What's your growth strategy?

Join two of the fastest-growing urban businesses in America as they share the experiences and decisions that have paved their paths to sustainable growth.

Loren Feldman, Small Business Editor of The New York Times will lead an interactive discussion with multi-year Inner City 100 winners Drew Greenblatt, president of Baltimore-based Marlin Steel Wire Products and Antwanye Ford, president, CEO and co-founder of Washington, D.C.'s Enlightened, Inc.

Loren Feldman is an editor and writer, specializing in digital journalism and entrepreneurship. Since 2009, he has been creating and building a Web portal for The New York Times that focuses on small businesses and entrepreneurship, including the You’re the Boss small business blog. He has also been web editor of both Inc. magazine and Fast Company magazine. 

Under Drew Greenblatt's leadership, Marlin Steel's revenues have grown six times over since he bought the company in 1998 despite disruptive changes in their biggest market.  After the popular Atkins Diet reduced the demand for bagels, Marlin Steel completely transformed its product line of wire bagel baskets and expanded to serve large buyers. The company now manufactures a variety of wire and sheet metal fabrications for industrial giants, including Caterpillar, Pfizer, Merck and Toyota.

Antwanye Ford has more than quadrupled Enlightened, Inc.'s revenues since 2007 and graduated the IT consulting firm from the S.B.A. 8(a) Business Development Program.  Antwanye takes pride in giving back to the community through mentoring smaller firms.  He also just completed his term as the first small business CEO in the last ten years to serve as chair of the board for the D.C. Chamber of Commerce.