Laid-off feds find new beginnings through entrepreneurship program

Megan Ritter began her workday at the Office of Refugee Resettlement on April 1 like any other — until an email landed in her inbox informing her that her nearly decade-long career in the federal workforce had come to an end.

Approximately 10,000 reduction-in-force notifications were sent that day, according to a letter from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Ritter, 44, of Bowie spent the next six months searching for jobs and processing the sudden change. Eventually, she realized she needed to try something different. A series of connections led her to the Founders Rising program at the Maryland Women’s Business Center in Rockville.

“I was able to apply and join, and it’s been just amazing to be with a group of people that have experienced similar things and are also attempting something sometimes very different than what they’ve been doing,” Ritter said.

Geared toward displaced federal workers, Founders Rising launched in December 2025. The eight-week program is designed to help aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs develop sustainable business plans and launch their companies through weekly sessions and workshops, according to the center’s website. The program is funded by grants from the U.S. Small Business Administration and contributions from Montgomery County, the City of Rockville, Frederick County, the City of Frederick, the City of Bowie and FSC First, a lending partner based in Prince George’s County.

“I wanted to take that welcoming of refugee resettlement and bring that to my community at home — this idea of open arms and welcome and comfort to everybody,” Ritter said. “And so I created the Whimsical Welcome mobile cafe.”

Whimsical Welcome, a coffee truck, launched in November.

Ritter was not alone in turning to entrepreneurship after losing her federal job.

Linda Wang, 48, of Rockville is the founder of Linda Wang Media and a former writer and editor for the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda. She said she heard about the Maryland Women’s Business Center through Signal chats for federal workers.

“Through the mailing list, I heard about this cohort, and I thought it was a fabulous experience,” Wang said. “It came at exactly the right time for me.”

Wang said she was just beginning to launch her consulting business when she learned about Founders Rising.

“I didn’t really know how to even get started,” she said. “When I saw that this opportunity came up, I just took advantage of it. I thought it was such a great opportunity to learn the nuts and bolts of entrepreneurship.”

Wang was laid off in May and described the experience as “very disorienting.”

“I had expected to retire from the government. I never thought that my job would end,” she said. “There were so many people looking for jobs at the same time, and I thought maybe there’s a different alternative.”

Encouraged by colleagues, Wang began exploring consulting work and gradually built a client base.

“I never even thought about myself as a business owner,” she said. “It’s just been such an amazing experience. I never imagined the freedom that I would have as a business owner and the empowerment to do things that I’m passionate about and to connect with the community.”

On Wednesday, the first cohort of 20 Founders Rising graduates — all former federal workers — received their certificates. Kate Fulton, a Rockville City Council member, spoke at the event.

“I can tell you without reservation that no matter what your agency, no matter what your role, no matter what your area of expertise was, it mattered, it’s important, and you did great work to make our country better,” Fulton said. “So thank you for that.”

Maryland leads the nation in federal job losses, with more than 15,100 positions eliminated in 2025, according to data cited by the center.