Georgetown University is committed to supporting the greater Washington, D.C., business community. The Small Business Corps (SBC) empowers small businesses in under-served areas in Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) region. We partner with Georgetown University students to provide on-site, customized pro-bono consulting services tailored to each business’s needs. Inspired by Georgetown’s Jesuit values, our goal is to guide the small businesses through complex challenges and achieve long-term sustainability, fostering a thriving DMV economy.
Small businesses are integral to the U.S. economy, which employs over half of the American workforce, helping people fulfill the American dream.
For small businesses in urban and rural under-resourced communities, accessing essential resources like relational, intellectual, and financial capital can be challenging. We, at SBC, address this by providing tailored, pro-bono consulting services delivered by Georgetown University business students. These students, guided by leading professors, and leading consultants from Boston Consulting Group, collaborate directly with businesses to foster long-term sustainability and growth.
The Challenge:
The U.S. small business sector faces a number of challenges that impede growth, one of which is access to a quality talent pool.
Our Solution:
At the Small Business Corps, we address this issue by leveraging student consultants’ skills. These students receive guidance from Georgetown McDonough faculty and Boston Consulting Group consultants. Together, we assist small businesses in reaching their objectives.
Meet the Co-Founders
Patrick McCloskey (B’88)
Patrick McCloskey, co-founder of the Small Business Corps (SBC), channels his extensive expertise into supporting small businesses and fostering growth opportunities. As managing partner of Aeterna Capital Partners, a family office-backed alternative investment firm focusing on the lower middle market, McCloskey has worked with a multitude of SMEs spanning a variety of industries and geographies.
A proud Hoya, McCloskey holds a cum laude degree in finance from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and a law degree from Fordham University School of Law. His career spans leadership roles at Lazard in New York and London, as well as positions at Lehman Brothers and Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette/Credit Suisse. McCloskey also founded the Twenty-Minute Club which promotes collaborative idea generation and private investment among family office groups.
Chris Pilkerton
Chris Pilkerton, co-founder of the Small Business Corps (SBC), has had a diverse career spanning various sectors. He led the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and previously managed compliance at JPMorgan Chase, focusing on enterprise risk and regulatory change management. Pilkerton was recognized by Fortune as one of its “Heroes of the Fortune 500” for his work supporting Ebola-affected orphans in Liberia.
Before JPMorgan Chase, Pilkerton served as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan, handling cases in narcotics and financial crimes. He later investigated insider trading and fraud matters as senior counsel at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and worked in private legal practice. He has also held various appointments at the Harvard Kennedy School, Johns Hopkins University, and the Catholic University of America (CUA).
Pilkerton holds a master’s degree in public administration from Columbia University, a law degree from CUA, and a bachelor’s degree from Fairfield University.
Meet the Team
Elizabeth Ross-Ronchi (MBA’99) – chair of the MBA Alumni Council (MAAC) at Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business, senior advisor and former vice president and general manager at American Express
Darrel Hammond – social entrepreneur in residence at Business for Impact at Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business, founder of KaBoom!
Michael O’Leary – teaching professor and senior associate dean of graduate and executive degree programs at Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business
Leslie Crutchfield – executive director of Business for Impact at Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business
Laura Ferry – ESG director of Business for Impact at Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business
Joe Weinstein – senior director of Business for Impact at Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business
