Rockville Economic Development, Inc.

A Message From the Mayor

Dear Businessperson,

The City of Rockville is committed to promoting economic development and helping existing businesses and new companies start, grow, finance and manage their organizations. As you browse this website, you will discover the exciting things that are happening in our City, and the reasons why Rockville is such an excellent business location.

Rockville’s traditional economic pillars are the fields of science and technology, health care, government, law, and education. These areas are alive and well, even as the diversity and range of businesses in the City expand with significant emerging sectors in engineering, design, architecture, banking, finance and professional services. (more...)

Calendar of Events

Event Listing Current as of May 17, 2013

Sunday, May 19, 2013 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
FREE Science CafeLite
Topic: "NanoDays: The Biggest Event for the Smallest Science"
Learn about the hidden world of nanotechnology; for students and families.
Twinbrook Community Center, 12920 Twinbrook Parkway, Rockville
Information here.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013   8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Orientation to the Rockville Chamber of Commerce
Learn about the programs at the Chamber, so that you can take full advantage of your membership. Ideal for new members or those considering joining, as well as long-time members who wish to increase their return on investment.
Hilton Garden Inn, 14875 Shady Grove Road, Rockville
Free for Rockville Chamber members, $20 for others; info and registration here.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013   7:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Health IT Forum: "Analytics in Healthcare: Leveraging Data for Organizational Wide Improvements"
Hear what investors are investing in, how to use data to create clinical outcomes, and how device transmit information from patient monitors to medical professionals.
Johns Hopkins University, Rockville Campus, 9605 Medical Center Dr., Room 121, Rockville
$49; register here.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013   12:00 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.
FREE Seminar: "Recruiting Strategies for Hiring Great Employees"
Open to all Montgomery County Startup and Entrepreneurial companies.
Rockville Innovation Center, 155 GibbsSt., 4th Floor, Rockville
RSVP to 301-279-2222.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013   7:00 p.m. - 8:15 p.m.
FREE Rockville Science Cafe
Topic: "Whole Lot of Herpes Going On... Chicken Pox, Cold Sores and Beyond!"
Food and Drink available for purchase; science trivia contest at 6:00 p.m.
Branded 72, 387 Gude Dr., Rockville
Information here.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013  8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Seminar: "Successful Women in Business"
Hear from four women who have launched and grown successful companies.
Universities at Shady Grove, 9640 Gudelsky Dr., Building 1, Rockville
$5; info and registration here.


Wednesday, May 22, 2013   10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Marketing Plan to Transform Your Business
Learn to identify your target market based on the strengths of your business; explore strategies for reaching it; and figure out how to measure outcomes and success. Build a targeted list of potential referrals and customers.
Maryland Women's Business Center, 95 Monroe St., Rockville
$25; info and registration here.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013   12:00 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.
FREE Lunch & Learn: "Recruiting Strategies for Hiring Great Employees"
Learn to define your recruiting strategy; best ways to review resumes, and identify and interview candidates; and onboarding and retention of your new hire.
Seminar is open to all small and growing companies in Montgomery County
Rockville Innovation Center, 155 Gibbs St., 4th Floor, Rockville
RSVP (required) here or to 301-279-2222.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013   4:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
FREE BioBuzz
Network with others from the biotech industry.
Growlers, 227 E. Diamond Ave., Gaithersburg
Info and registration here.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013   6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
FREE Green Business Certification Workshop
Learn to certify your business as "green", and learn the difference between a Benefit Corporation and a B Corp certification.
Crossway Community Training Room, 3015 Upton Dr., Kensington, MD
Information here.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013   7:00 p.m.
Public Hearing: Rockville Pike Draft Master Plan
Your opportunity to give public testimony on the plan; testimony may also be given in writing by May 31.
View the draft plan here; view the March 20 staff presentations on the plan and related zoning revisions here.
Email comments here: provide your name and address and indicate if your comments are in reference to the draft plan or the zoning revisions.
City Hall, 111 Maryland Ave., Rockville; info at 240-314-8200.


Thursday, May 23, 2013   10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Funding Options
Learn about funding programs available through banks, microenterprise organizations, and government agencies, as well as alternative sources including competitions, crowd funding, and factoring. Get advice on when and how to approach a lender and which type of funding can best suit your business' needs.
Maryland Women's Business Center, 95 Monroe St., Rockville
$15; info and registration here.

Friday, May 24, 2013   12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Montgomery County Small Business Awards Luncheon
Marriott Bethesda North Conference Center, 5701 Marinelli Road, Rockville
$40; sponsorships available; info and registration here.

Friday, May 24, 2013
DEADLINE: Bethesda Green Investor Pitch Training Program Applications Due
This program gives highly qualified entrepreneurs sophisticated feedback on their readiness to seek investment, and puts them in front of active investors. It is open to tech and non-tech businesses in DC, Maryland and Virginia that have sustainable products or services and have a growth-oriented business model.
Information here.

Saturday, May 25 - Sunday, May 26, 2013
Rockville Hometown Holidays
The best Memorial Day Weekend celebration in the area features dozens of entertainers on seven stages, children's rides, teen activities, the VisArts Fine Arts Festival, an environmental expo, and the Taste of Rockville, with delicious samples from 20 restaurants!
Rockville Town Center
Details on the festival here, volunteer for Taste of Rockville with the Rockville Chamber of Commerce here.
Parking information here.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013   12:00 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.
FREE Seminar: "Building a Productive Relationship with the FDA"
Open to all Montgomery County Startup and Entrepreneurial companies.
William E. Hanna, Jr. Innovation Center, 9700 Great Seneca Highway, Rockville
RSVP to 240-453-8470.


Thursday, May 30, 2013   9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
QuickBooks Online Training
Learn to use QuickBooks Online to pay bills, process invoices, work with bank accounts, and track the financial performance of your business. Bring your own laptop, or borrow one of ours.
Rockville Women's Business Center, 95 Monroe St., Rockville
$75; register here.

Thursday, May 30, 2013   6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Networking After Hours
Best Western Plus, 1251 West Montgomery Ave., Rockville
$10; info and registration here.

Tuesday, June 4, 2013   7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
FREE: "Leveraging Government Contracts and Government Grants to Grow Your Business - The Good, The Bad and the Ugly"
Marriott North Bethesda Hotel, 5701 Marinelli Road, Rockville
Info and registration here.

Tuesday, June 4, 2013   8:15 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Women Business Owners of Montgomery County Pay-As-You-Go Breakfast Networking
Silver Diner, 12276 Rockville Pike, Rockville
Info and registration here.

Wednesday, June 5, 2013   5:00 p.m.
Deadline: StartRight! Women's Business Plan Competition
Executive Summaries due.
Competition details here.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013
FREE International Export Assistance
Meet with a Senior International Trade Specialist from the U.S. Export Assistance Center.
Montgomery County Department of Economic Development, 111 Rockville Pike, 8th Floor, Rockville
Register (required) here or call 240-777-2036.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013   10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
FREE Mtech Open Entrepreneur Office Hours
Regional entrepreneurs with tech-based startups receive advice on building and financing a company, developing and protecting intellectual property, navigating the tech transfer process, refining business strategy and more.
University of Maryland College Park, Technology Advancement Program Building, Room 1103, College Park
Learn more and register here.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013   8:15 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Women Spanning the Globe Conference
Featured topics include women entrepreneurs and global innovation; cultural norms for international business; gender equality and political leadership; and communications in today's world.
Jim Rouse Visionary Center, American Visionary Arts Museum, 800 Key Highway, Baltimore
$150; register here.


Wednesday, June 12, 2013   8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
FREE Orientation to RWBC Resources
Learn about the programs available at the Rockville Women's Business Center, and about other resources to help you.
Wheaton Business Innovation Center, 11002 Veirs Mill Road, 7th Floor, Wheaton
Register here.


Wednesday, June 12, 2013   10:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
ABC's of Starting a Business
Learn the steps to take to start a business, and about the many resources available to support you.
Wheaton Business Innovation Center, 11002 Veirs Mill Road, 7th Floor, Wheaton
$10; Register here.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013   11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Rockville Public Safety Awards
Join prize-winning journalist Bob Levey in honoring the police, firefighters and others who insure our safety and well-being. Sponsorships and reserved tables available.
Lakewood Country Club, 13901 Glen Mill Road, Rockville
$30 before June 3; $35 after. Info and registration here.

Friday, June 14, 2013   2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
FREE TEDCO Funding Briefing
Learn about Maryland TEDCO's funding programs for technology entrepreneurs, the application process, qualifications, and guidelines.
Via Webinar, or live at TEDCO, 5565 Sterrett Place, Suite 214, Columbia, MD
Info and registration here.

Friday, June 14, 2013   5:00 p.m.
Deadline: StartRight! Women's Business Plan Competition
Full Plans due.
Competition details here.

Monday, June 17, 2013   8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
FREE Montgomery County Small Business Forum
Share with Montgomery County's new Small Business Navigator and other county officials how the county can make it easier for small businesses to thrive in Montgomery County.
Montgomery County Council Office Building, 100 Maryland Ave., Rockville
RSVP here or to 240-777-7828.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013   8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
FREE DC Tech Breakfast Meetup
Network with others from the tech industry, and hear short summaries from startups.
Microsoft, 5404 Wisconsin Ave., 5th Floor, Chevy Chase
Info and registration here.


Wednesday, June 19, 2013   TBA
Pitching Your Business
Learn how to present your business proposition and plan effectively and convincingly.
Rockville Women's Business Center, 95 Monroe St., Rockville


Wednesday, June 16, 2013   TBA
Doing Business with Local Government
Rockville Women's Business Center, 95 Monroe St., Rockville

Wednesday, June 26, 2013   8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
FREE Seminar: "Startup Corporate Governance and Liability Risk Management"
Should you form an LLC, partnership or corporation? How do you attract investors while protecting your equity stake? How do you protect yourself and your company from liability? Learn the principles of good corporate governance.
Microsoft, 5404 Wisconsin Ave., 7th Floor, Chevy Chase
Info and registration here.


Thursday, June 27, 2013   9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
QuickBooks Online Training
Learn to use QuickBooks Online to pay bills, process invoices, work with bank accounts, and track the financial performance of your business. Bring your own laptop, or borrow one of ours.
Rockville Women's Business Center, 95 Monroe St., Rockville
$75; register here.

Tuesday, July 9, 2013
FREE International Export Assistance
Meet with a Senior International Trade Specialist from the U.S. Export Assistance Center.
Montgomery County Department of Economic Development, 111 Rockville Pike, 8th Floor, Rockville
Register (required) here or call 240-777-2036.

Tuesday, July 9, 2013   10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
FREE Mtech Open Entrepreneur Office Hours
Regional entrepreneurs with tech-based startups receive advice on building and financing a company, developing and protecting intellectual property, navigating the tech transfer process, refining business strategy and more.
University of Maryland College Park, Technology Advancement Program Building, Room 1103, College Park
Learn more and register here.

Please pardon our dust while Monroe Street is being repaired! REDI and the Maryland Women's Business Center are still open! There is no parking in front of our office during construction, and the sidewalk is closed between our stairs and the courthouse. It is easiest to approach us from East Montgomery Avenue: please use our ramp to access our door. Parking options here.

The Power Conference: Women Doing Business is soliciting conference presentation proposals for the August 29 conference. Information here.

Exciting things are coming to Rockville Town Center, including a Cambria Suites Hotel! Learn about it here.

Rockville Town Center Parking Options here.

REDI visited 54 Rockville companies during the 2013 Rockville Business Appreciation Week. Read the summary of our findings here. See The Rockville Channel's coverage of the week here.

Congratulations to Rockville's own CoFounders Lab, the winner of the Pitch Across Maryland Competition! See their winning pitch here. Congratulations also to Rockville's SynAm Vaccine, and StartRight! companies Samegrain, Autonomy Engine, and Unbound Concepts, which were all finalists. REDI is proud that five of the seven finalists have a connection to Rockville and REDI!

It's time for the 2013

StartRight! Women's Business Plan Competition
Your plan could be a winner!
Executive Summaries due June 5
Competition details here.

Thank you to our StartRight! sponsors:

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Located in the REDI offices, 95 Monroe Street, Rockville. The center offers tailored training, counseling and technical assistance to help entrepreneurs start and build successful business enterprises that are positioned for long-term growth. It is open to all, and held 50 seminars and served 1000 clients in its first year!
Learn more at the RWBC website, here.
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The Maryland Small Business Development Center offers over 40 FREE on-line classes in starting a business, managing your finances, and the foundations of marketing. They are available 24 hours a day; learn more here.
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Rockville is the only city in the Mid-Atlantic to be recognized in 2010 by Bloomberg Businessweek, Money Magazine and U.S. News & World Report as a great place to live, work, and start a business!

Rockville has been named one of the 10 best places in America to start a business by Bloomberg Business Week! It is the only mid-Atlantic city on the list, and one of only three on the east coast. Article here.
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Here are directions to the Rockville Innovation Center, located in the Arts & Innovation Center Building. Find out more about this small business incubator.

Directions to Rockville Economic Development, Inc.
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REDI Inclement Weather Policy: REDI and Rockville Women's Business Center Seminars will only be cancelled if the Rockville City Government closes. REDI is not tied to the public school system. If schools are delayed or closed but the City Government is open, our seminar will be held as scheduled.
Many events that are publicized on this website are given by REDI partners. Please check the individual event websites for partner inclement weather policies.