Talia B. Washington..............................................................Prairie View A&M University

Talia B. Washington

2022 TOP P&E

Talia B. Washington is an entrepreneurial and driven community economic development professional with 15 years of experience in various levels of government, nonprofit, and higher education. Mrs. Washington currently serves as the Small Business Program Specialist for the Community Economic Development Unit of the Cooperative Extension Program at Prairie View A&M University. She is passionate about economic development policies that help minority and women-owned businesses scale through government contracting. In this capacity, she has the honor to work on innovative programming and workshops for rural and urban Texas counties through her signature programs the Art of the Startup and the B.I.D. Academy. In the revamp of the B.I.D. Academy, a 9-week program which helps small businesses understand government subcontracting through the state of Texas Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) certification. The program has generated over $2.5 million in won local and state government contracts for minority and women-owned businesses in four counties. Her biggest goal is to expand the program throughout the state of Texas. Mrs. Washington is a member of the Greater Houston Partnership Houston Regional Economic Development Alliance (HREDA) Committee, a member of the Greater Houston Black Chamber (GHBC) Economic Development Committee, and Volunteer Outreach for World Youth Foundation. In the civil unrest during the pandemic, she saw a need that was unmet by organizations. She founded Divas Do Golf, which focuses on teaching women and girls of color to lean in and show up in an area where deals are being made. She does this by providing virtual and handson training workshops, coaching, and team-building sessions on not only how to play golf, but how to do business on the golf course through etiquette, financial literacy, and leadership training. Talia holds a master's degree in Economic Development and Entrepreneurship from the University of Houston-Victoria and a bachelor's degree in Communications from Texas Southern University. She is certified as a USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) 504 Loan Packager and Money Smart Trainer. Talia is a modern-day renaissance woman who believes that with purpose, passion, vision, and action anyone can make it happen. When she is not busy, she is spending time with her husband, traveling, playing golf, and chauffeuring their four active kids all over the city. You can find her on Facebook and Instagram @divasdogolf.

Talia B. Washington Small Business Program Specialist II Community Economic Development Unit Cooperative Extension Program Prairie View A&M University 700 University Dr. Prairie View, TX 77446 tbwashington@pvamu.edu 936-261-5119 https://www.pvamu.edu/cahs/cep/