Valerie Samuel

Valerie Samuel started her career as a marketing consultant with the United States Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA). She has been working to empower companies since 1988 by helping entrepreneurs to start businesses, expand, manage and raise capital.  Valerie always wanted to own and operate her own companies.  She was afforded the opportunity to learn how to run a company by her father, who owned and operated a Benjamin Moore Paint Franchise, for which she worked at the start of her career.

 In her earlier years her talents were focused on facilitating federal, state and local contracts between large businesses and government agencies. Valerie was the procurement and marketing officer for her father’s franchise paint store.  She called upon institutional customers, universities, and private corporations, arranged credit terms and coordinated delivery of the paint. 

 Immediately following, Valerie was hired to become the Marketing Consultant for the United States Minority Business Development Center whereby she provided research, procurement, and writing services for customers starting and expanding their businesses.

 Soon after, Valerie became a Business Advisor with the Small Business Administration (SBA). In this role she exceled with linking small companies and micro enterprises with business loans, lines of credit and working capital.