Honorary Chairs
Odessa T. Hopkins
Odessa Hopkins brings almost 20 years of government contracting experience to her role
as President and CEO of Another Approach Enterprises. Ms. Hopkins is well known in the
Washington Metropolitan area as a passionate and outspoken small business advocate;
helping small companies; particularly those owned by minorities and women, to flourish
and develop to their fullest potential.
She may be best known as founder of the Annual Celebrating the Minority Business Dinner
and Awards Gala, which brings small minority business owners to a venue where they can be
celebrated by CEOs of larger companies, directors of Government agencies, State and local
politicians, and community leaders. Through the Gala, minority business owners are exposed
to procurement professionals and other gatekeepers of potential funding or contracting
opportunities, and encouraged to build relationships which will greatly enhance their
company’s future viability and long term sustainability.
A self-proclaimed “techie,” Ms. Hopkins has successfully managed to seamlessly incorporate
advanced technology into the service delivery aspect of Another Approach Enterprises. She
created “MinorityBuzz.com,” an online business and consumer directory designed to help
minority businesses advertise and promote their companies while providing an easy to use,
affordable (Free) online tool for those seeking to do business with them. Current membership in
MinorityBuzz.com exceeds seven hundred minority and women owned companies and growing.
Ms. Hopkins, along with her COO and husband, Rick Hopkins, launched Minority Certified
Contractors (MCC), a new division of Another Approach Enterprises. MCC includes
an innovative online database that will make qualified certified minority
companies more accessible to large primary contractors and government
agencies with applicable contracting opportunities. The tag line for
MinorityCertifiedContractors.com is “Can You Find Us, Now?”How appropriate…
Under Hopkins’ leadership, Another Approach Enterprises has always
been responsive to the needs of its primary constituency. Though
the methodology has changed over time, the focus
has always remained on supporting minority
business development.
Ms. Hopkins resides in Prince George’s County
with her husband, Rick, and two nieces,
Aliah and Candice.
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