Washington, D.C.

CitySwing

Location: Washington, D.C.
Website: https://www.cityswing.com/
18 employees

CitySwing founder Tari Cash worked in the corporate world long enough to see how relationships formed on the golf course affect business decisions. Her parents had introduced her to the sport, giving her a competitive edge as she advanced in her career. “It’s a networking tool,” Tari says. “Golf brings together people from different backgrounds and beliefs into one environment to truly form relationships.” She founded CitySwing in 2018, and they’ve grown into three divisions in the D.C. metro area: two indoor golf studios with lounges, a truck with simulators and mini golf, and a nonprofit focused on introducing the sport to kids from low-income or underrepresented families. “Our goal is to change the way people practice, how they’re invited into the game, and how they advance to play better on the course,” says Tari.

CitySwing uses Google Ads to help customers find their business, and the glowing reviews on their Google Business Profiles bring them through the door. Tari knew using AI could help her compete, and CitySwing’s expansion gave her the nudge to explore. She used Gemini to create staff vacation guidelines and a cancellation policy for their membership program, asking Gemini to research best practices and integrate them with their current process. “Gemini helped us develop a customer survey and email, all crafted in our brand tone,” she recalls. “Instead of taking weeks, we got 80% of the way there in a single hour.” Tari values Gemini’s seamless integration with Google Workspace, providing her team access to various tools in one unified environment. Tari’s newfound efficiency also has a personal impact: “Using Google AI helps me be a better mother while I achieve my dreams of growing this business. We often say at CitySwing that we are ‘building the plane and flying it at the same time.’ Our 2025 goal was to build the plane first with help from Google AI.”

SoHookd

Location: Washington, D.C.
Website: https://sohookd.com/
21 employees

In the field of corporate wellness vendors, SoHookd stands out with flexible, turnkey solutions that focus on prevention and providing support for end users’ physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. CEO B.J. Wiley Williams founded the company in 2017, combining her passions for wellness and entrepreneurship to create a comprehensive platform that works with health plan carriers, or directly with employers who can customize programs to fit their goals and budget. Clients can choose from an incentives marketplace, webinars, and challenges to design a program that educates, motivates, and rewards their population. The SoHookd Incentives Marketplace–unique in that it consists solely of wellness products and services like fitness gear or healthy meals–has 85 percent engagement. “Prevention is such a key determinant in people’s health,” B.J. notes. “Our mission is to inspire healthy lifestyles and unlock access to wellness for all.”

In 2022, Google for Startups programs helped SoHookd build credibility, B.J. says, as well as “capital, community, and connections.” The company uses Google Cloud for their database, security monitoring, and more. “It helps us scale quickly so we can focus on high-impact work," B.J. says. SoHookd’s product is GDPR- and SOC2-compliant, and B.J. appreciates Cloud’s end-to-end security: “We work with Fortune 500 companies and there’s no room for error. It’s critical we use the right tools.” The team collaborates with Google Workspace and uses Gemini to organize data and fine-tune client messaging so it’s more user-friendly. “Technology needs to work from a business perspective. We can trust that these tools are going to help us deliver a better solution,” B.J. says. With over 100 enterprise clients and five health plan partners, SoHookd’s goal is to double revenue this year, and keep growing as they help employees lead their healthiest lives.

Creating Space DC

Location: Washington, D.C.
Website: https://creatingspacedc.com/
15 clients a month

U.S. Navy veteran Christina Bond prides herself on running a tight ship at home. Inspired by organization guru Marie Kondo, she began to clear up the clutter in her life. Christina sorted through her old clothing, books, even childhood belongings in her parents' attic–keeping what brought her joy and getting rid of the rest. The process was so empowering, she earned a professional certification and launched her own consulting business, Creating Space DC, in April 2018. Christina helps clients organize their homes, freeing them from items that are no longer useful. “You have to have stuff in your home to support your life and goals,” Christina notes. “But you’ve got to take a fresh look at it from time to time to make sure it's supporting who you are now, and who you want to become.”

A solo entrepreneur, Christina first tried marketing her business via online directories and direct mail. When the cost wasn’t giving her a strong return on investment, she turned to Google Ads in December 2020, matching ads to keyword searches on “professional organizer” and “decluttering.” This, combined with a Google Business Profile and user reviews, helped boost her business. “After I started using Google Ads, I saw a much better return on my investment compared to what I was using before,” she says. Christina now serves about 15 clients a month, which keeps her schedule full while allowing time for her volunteer work. She teaches yoga at the D.C. Jail and offers Creating Space services to schools and nonprofits for silent auction fundraising events. Now she’s studying with a new clutter-clearing mentor and plans to rebrand and relaunch her website. “Google Analytics shows me where my customers are coming from,” she says. “My Google Business Profile gives me the confidence to take that risk, because I know my business will still be found online and the transition will go smoothly.”

Steadfast Supply

Location: Washington, D.C.
Website: https://www.steadfastsupplydc.com/
63,000 customers served

Ask anyone who lives in the nation’s capital: “Washington” is the place in the news, but “D.C.” is the vibrant community where the city’s residents live. And for Virginia Arrisueño, a first-generation American born to Peruvian immigrants, D.C. is near where her family’s entrepreneurial spirit took flight. “My dad built his business from scratch. From a young age, I got to see first-hand the opportunities that he provided for my family and I,” Virginia says. So after organizing her own successful events and pop-up shops in the District, she opened Steadfast Supply to showcase products made by local and global makers, artisans, and small business owners. More than just a retail space, Steadfast Supply hosts workshops, incubators, and community events where Virginia helps her fellow entrepreneurs to grow and thrive. To date, Steadfast Supply has served over 63,000 customers in the brick-and-mortar store, and using Google tools makes their mission for good possible.

Virginia’s Google Ads campaigns ensure that shoppers looking for handmade gifts are prompted to make a visit to Steadfast Supply, and insights from Google Analytics allow Virginia to understand where people are searching from so she can hyper-focus her advertising and get more bang for her buck. As a mom with her own growing family, Virginia uses Google Workspace tools like Docs and Sheets to stay on top of her business even when she’s away from the office. “It helps me stay connected with my team, stay organized, and live a more balanced life,” Virginia says. With sales more than doubling in the past three years, she’s committed to using that growth to support more independent small businesses–and her D.C. community. “We love this city,” says Virginia. “We love the people here. It’s always been our home, and we want to help it flourish.”

WorkChew

Location: Washington, D.C.
Website: https://workchew.com/
4,600 members

WorkChew offers a membership-based shared workspace that cooks up a little something extra. By partnering with restaurants—70 percent of which have underutilized space during the day—WorkChew can offer members low-cost co-working space while giving the restaurants extra business. Another important part of their model is that members get food discounts at the restaurants they use as workspaces. WorkChew Co-founder Maisha Burt is a former remote worker who loved shared workspaces but not their high cost. “I was looking for alternatives,” she says. “Then one day I was working at a restaurant and got more done and had more fun.” When Maisha and fellow Co-founder Allyson McDougal began pitching WorkChew to D.C.-area restaurants, the idea took off. Within a year, WorkChew had more than 4,500 members working in over 40 restaurants. Along the way, digital platforms and Google products have aided WorkChew’s evolution. Maisha and Allyson took digital skills classes from Grow with Google Digital Coaches in Washington, D.C. They also learned to use Google Analytics to optimize their digital presence and launched Google Ads campaigns that drove 20 percent of member signups.

When COVID-19 hit, the company pivoted to virtual models that connected members and incentivized them to support restaurants in D.C. and Chicago with off-peak delivery orders. As restaurants began to reopen, WorkChew began adding larger restaurants and hotels to their workspace roster and launched their enterprise offering. Today, they use Google Analytics to measure digital performance and continue boosting signups. To find new partners, they use Google Places, and the Google Maps API helps members find locations. In 2021, WorkChew plans to keep growing. “We want to expand into 20 major cities across the U.S.,” says Maisha. “We also want to continue supporting the growing community of freelancers and remote mobile workers, while helping to define the future of how Americans work, and work together.”

Hugh & Crye

Location: Washington, D.C.
Website: www.hughandcrye.com
15 employees

Pranav Vora was working as a management consultant when inspiration struck. He was shopping for clothes and struggled to find the right fit. “I was just wondering why it was hard to find shirts that actually fit my body off the rack,” said Pranav. Not wanting to spend money on a custom fit, he decided to look into the problem himself. Pranav ended up taking some sewing and pattern-drafting classes and discovered that many brands use a cookie-cutter approach that produces ill-fitting, generic shirts. “It was almost like peeling back an onion,” he said. “I just learned one thing after another and kept following that trail.” The trail eventually led Pranav to start Hugh & Crye, an apparel brand that focuses on better-fitting menswear. Hugh & Crye offers 12 unique fits to appeal to different body types and, as a direct-to-consumer company, it’s been online from the very beginning. “We didn’t feel the need at the time to open a store, so everything we did was online,” said Pranav. “It was incredibly important because that was the lifeblood of our business.”

At launch, Hugh & Crye used Google Ads to reach people searching for fitted shirts online and Google Analytics to monitor and optimize its digital presence. “It is very helpful to see our traffic and our site performance and learn what’s working and what’s not,” said Pranav. “Google products have always been very useful and very core to the business. I can’t remember running the business without them.” Today, the Hugh & Crye team also uses G Suite apps like Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Sheets, and Drive to communicate more efficiently and to stay organized.

Thanks to Google’s reach, Hugh & Crye has customers in all 50 states and in 30 countries around the world. “We’re seeing more and more opportunities to launch and track performance of new products with the help of Google tools,” said Pranav, who is actively invested in the improvement of his company’s products and ethos. The brand is committed to fighting unsustainable manufacturing practices and regularly donates to organizations that provide food and clothing to families in Washington, D.C. “It’s important for us to figure out ways to work with our customers to help people in need,” said Pranav. “We’re trying to incentivize people to look into their closets and give as well.” For Pranav, the continued success of Hugh & Crye is a testament to the power of identifying a real consumer problem and solving it. “We provide a product and service that our customers appreciate — it’s a good feeling,” said Pranav.

The National Center for Transgender Equality

Location: Washington, D.C.
Website: transequality.org
20 employees

Founded in 2003, the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE), based in Washington, D.C., is the country’s leading trans-advocacy organization. Founded by trans activist Mara Keisling and other supporters who recognized the need for policy change, the NCTE works to end discrimination and violence against transgender people and their communities through public education and advocacy. By establishing a powerful transgender- advocacy presence in the nation’s capital, the NCTE is able to provide helpful resources, including important legal information and tips for allies on how to take action. With so much information to spread and so many people to reach, the internet is a vital tool for the NCTE to educate the public, garner support, and field donations. “Our policy team does a lot of really incredible work,” said Jay Wu, the NCTE’s director of communications, “but it’s hard to get the word out there without the internet.” The organization uses Google Ads to reach not only the transgender community but also its allies and the public at large. “We don’t have a huge ad budget, so whatever we do is purely digital,” said Jay.

The NCTE uses Google Analytics to figure out which resources people are using most, such as its ID Documents Center. This one-stop hub helps transgender people update federal documents such as birth certificates, passports, and Social Security records with their correct gender markers and names. Internally, the NCTE uses G Suite tools like Drive and Docs to share and store data and information. “We have so many text-heavy documents that go out. We’ve really found G Suite to be the best method,” said Jay.

The organization’s digital efforts, including its use of Google tools, have helped it reach thousands of supporters, grow its programs, and spread its message. The NCTE currently employs 20 people and is in the process of bringing additional team members on board as it continues to grow. The organization also recently launched its Action Fund, a nonprofit political organization fighting for transgender equality at the local, state, and federal levels. The Action Fund will take center stage as the NCTE team works with the newest congressional class and looks toward 2020.

Though there’s still plenty of work to be done, the NCTE is excited about its progress. “In the last 16 years, things have changed so much,” said Jay. “We’re really focused on making sure that people understand that trans people are their family members, friends, and neighbors. That kind of change is every bit as important as any kind of policy change we make.”

Thrive DC

Location: Washington, D.C.
Website: www.thrivedc.org
12 full-time employees and 3 part-time employees.

Positive change is happening in the nation’s capital, and Thrive DC is at the heart of it. Founded in 1979 as a dinner program for homeless women, the nonprofit today is a comprehensive, professionally staffed organization that serves more than 2,000 men, women, and children every year. Based out of Columbia Heights, they are the neighborhood’s only “one-stop shop” for people experiencing homelessness, unemployment, housing instability, and food insecurity. They provide a variety of services, including meals, showers, laundry, re-entry support, job training, and substance-abuse counseling. In short, “we work to provide stability,” explains Alicia Horton, Executive Director at Thrive DC. “And with our help, clients can take their first steps toward independence and self-sufficiency.”

Thrive DC maximizes impact with digital tools. They use AdWords, Google’s advertising program, to bring visitors to their website, spread the word about their mission, and attract both donors and volunteers. “We really saw our outreach grow dramatically with AdWords,” Alicia says. “We went from 2,000 website visitors a year to over 12,000,” a six-fold increase. “Fast forward to today, and we have more volunteers than we can handle,” she adds. The organization now has sufficient volunteers to organize mail delivery for over a thousand clients without home addresses. They also take advantage of G Suite tools, such as Gmail and Google Calendar, to efficiently manage their volunteer operations. And with insights from Google Analytics, they can optimize their online presence, including their donation pages. “In 2017, our end of the year online giving increased by 61 percent!” Alicia notes.

Thrive DC is determined to prevent and end homelessness in the nation’s capital, and the team shows no signs of slowing down. In-kind donations have doubled year-over-year, allowing the organization to further scale their operations. They currently provide life-changing support to 250 people every day and serve over 150,000 meals each year. "We're committed to addressing the real challenges of our client community," Alicia affirms. "At Thrive DC, we provide our clients real hope and a real chance at getting back on their feet."

UrbanStems

Location: Washington, D.C.
Website: www.urbanstems.com
80 employees

Long-distance relationships can be tough, especially if the flowers you send your loved one arrive dried and dead. Massive overhead costs and a disjointed business model mean that huge, multi-national florists can't always guarantee consistent quality, undermining the impact of a loving gesture. After experiencing this firsthand, Ajay Kori and Jeff Sheely saw an opportunity to revolutionize the industry and opened UrbanStems on Valentine's Day 2014. “We’re building a flower company that solves the issues they experienced firsthand,” Chief Marketing Officer Lauren Bates explains. By creating a seed-to-door supply chain—one that cuts out the middleman and sources directly from farms—UrbanStems passes on savings to the customer while also providing a better overall customer experience.

The only way to send UrbanStems’ bouquets and gifts is online. Because of this, “we’re really prioritizing the customer’s web experience and investing a ton in digital marketing to grow our business,” Lauren remarks. Today, digital marketing comprises 80 percent of the company’s marketing budget, and it's yielding major results. AdWords, Google's advertising program, helps UrbanStems attract customers in an already crowded industry, while Google Analytics gives laser focus to their online campaigns. “Those tools are really important for understanding the granular details of our customers’ behaviors and making data-driven decisions to scale our business,” Lauren says. And for a company that strives to be lean and scrappy, “it’s been an incredible advantage to have access to a free tool like Analytics that can give us so much data,” she adds. Google Tag Manager also equips UrbanStems with the robust performance-tracking capabilities of a much larger company, while G Suite tools Gmail, Docs, Drive, and Calendar keep their administrative work as fast as their business model.

UrbanStems is blossoming with year-over-year growth of over 300 percent. They currently operate in five cities across the U.S. and are expanding to more this year. As they grow, they continue to have a positive impact on everyone in their community. For the farms that are their partners, the company remains committed to providing great working conditions. And for their customers, they deliver happiness with each fresh bouquet. “At our core, we’re in the business of making people happy,” Lauren says.