Virginia Small Business Council
Our Virginia Small Business Council consists of small business owners from various industries across the state. Council members volunteer their time and entrepreneurial expertise at board meetings, public events and in the media to help Small Business Majority identify and address the biggest issues facing small businesses today.
Giovanni A Delfino
Giovanni A Delfino is a dynamic small business advocate, accomplished business development consultant, educator, and influential public speaker. Since founding DelfinoCo in 2013, Giovanni has been dedicated to driving small business development, fostering the integration of Latino businesses, and advancing economic growth. With extensive expertise in business development, market behavior analysis, consumer behavior and decision-making, and economic policy, Giovanni has helped countless companies achieve their goals.
DelfinoCo won the Outstanding Small Business of the Year award from the Maryland Hispanic Chamber of Commerce where Giovanni has served as Board Member, Marketing and Communications Committee Chair, and Capital Regional Committee Chair. Additionally, Giovanni was honored to contribute as an expert speaker to Women Entrepreneurs of the Americas, a program created by the Obama Administration to promote Women Entrepreneurship in the Americas, through the US State Department and U.S. embassies in Latin America. Giovanni has also been instrumental in developing the Maryland Sister State Program with Piura (Peru), as an appointed founding member by the Governor Larry Hogan.
Monica Jackson
Monica Jackson operates Jackson Child Care, a state-licensed family childcare home serving the North Springfield Community for over 30 years with a maximum licensing capacity of 12 children. As a childcare provider, Ms. Jackson specializes in the delivery of a school-readiness preschool program. Additionally, Ms. Jackson is an educator, trainer, advocate, and mentor. In 2008, she was appointed to the Fairfax Child Care Advisory Council, which advises the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and the Office for Children on programs and policies related to child care. She has served as the Council Chairman for the past four years. Monica’s other leadership service includes former president of the Virginia Family Child Care Associations from 2004 to 2008.
Sandra Leibowitz
Sandra Leibowitz is the owner of Sustainable Design Consulting, LLC (SDC), an award-winning and prolific – yet small – green building consulting firm operating from Richmond, V.A. and Washington, D.C. She draws from nearly 30 years of advanced experience with hundreds of sustainable design projects and leads the SDC team in providing expert technical and process management services to institutions, building owners, design, construction, and property management professionals. Sandra has become an increasingly active advocate for ethically-based, size- and industry-appropriate small business interests.
Shirley Mae Modlin
Shirley and her husband David started 3D Design together as a family business and enjoy a 25-acre horse farm in Powhatan, V.A. Residing in Central Virginia, 3D has engineering and manufacturing capabilities with 40-plus years of experience in the industry. Shirley and David are committed to building productive relationships with customers. Their customers have access to skilled engineers, mechanical technicians, and electrical specialists from initiation to completion of their projects. In house manufacturing capabilities and research resources enhance the progress of projects and guarantee the highest quality of service.
LaJuanna Russell
A visionary who started her now award-winning, multi-million-dollar business with a personal investment of $500, Ms. LaJuanna Russell has more than 20 years of experience in all aspects of business operations and government contracting. She is particularly practiced in the areas of human resource management and process improvement and is a sought-after speaker on topics such as Future of Work, leadership, diversity and inclusion, entrepreneurship, and women in government contracting. In 2023, she was an inaugural inductee into the George Washington School of Business (GWSB) Entrepreneurial Hall of Fame and in May of that year, delivered the Undergraduate Commencement speech for the GWSB.
In addition to her certification as a Six Sigma Green Belt, Ms. Russell holds a BA in Communication Studies from Virginia Tech and an accelerated MBA with concentrations in International Business and Finance from George Washington University. She is chair of Small Business Majority’s Board of Directors, chair of the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, the incoming DC Leadership Council Co-Chair for Vital Voices, a member of The George Washington School of Business Advisory Board, a member of Professional Services Council Board of Directors Executive Council, an board member for The Campagna Center, a member of the Women Impacting Public Policy’s Board of Directors, a member of Intuit’s Small Business Council, and past chair of Alexandria Commission on Employment. Ms. Russell also is a member of the Arlington Chapter of the Links Incorporated, a member of the BOW Collective, and an alumna of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program.
