In 2002 Judy Lese, an elementary school teacher in Montgomery County, was diagnosed with breast cancer.  She received excellent treatment by the doctors and staff at Sibley Hospital, became a cancer survivor, and has continued to teach and provide nurturing support to her students.
 
Like many who have faced a serious illness and survived, Judy wondered how she could turn this life changing experience into good and help others. From the doctors at Sibley Hospital, she learned that even the smallest contributions are critical to help patients and support breast cancer research.  In 2003 Judy and her husband Larry started The Judith A. Lese Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.
 
Building on the advice and guidance of her doctors, she researched various ways to help.  As Judy learned more about the needs, and through her own experiences, it became clear what the goal of her new “grassroots, not-for-profit organization” foundation would be.  In the end, the mission of the Foundation would be “the pursuit of education and cure for breast cancer”.  To accomplish the mission, Judy and Larry developed three distinct components:
 
•  Promote increased awareness of cancer with accurate information so each becomes a stronger advocate for self and others.
 
•  Develop familiarity with resources and centers for maintaining breast health.
 
•  Fund specifically selected research and researchers at comprehensive cancer research institutions to advance continuous accomplishments.
 
Additionally, Judy wanted to create a Foundation logo that represented the two very strong emotions she experienced during her breast cancer battle.  For her, the two words: Tears and Hugs kept coming to mind. Judy was able to incorporate both of these emotions into her logo, showing an inverted ribbon as a tear, and stretched arms as a hug. 
 

 



​These emotions permeate life from the initial diagnosis to treatment, recovery, and cure.  In the beginning, tears fall, but hugs insulate.  At the end of one's medical treatments, tears are of joy, accomplishment, achieving a goal, completing treatments, and hugs feel so good to verify.  You did it! Yes, still here, still alive, and still moving on … A SURVIVOR.
 
Over the years, and through the generous donations of individuals, The Judith A. Lese Breast Cancer Foundation has raised over $400,000 which have benefited:

• The Sullivan Breast Center at Sibley Memorial Hospital-Johns Hopkins Medicine, Washington, DC.

 

• Clinical Trials at Sibley Memorial Hospital (provides opportunities for treatment for underserved or uninsured).

 

• The Breast Cancer Research Program at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.

 

• The University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA.

 

• The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA.

 

• The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME.

 

• The UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, CA.

 
To help maximize the impact of donations to help others, 100% of contributions made to the Foundation are disbursed.  Through the generosity of Judy and Larry, all the administrative costs of the Foundation’s operations and overhead are paid by them.  Judy could never have imagined what a positive impact her dream would have on breast cancer in the Washington DC area and beyond.
 
As a small organization, donations come from a variety of sources:  direct donations in honor or memory of individuals; the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) of the National Capital Area; and annual fundraising activities (Dinner and Walk to Win).  Every dollar helps to make a difference.
 
For 2021, the Fundraising Dinner Banquet will be on Tuesday, October 5th at Maggiano’s Chevy Chase and the Walk to Win (the battle against breast cancer) will be held on October 31st at the Bethesda Crescent Trail.  For details on these events, and other information on The Judith A. Lese Breast Cancer Foundation, go to their website at: www.judithalese.org or email them at: LeseCancerFdn@aol.com
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​Greetings Everyone,

Did you know that just by being a member of the Greater Bethesda Chamber you and your organization can take advantage of…

• Business listings on our website and in our annual directory.  For a small monthly fee you can also increase your ad’s visibility on our website for further audience reach.

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• Member to member discount programs (for example; a restaurant may offer 15% to fellow members, a dry cleaner may offer 20% off member dry clean bill, or a law firm may offer a free consultation)
• Complimentary ribbon cutting ceremonies for grand opening and/or re-opening businesses.
• Platforms provided via social media to promote specials, events, or promotions.

 
Not to mention you are automatically invited to join any one of our many Thought Leadership Counsels (TLC).  Each group meets monthly to discuss areas important not only important to growth of our businesses, but also to the growth of our communities. 

If you would like to discuss how to get the most out of your membership or how to join the Greater Bethesda Chamber of Commerce feel free to contact me at cyoung@greaterbethesdachamber.org or (301) 652-4900 ext. 200

Best regards,
Carla Young
Director of Membership & Community Engagement 

For the 2nd Time, Rehab 2 Perform Appears on the Inc. 5000,
Ranking No. 1398 With Three-Year Revenue Growth of 340 Percent
 
Inc. Magazine Reveals Annual List of
America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies—the Inc. 5000
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NEW YORK, August 17, 2021 – Inc. magazine today revealed that Rehab 2 Perform is No. 1398 on its annual Inc. 5000 list, the most prestigious ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. The list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the American economy’s most dynamic segment—its independent small businesses. Intuit, Zappos, Under Armour, Microsoft, Patagonia, and many other well-known names gained their first national exposure as honorees on the Inc. 5000.
"We are excited to be named as one of the fastest growing private companies in the US for the second straight year. The business landscape over the past year was extremely challenging and to be able to continue our growth trajectory, while keeping our team and our community safe, speaks volumes to the culture and dynamics of our team”, stated Dr. Josh Funk, CEO & Founder of Rehab 2 Perform.

Not only have the companies on the 2021 Inc. 5000 been very competitive within their markets, but this year’s list also proved especially resilient and flexible given 2020’s unprecedented challenges. Among the 5,000, the average median three-year growth rate soared to 543 percent, and median revenue reached $11.1 million. Together, those companies added more than 610,000 jobs over the past three years.
Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at www.inc.com/inc5000. The top 500 companies are featured in the September issue of Inc., which will be available on newsstands on August 20.
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“The 2021 Inc. 5000 list feels like one of the most important rosters of companies ever compiled,” says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. “Building one of the fastest-growing companies in America in any year is a remarkable achievement. Building one in the crisis we’ve lived through is just plain amazing. This kind of accomplishment comes with hard work, smart pivots, great leadership, and the help of a whole lot of people.”
Rehab 2 Perform is a fitness-focused physical therapy company with five locations, soon to be six, across Maryland. Established in 2014, R2P bridges the gap between the medical and performance spectrum, and has quickly changed the narrative within the physical therapy industry through its innovative delivery of services and standard of care.
 
Contact:       Dr. Josh Funk
                    301-467-8757
                    DrFunk@Rehab2Perform.com
 
 
Methodology

Companies on the 2021 Inc. 5000 are ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2017 to 2020. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2017. They must be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies—as of December 31, 2020. (Since then, some on the list may have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2017 is $100,000; the minimum for 2020 is $2 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. Growth rates used to determine company rankings were calculated to three decimal places. There was one tie on this year’s Inc. 5000.  Companies on the Inc. 500 are featured in Inc.’s September issue. They represent the top tier of the Inc. 5000, which can be found at http://www.inc.com/inc5000.

About

Inc. MediaThe world’s most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including web sites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Vision Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com.For more information on the Inc. 5000 Vision Conference, visit http://conference.inc.com/.

Dear Subscribers,

As the new Director of Marketing, Communications & Events, let me first thank you for subscribing to the ChamberWatch. My goal is to build a more engaging newsletter that is concise, informational, and serves YOU.

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I want to bring to your attention to two ways the ChamberWatch can help promote your business.

• ChamberWatch offers ad space in the form of banner ads. We will reserve a maximum of two banner ads per week to avoid overcrowding. Please contact me for pricing and details.

• If your business is featured in the news, I would be thrilled to share that with our community in the "Members in the News" section of ChamberWatch. Help us celebrate you by sending me a link to the news article or press release.

Our Newsletter goes out to 4,000 inboxes weekly and has an impressive open rate higher than the industry average. I intend to use that reach to help our members gain exposure and celebrate their victories.
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Please contact me at nayomi@greaterbethesdachamber.org


Best,
Nayomi Hettiarachchi

Happy July and Happy New Fiscal Year to the Chamber.
As we continue to celebrate our 95th Year on the calendar, the Chamber has moved to a new cycle for our new year.  In fact, the remainder of 2021 is a short year, and we will begin a fiscal cycle beginning January 1, 2022.  Therefore, our proud and dedicated board of directors is operating one 18-month term.  This is exciting for the Chamber as we will have a better handle on event management, dues revenue and more critical – budget projections so we can continue and expand our offering of world-class programs and services to you, our members.

In the past several months, I have seen our communities open their doors and business is starting to flourish again. I am getting out more and visiting restaurants, retail, industry, and other commercial businesses in areas like the Woodmont Triangle, Bethesda Row, Chevy Chase, Potomac, Pike & Rose and North Bethesda. I am seeing and meeting these business owners and managers who are anxious to return to pre-pandemic numbers.  These great folks are members and prospects of the Greater Bethesda Chamber, and I am doing my part to help them thrive.  So can you!
 
We recently published the 95th Annual Membership Directory.  I hope you received your copy in the mail but do let me know if you need a few copies and I will make sure they get to you.  A digital copy of this is located on the Chamber’s website as well.  I do hope you are taking advantage of the many Member-to-Member discounts offered.  It is important that we continue to buy form one another to ensure comradery within the membership and demonstrate value to one another.
 
This summer, we will be launching our new three-year strategic plan and many of you participated in a market study conducted by Dr. Mary Beth Merrin from Decision Making Research.  These results will help me and our VP for Strategic Planning, Mary Robinson of Capacity Partners start the process with an engaged task force of volunteers.
 
Beginning in September, all meetings will be held in-person and most from the Chamber Boardroom.  For the immediate future, a Zoom link will be provided for those not ready to return in-person, but we do hope the effort will be made to return to Suite 1204.
 
As always, I am available and welcome your call, text, email or visit as together, we are Building a Greater Bethesda.

Guest Blog by Elise Ambrose, President of Elite Personnel 

Embracing Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) is not just the right thing to do, it is also an integral component of organizational success. Organizations with diverse workforces have access to broader perspectives, increased innovation, expanded market share, and a wider pool of talent.

As a nation of diverse backgrounds (race, religion, national origin, gender) employees bring different viewpoints, priorities, expertise, and knowledge to the workplace regardless of whether they are regular full-time employees or part of a contingent workforce. Organizations also stand to gain and prosper from the aggregation of these multifaceted attributes. Narrow demographics leads to a narrow point of view, a narrow body of knowledge, and a narrow perspective of how people work.
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When you've had a stressful day, one way to slow down and feel less stressed is to enjoy eating mindfully. In a fast-paced world, how can we pay attention to the process of eating and enjoy eating mindfully? After all, eating is one of life’s simple pleasures. Instead, it often seems quicker to eat while multi-tasking so we can get on to “more important things.” Then, we tend to overeat and gain weight. Why should we take the time to enjoy eating mindfully?
 
Mindfulness means paying attention the present moment. Mindfulness can help you make better food choices. Mindfulness can help you tune into whether you are hungry, decide whether, what and how much to eat, and stop overeating.

When we slow down and enjoy eating mindfully, it benefits us in three other ways. We take more pleasure in our food. We also tend to stop eating before we’re full, and can more easily lose extra weight.
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“We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future.”
-  George Bernard Shaw

​As we enter our 95th year of service to the business community, the leadership and staff of the Greater Bethesda Chamber of Commerce take Mr. Shaw’s words to heart.  Our responsibility and future is NOW.  We have advocated for the Bethesda region during times of growth, recession, war, and change. We continue to advocate for business by providing a strong voice of clarity through the uncertainties and impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ve been a helping hand, a (virtual) shoulder to cry on, and an encourager, while providing clarity about the confusing maze of resources designed to help sustain businesses.