[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 103 (Wednesday, June 19, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E793]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING LINK STRATEGIC PARTNERS

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 19, 2019

  Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask the House of 
Representatives to join me in congratulating LINK Strategic Partners on 
becoming the 2019 District of Columbia Small Business of the Year. This 
distinction is awarded as part of our 22nd annual District of Columbia 
Small Business Fair, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.
  This year, we are proud to honor LINK Strategic Partners, a national 
strategic communications and stakeholder engagement firm headquartered 
in Washington, D.C. LINK provides strategic communications and 
``hyperlocal'' community engagement. With a radically different 
approach to the communications and public relations industry, LINK puts 
people, relationships and communities first.
  LINK began in 2012 with two full-time employees sharing a small 
office in the Greater Washington Urban League building in the heart of 
Washington, D.C. In the seven years since then, the firm has grown 
tenfold in staff, expanded across the nation and opened its first 
international location. With team members in St. Louis, New York, 
Phoenix, Maine and Paris, LINK has grown to 300+ clients, $15 million 
in awarded contract value and pro bono work of over $1 million.
  LINK specializes in helping clients build mutually beneficial 
relationships with local communities. Over the past seven years, LINK 
has evolved its social impact lens, focusing on the power of human 
connection and supporting clients in connecting with their constituents 
in ways that will improve the communities they serve. LINK has also 
demonstrated the value of investing in team members, offering 
competitive salaries, benefits and professional development 
opportunities.
  Our fair highlights the importance of small businesses to the 
District's economy. It provides critical information, counseling and 
resources to aspiring and current D.C. small business owners. Small 
businesses are a crucial lifeline in our local economy, and the 
District thrives because of the expanding success of small businesses 
throughout the District. We thank the Washington Convention Center for 
hosting us again this year, the workshop experts who are providing 
valuable information and assistance to aspiring and current small 
business owners, and, of course, all the participants.
  Madam Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to join me in 
congratulating LINK Strategic Partners, as well as in celebrating small 
businesses across the District. In the District and in districts around 
the country, small businesses continue to make indispensable 
contributions to our economies and communities.

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