with multidisciplinary engineering teams and contractors/construction managers is ideal. 

• Discussing requirements/ deliverables with the client and other professionals
• Assessing the environmental impact and risks connected to projects
• Preparing bids for tenders, and reporting to clients, public agencies and planning bodies
• Managing, directing and monitoring progress during each phase of a project

Experience or familiarities with the following are a plus:

•      Watershed assessments
•      Geographic Information Systems
•      Watershed restoration planning and design
•      Stormwater management, planning, and design
•      Green infrastructure and stormwater control measure design
•      Work with multidisciplinary engineering teams

Minimum Qualifications:

• BS, MS or MSE in Civil or Environmental Engineering, or related discipline from an accredited university program is required. DC Residents preferred.
• 1-5 years relevant work experience is preferred. Training/experience in data management and analysis, modeling, restoration, or other area is desirable. 
• EIT or PE desired but not required.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills are essential, as are strong analytical and computational abilities.

·      The ability to multi-task and work as part of a team is also required. Software requirements: MS Office, GIS, Wordpress, Social Media programs (Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, etc),. General knowledge of the District of Columbia is preferred.

Please send the following to nspireus@nspiregreen.com: Resume and Cover letter. References – Please provide contact information (name, organization, email, and phone number) for three (3) references. Incomplete applications will not be considered. This deadline has been extended to 5:00pm, September 13, 2013. 

Compensation: Nspiregreen offers competitive salaries and excellent benefits to qualified employees including: medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance coverage; paid holidays and vacations; the opportunity to telework each week and other perks for company and individual performance. Nspiregreen is an equal opportunity employer.

We're Hiring - Position: Planner I with 0-3 years of experience

WE ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTING RESUMES FOR THIS POSITION

Position: Planner I with 0-3 years of experience 
Location: DC residents preferred 

Responsibilities: Nspiregreen is seeking a Planner I to focus on the planning and implementation of the North-South Corridor as part of the DC Streetcar Program. The position will be half-time planning support and half-time public involvement support focused on transit. This position may also work on other urban planning projects, such as development forecasting, and transportation corridor planning.

Planning duties may include data collection and analysis for planning projects, report writing, quantitative analysis related to corridor studies and other transit/transportation planning duties, understanding and developing fiscal policy, understanding and developing legislative analysis, and a wide range of writing projects. Ability to transform data into visual presentations and GIS mapping will also be requested. This position requires the candidate to perform well in a fast paced team oriented environment.

Public involvement duties may include assisting with public outreach strategies and techniques, planning and staffing community meetings and special events, writing and coordinating public information/outreach materials/community messaging, assisting with graphics and document design, and assisting with social media.

This position will require attendance at weekday evening and weekend meetings.

Keywords: Transit Planner, transit, streetcar, rail, planning, transportation, public involvement, community, public meetings, social media

Requirements: Bachelors degree, MS preferred. 0+ years experience in transportation planning, civil engineering, or related field. Strong written and oral communications skills are required. The ability to multi-task and work as part of a team is also required. Software requirements: MS Office, GIS, Wordpress, Social Media programs (Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, etc), Photoshop, InDesign. General knowledge of the District of Columbia is preferred.

Please send the following to nspireus@nspiregreen.com: Resume and Cover letter References – Please provide contact information (name, organization, email, and phone number) for three (3) references. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Compensation: Nspiregreen offers competitive salaries and excellent benefits to qualified employees including: medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance coverage; paid holidays and vacations; the opportunity to telework each week and other perks for company and individual performance. Nspiregreen is an equal opportunity employer.

We Moved!!!

Nspiregreen Supports DC Small Businesses

 On Friday September 28th, the DC Council Committee on Small Business held a small business summit. It was an opportunity to for small businesses to meet with DC agencies, such as the Department of Small and Local Business Development. During the session with the Office of Contracting and Procurement, Nspiregreen co-owner, Veronica O. Davis, P.E. asked a question that was quoted in this morning’s Washington Examiner.

Excerpt:

Small business owners in D.C. say they are being yanked around by a city that's taking months -- and in some cases years -- to pay for contracted work.

The complaint came as news to the head of the D.C. Office of Contracting and Procurement James Staton, now in his second year after coming to the District from North Carolina.

"We call it the 'okey doke,' where you could perform work in November and you don't actually get a check until July the next year," Veronica Davis, owner of environmental consulting firm Nspiregreen, told Staton at a small business roundtable Friday. 

We believe it is important to put some context around Veronica’s statement to Director Staton. At the end of the panel discussion with the Office of Contracting and Procurement, Veronica asked if there were vehicles in the contracting process to ensure that businesses, especially small businesses, are paid in a timely manner per the contract terms. Specifically, she cited the term “30 days from an approved invoice” as a common term in DC government contracts. She explained that invoices are often rejected for minor reasons, which resets the 30 days clock. We have had invoices rejected over a penny.

Other small businesses in the room shook their head in agreement, and cited personal examples of waiting 120 days and even years to be paid for services rendered. The sentiment in the room was if DC wants to be a world-class business friendly city, we all need to work together to improve the contracting, invoicing, and payment processes.

 Nspiregreen felt that it was important to address the comment, as we were not complaining via a statement; we were asking a question regarding a solution. This is am important distinction for us as the word “complain” is not in our corporate vocabulary. We strive to be a solutions-oriented company. We have testified at several hearings related to small business, such as the Committee on Tax and Revenue and the Committee on Small and Local Business. In all of our testimony we have provided recommendations and solutions to streamline processes that make it easier for businesses to operate in DC, contract with DC government, and employ DC residents.

As a company built on the foundation of advocacy for community improvement, we will continue to be vocal on the challenges facing small businesses in DC. As with many other business, we have rooted ourselves in DC and are committed to helping DC achieve the goal of being the most business friendly city in the country.

Happy Birthday to us!!!!

Happy birthday to us. 
Happy birthday to us.
Happy birthday to Nspiregreeeeeen.
Happy birthday to us!!! 

It's our birthday!!!  Look we even have a "birth" certificate from the District of Columbia!

The seed for Nspiregreen was planted in 2002, when we first met at a leadership conference for the National Society of Black Engineers.  Literally in the first 20 minutes of us meeting we said "we should start a business".  Who knew the idea of two starry-eyed, enthusiastic graduate students would lead to the creation of Nspiregreen.

Some say we are brave to start our own company, while others say we are crazy.  We say we are both. It takes a certain amount of insanity to leave good paying jobs with benefits to enter a world where everyday has its own uncertainty. Three years ago we took the leap and we haven't looked back. 

It's HOT. Stay hydrated

At Nspiregreen we drink bottled water. *gasp*.  That's right. We drink bottled water.  We fill our reusable water bottles with tap water.  Bottled water. Ta-da!

Not only does bottling tap water make economic sense, but it's also better for the environment.  Stay hydrated everyone!


Presented by Online Education

Help Nspiregreen win a $250,000 grant!

Nspiregreen is entering the Chase and Living Social Mission: Small Business Competition for a chance to win a $250,000 grant. To qualify for the competition, we need a minimum of 250 votes. That’s where we need your support. So Pray and vote! Nspiregreen would use this funding for job creation and to bring new technologies to market in the realm of smart phone applications, sustainable energy sources and advanced transportation solutions.

Follow these steps to help us WIN

• Go to: www.missionsmallbusiness.com click log in and support. (You must have a Facebook account  to vote.
• Scroll to the bottom of page and enter Nspiregreen in the field that says business name and then click the "Search" button.
• Click the "Vote" button
•  Click "Share Vote" on your Facebook and/or Twitter pages for others to vote for Nspiregreen. 

As always we appreciate your support and we look forward to transforming the planet – one community at a time.

Sincerely,

Chancee` and Veronica

Thoughtful Thursday

Our company vision is to facilitate the empowerment and transformation of every community on the planet. Our passion for engineering and social justice is why Nspiregreen exists.

Npsiregreen Capability Statement

Nspiregreen Capability Statement

She survived!!!

At Nspiregreen LLC, we not only talk the talk, but we strive to walk the walk. Veronica was always a user of public transportation, but when the cost of filling her Camry skyrocketed to $62 she quickly became a user of any form of transportation that was affordable. She usually arrives to our office via a Capital Bikeshare bike. If she isn't biking around the city she's on the bus.

Chancee is currently in Atlanta trying building our presence in the Southeast U.S. In her world people favor driving over public transportation; however, when she's in DC she is a fan of the WMATA metrorail. Every time she comes to town, Veronica is always trying to get her to use the bus. Chancee has stated several times that she didn't believe in using the bus. She would often say, it's just not "her thing."

The most recent visit to DC changed all of that. Chancee was in DC for several meetings with clients and potential clients. Many of them were in not accessible via metrorail, which means she had to get on the bus. During her entire visit she moved around by bus venturing into unknown territory. Despite getting a little lost once, she survived. It was an opportunity to see DC from a perspective the metrorail could not provide.

Legislative/Regulatory Support Services

Hot off the press (well scribd) is our new company information sheet. Hire Nspiregreen LLC to assist you with technical aspects of legislation and regulations. From development to compliance, we are the right people for the job.
Nspiregreen_LegislativeSupportServices

New Company Policy: No Talking Tuesdays

One of our core values is to "Operate as an unconventional company in a conventional world by cultivating and creating a unique learning and working environment". Thanks to a fellow small business, Sisarina, we are implementing a new company policy called "No Talking Tuesdays". We used their policy as a guide and add our own flavor.

Nspiregreen wants to provide our staff the opportunity to be productive and creative without interruptions. Starting on January 10, 2012, every Tuesday will be "No Talking Tuesdays".

• Effective times: Tuesdays, 9am - 5pm EST with a 30 min break from 12:30-1pm
  
• During this time please turn off anything that rings, dings, bings, zings, flashes, and pops-up. This includes (but no limited to) phones, text messages, alerts, social media, email, and instant messenger.
• To the extend possible, avoid scheduling any meetings, conference calls, or video chats on Tuesdays.
• Please put up an email away message and change your voicemail to let people know you are unavailable.

We are excited to implement this new policy.

New year same focus to transform the world

Have you ever read a business plan? They about as exciting as watching paint dry. While it is recommended that businesses have a business plan, the reality is your business plan won't inspire you to get out of bed every morning. We have one... somewhere.

What keeps us focused is a prosperity plan we wrote back in December 2009. It set the vision for what we want to be as a company in 2020. It's very lofty and idealistic, but it's what keeps us going during the tough times. This year in addition to this prosperity plan, we'll be creating a visioning board to hang in our office to help us visualize our future.


Nspiregreen Prosperity Plan 12909

Nspiregreen Testimony to DSLBD - Committee on Small and Local Business Development

My name is Veronica O. Davis. I’m a resident of Hillcrest in Ward 7 and co-owner of Nspiregreen LLC. My testimony today will be on behalf of Nspiregreen LLC.

Nspiregreen LLC is an environmental consulting firm established to shape approaches and attitudes for sustainability and community development through public involvement and outreach. With our engineering and urban planning backgrounds, we specialize in public involvement and outreach for environmental planning and compliance; environmental justice, facility planning and facility environmental program management; civil infrastructure (transportation, wastewater treatment); and master planning. We are 100% women, and minority-owned small business.

Our office is located at the HIVE (Home of Innovators Visionaries and Entrepreneurs), a business incubator, located in the business district of Historic Anacostia in Ward 8. We are located in DC because of our dedication and commitment to being part of the DC economy.

I could easily use my time to express our frustrations with being a small business in DC. However, we are here today to offer 5 recommendations to bring DC closer to being small business friendly.

Recommendation 1 – Schedule a second Roundtable Discussion with all relevant agencies

As a consulting business owner there are three main agencies that we have regular interaction, Department of Local Small Business Development (DLSBD), Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA), and Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR). Each agency plays a role in the frustration of doing business in DC. We recommend that the Council committees that have oversight hold a joint roundtable to address how these three agencies can work together to reduce headaches and frustrations of small business owners.

Recommendation 2 - Create a Robust Business System

Currently businesses register in separate online systems for several agencies. For example, as a consulting business we are registered in DCRA, OTR, DDOT (DBE), OCP, and DSLBD. As a business it would be great if on the user side there was one system to log into to be able to access all the agencies that we communicate with. The system could allow uploading of documents and a messaging system to directly communicate with a specialist about a specific issues.

On the agency side, they would be allowed to edit, delete or modify information applicable to their agency’s functions only. For example, only DCRA could make changes in the business license section. However, they would be allowed to see applicable information from other agencies. For example, DCRA could see that a business has clean hands with OTR.

By housing everything in one place, it eliminates opportunities for fraud, streamlines information, and reduces the paper exercise for businesses.

Recommendation 3 – Restore the Procurement and Technical Assistance Center

As a small consulting firm we do not have the luxury of a marketing department. The PTAC was extremely helpful with providing marketing expertise that we would not have been able to afford from a private company. They assisted us with enhancing our company capability statement, developing a strategy to market to our target Federal and local agencies, and brokering relationships with Federal and local small business offices. Of all the services provided to small businesses, this was by far the most helpful in growing our company.

Recommendation 4 – Combine the CBE and DDOT DBE process

Currently businesses have to go through an arduous application process for both certifications. The CBE program administered by the Department of Small & Local Business Development is only applicable for contracting with DC government. The District Department of Transportation DBE program is a Federally recognized program administered by the District Department of Transportation. The DDOT DBE allows a company to receive reciprocity with State DOTs and serves as the DBE designation for contracting with the Federal government.

Both applications processes require an online submission with submission of a half a ream of paper worth of supporting documentation. Ideally, both processes could be housed in the same department similar to Virginia and Maryland. Therefore, eligible businesses could receive both certifications simultaneously.

Recommendation 5 – Re-establish the Small and Local Business Development Opportunity Commission

There are currently 7 vacant seats on the 9 person commission. It should be a priority to fill those seats with small business to provide guidance to DSLBD and the Council on small business issue

Thank you again for the opportunity to provide comment on this very important issue.

Art is an integral part of livable, sustainable communities

Our offices are located one block from the intersection of Good Hope Rd SE and Martin Luther King Jr Ave SE. This intersection is the Gateway to Historic Anacostia. It's in major need of something iconic.

Often when the topic of sustainability comes up, the focus is on the environment. Sustainability is about bring everything into balance. Public art is usually an after thought in the livable, sustainable community conversations. Public art is a vital part of communities. It can bring energy to public space and serve as a "third place" by bringing people to a public space.



The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, is looking for input. Please review the presentation below, and fill out this survey.

1201-1203 Good Hope Rd Public Art

Down on the Bayou

Southern Louisiana is rich in culture from the food that is a mix of French, African and Spanish heritage, to the music, to the dialect. New Orleans on down to Bayou country is truly an American treasure. Although this area is rich ecologically and culturally, the region still endures the brunt of natural disasters and man made environmental injustices. On a piping hot and humid day, Nspiregreen toured Bayou Barataria in Jean Lafitte, Louisiana with the Gulf Coast Fund for Community Renewal and Ecological Health (GCF) and heard the daunting challenges of people who have called this region home for generations.

It's been over a year since the beginning of the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster, the worst oil spill in our country's history. The disaster claimed eleven lives and spewed nearly four million barrels (200 million gallons) of oil into the Gulf of Mexico for more than three months. Although the cameras, politicians and "disaster" opportunists have dwindled, the people who live along the nation's gulf coast have had their lives change dramatically as they continue to deal with the after effects.

On our visit to Bayou Barataria we heard from Gulf Coast Fund Grantees who told of life pre and post Katrina now pre and post the oil spill. Below I have included a few residents’ statements from our live tweet:

“Racism and poverty still play into politics and environmental issues. Many of which are the residual effects of slavery”

“Organizations are working to have the entire Gulf Coast Region recognized as an environmental justice community”

“The community knows that if push comes to shove, we are going to be shoved. Everything south of I-10 is expendable.”

“The 2^nd largest deposit to the US Treasury behind the IRS are royalties from deepwater oil drilling; however, the state of Louisiana gets $0 of the royalties.”

“The Mississippi River brings so much sedimentation that the Army Corps of Engineers has to dredge it daily. The sedimentation could be used to build up the significant land loss the state experiences on a daily basis but since its not in the corps cost benefit ratio to move it a few miles to the wetlands they dump it into the Gulf of Mexico”

“Fishermen use to get $1/lb of shrimp now they are getting $0.30/lb”

“Fishermen haven’t been shrimping because shrimp are full of oil”

“The government says that oil is gone but the fisherman know its not because we see it everyday”

*sign on boat reads I got screwed by BP

From our visit and these statements alone, Nspiregreen has witnessed a resilient people but one that almost feels powerless in the wake of the natural and man-made disasters that they have experienced. Their way of life is changing, as they no longer fully trust the seafood that they have caught, eaten and sold for generations. It is disheartening that in the case of the oil spill, the parties who are responsible still have not made the people of the gulf feel whole. Moreover, the journey to restoration has been difficult as many claims are denied and oil that is thought to be no longer present continues to appear. The future of the gulf looks bleak but its citizens continue to persevere even in the midst of extreme of adversity. The Gulf Coast Fund and its many grantees continue to play an integral role in connecting people, organizations and resources to change the dynamics of the gulf. Nspiregreen intends to join in the effort by working with communities to extract a comprehensive vision for the region. We are thankful for the opportunity and we look forward to it.

Nspiregreen Partner to be panelist at Thursday Network

Join Thursday Network for June General Body Meeting: "The Gentrification of Chocolate City - Reality vs Perception" on Thursday, June 23rd at the National Public Radio Building.

Our speakers include Veronica Davis, a Partner at Nspiregreen, LLC and contributor to the Greater Greater Washington website; and Jalal "Jay" Greene, Vice President for The Community Builders, Inc. - the nation's largest nonprofit urban housing development firm - and former Director of the DC Department of Housing and Community Development.


What: The Gentrification of Chocolate City - Reality vs Perception
Thursday Network June General Body Meeting

Date: Thursday June 23, 2011

Time: 6:45 PM

Where: National Public Radio Building
635 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20001

Closest MetroRail Station: Gallery Place - Chinatown (Red, Yellow and Green lines)

Parking: FREE - enter the garage from Massachusetts Avenue

For more information contact Hakimu Davidson, Personal & Professional Development Chairperson, at ppd@thursdaynetwork.org

Happy Earth Day!!!

At Nspiregreen, we:
Nspire to improve and change the world
Strive to teach others to be good stewards of God’s creations

We are a company founded on the principle that sustainability is not just a buzzword. It's a way of life and a way of being. On this Earth Day, we encourage you to make a commitment to even the smallest change. For example, commit to:

• Recycling
• Changing all the light bulbs in your house to energy efficient bulbs
• Drinking tap water
• Installing low-flow shower heads and faucets
• Using public transportation (#RediscovertheBus)
• Biking and walking
• Unplugging electronics when not in use
• Teleworking 1 day a week

Small changes can have a big impact.