In 2021, PW Perspective partnered with DMV Business Crossing Network (BCN) to recognize businesses in the area for their achievements during the year. Understanding the challenge that the pandemic has placed on many businesses, we wanted to highlight a few that are staying strong and dedicated to enhancing the community during these times. Our goal was to have an in person celebration. However, since the Covid-19 Virus infections have ramped up, we will postpone our ceremony, but we still want to feature and acknowledge the businesses that were selected.

Our first recognition goes to the category of Arts & Entertainment. Kim Miller, Poet Laureate of Prince William County, Virginia, is our selected recipient of this category. The Prince William County Arts Council crowned Kim as the Prince William County Poet Laureate on Oct. 24, 2020 and she is the First African American Prince William County Poet Laureate. Kim is honored to be the President of the DC Branch of the National League of American Pen Women. Check out one of Kim’s powerful original poems HERE.

In the category of Fitness/Health & Wellness, Mizani Fitness is our featured business. The owners Tashika Hussey and Peggy McNair state this about their organization, “Mizani means BALANCE. We launched Mizani Fitness because fitness added balance to our lives and we want to share that with our clients. At Mizani Fitness, we are focused on providing fitness services to help you balance your mind, strength, time and weight!” Check out the services offered HERE.

Next on the list is the category Beauty & Self Care. The featured business for this is Dawne Horizons Spa & Wellness Center LLC. Dawne Horizons is a Certified Holistic Health Coach, Massage Therapist and Author helping to teach people how to live Healthy Naturally: Spirit, Soul & Body essentially discipling them to live their best, blessed life ‘Now’ both inside and out with God’s Medicine! Dawne brings Education, Enlightenment & Empowerment to people looking for genuine answers about their health, spirituality, identity and purpose. She helps people live their Passion and discover their purpose. She believes your passion will lead you to prosperity. It is her Passion & Purpose that led her to open Dawne Horizons Spa & Wellness Center in 2006.

Community & Activism featured business is The Virginia Black Business Directory. The VA Black Business Directory (VABBD), founded in 2020 as a non-profit organization with a focus on increasing the overall support of black-owned businesses throughout the DC, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) area. Their goal as an organization is to ensure that VABBD directory members thrive and achieve generational wealth by creating entrepreneurship opportunities. As of June 2021, VABBED has over 1200 members representing 1421 organizations and businesses. The VABBD’s long-term goal is to be considered the number one black business directory and search engine for black-owned businesses throughout the DMV.

Last but certainly not least is our category for Authors in the DMV. Our selected author is Katherine M. Gotthardt. Katherine Mercurio Gotthardt, M.Ed., writing concentration, hails from the Northern Virginia/D.C. metro area. An active part of the literary community, Katherine is current president and a founding member of Write by the Rails (WbtR), the Prince William Chapter of the Virginia Writers Club.

While Katherine is well known for her poetry, she also has established a solid reputation for writing articles, columns and short fiction. She is a full-time marketing writer for a government contracting company and is published in dozens of journals and anthologies. She has authored nine books: Poems from the Battlefield, Furbily-Furld Takes on the World, Approaching Felonias Park, Weaker Than Water, Bury Me Under a Lilac, Late April, A Crane Named Steve, and Get Happy, Dammit. D.C. Ekphrastic: Crisis of Faith was released in December 2020.

We know that many businesses in the area deserve to be celebrated and would love to feature them throughout the year. DMV Business Crossing Network (BCN) also provides many tools and resources for businesses in the area to continue to receive visibility and services in order to thrive. If you would like more information on how to have your business featured in our publication or to be connected with BCN, please contact us.