Join us for your second (or third!) cup of coffee at the Morning Coffee Break with the Chamber. Get a mid-morning boost of energy by networking with your chamber peers. Catch up over coffee, share what your business is up to, and make new connections.

Join GSSCC's Economic Development Committee at 9 a.m. this Wednesday, February 24, for a virtual update on what's going on with The Purple Line.

Vern Hartsock, from the Maryland Department of Transportation' Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA) and Acting Project Director for The Purple Line, will focus specifically on activity between the Lyttonsville Road/Brookville Road area and Wayne Avenue/Fenton Street in downtown Silver Spring.

Advance registration required here.

The GSSCC cordially invites Chamber members to join us for GSSCC 101: Virtual Member Orientation. This virtual event is for new members or new representatives of member companies with a maximum of two per business.

This is the perfect event to learn how to make the most of your membership investment, connect with your fellow Chamber members, and meet the GSSCC staff.

March is Women's History Month and to celebrate, the Chamber is bringing together three successful Montgomery County businesswomen to share their stories. Panelists include:

Join the Chamber to learn how they built their businesses, the challenges they faced, the struggles they overcame along the way, and their secrets for finding success.

Join the Chamber for a virtual After Hours event with Improbable Comedy! Enjoy an evening of laughter from Improbable Comedy comedians and networking with fellow members.

This event is sponsored by Print Exhibit PARTNERS.

At the beginning of 2020, Atlantech Online, Inc. was primarily focused on providing its services to the local DC region. When the coronavirus pandemic hit in March 2020, many businesses had to switch from working in-office to employees working remotely.

Recognizing that businesses across the country would need Hosted PBX functionality, Atlantech broadened their scope to provide its services to keep employees connected and working, even if the business was based outside the DC region. These services included phone service, call control (such as automated attendants, automatic call distribution groups) to individual and group voice features, easy-to-use web-based administrative interfaces, using MicrosoftTeams as a softphone, 3-, 4- or 5-digit dialing, and more.

In addition, Atlantech pivoted to become a mobile phone carrier capable of matching nationwide delivery of service and has signed up customers based in Chicago, Denver, Charlotte, and even in the Netherlands. Watch this video for an exploration on the types of services Atlantech Online offers. Congratulations to Atlantech on the successful business pivot.

Want to highlight how your business successfully pivoted? Share your story with the Chamber by emailing Jane Redicker here.

Welcome to the Chamber, Spice Street! Director of Membership, Courtney Jenkins, was honored to present Spice Street with a plaque to commemorate the official ribbon cutting.

Spice Street Restaurant features authentic Indian dishes with a focus on Indian street food and is located at 8242 Georgia Avenue. Open for indoor dining, carryout, or delivery. View coupon here for how to get 20% off an online order for carryout.

With elections over, COVID-19 vaccines being distributed, weather forecasts holding true and an encouraging economic outlook,there’s no better time to consider enrolling in GSSCC’s Energy Purchasing Cooperative.

The strategic partnership between GSSCC and CQI Associates means lower energy costs and long-term budget stability. How? By leveraging the aggregated energy usage of members of 23 chambers of commerce, CQI has the purchasing power to negotiate rates much lower than an individual company could attain on its own. Participants who signed onto the co-op realized a combined annual savings of $889,600, which equates to an average of $4,000 per company annually.

Applications for the spring campaign will be accepted until Friday, February 26. Here’s a link to the application. Want to learn more? Join CQI Associates for its last informational Zoom webinars on February 24, 2021 – 11:00 am

* The Chamber is partnering with The Universities at Shady Grove for Entrepreneurship 4.0: The Key to Unlocking Economic Recovery on Thursday, March 11, at 3:30 p.m., as part of the Industry Roundtable event series. Join to discover the opportunities and pathways entrepreneurship provides as industry leaders offer their insight into how businesses are currently operating and what the future of business holds post-COVID. Read here for more information.

* Congratulations to CCI Health & Wellness Services on being the first health center in the state selected by the White House to participate in the Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program. The program seeks to ensure Equity in COVID-19 vaccine distribution. Read the news release here.

* Congratulations to Julie Verratti, Denizens Brewing Co cofounder and chief brand officer, on the presidential appointment in the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Verratti will become associate administrator for field operations overseeing the SBA’s 68 field offices and 10 regional offices. Read the announcement here.

* Congratulations to Brett Robison, Silver Branch Brewing chief operation officer, on being featured in the latest episode of The Uncapped Podcast from the Frederick News-Post. Read here for more details.

* Dave & Buster's in Ellsworth Place has reopened its dining room with operating hours Friday through Sunday, from noon until 8 p.m. Read the Source of the Spring article here.

* Silver Spring Village has a job posting for Operations Manager. The application deadline is Saturday, February 27. See here for more information on the position.

* SkyPoint Federal Credit Union has introduced SkyPoint Cares, a community and internal development program comprising four sub-programs: SkyPoint At Work, SkyPoint Connect, SkyPoint Serves and SkyPoint Thrive. For more information, read here.

See your company's news here! Send us your news releases and news items by noon on Friday for publication in the following Monday's edition. Click here for guidelines on submitting Member News.

* Membership Development Committee Virtual Meeting - 9 a.m. on Tuesday, February 23.

* Economic Development Committee Virtual Meeting - 9 a.m. on Wednesday, February 24. Topic is update on The Purple Line. (Advance registration required here.)

* Small Business Owners Network Virtual Meeting - 12 noon on Thursday, March 4. (Advance registration required here.)

* Non-Profit Team Virtual Meeting - 9 a.m. on Tuesday, March 9.

Corporate Partners - Downtown Silver Spring; Lee Development Group; Montgomery College; Joseph W. McCartin Insurance;

 Business Partners - Andalman & Flynn, AFI Silver Theatre; Apex Home 

 Partners - Peak Performance Digital; Bell Flowers; EBA Ernest Bland Associates; Image360.