FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Baltimore entrepreneur shares her immigrant journey and offers recommendations to strengthen the future of American small businesses.
Baltimore, MD (July 6, 2026) — Cool & Associates LLC is proud to announce that Founder, President and CEO Veronica Cool recently testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Small Business during its hearing, “250 Years of American Legacy: Small Businesses and the American Dream.”
Selected as one of only a handful of witnesses invited to provide testimony, Cool shared her entrepreneurial journey- from arriving in the United States from the Dominican Republic as a 10-year-old girl on Independence Day to building one of the region’s Maryland’s leading strategic consulting and community engagement firms.
The timing carried special significance.
“As I prepared my testimony, I realized my own American story began on the Fourth of July,” said Cool. “To return to Washington D.C. during our nation’s 250th anniversary and speak before Congress about entrepreneurship and opportunity was an extraordinary full-circle moment. It reminded me that the American Dream is still possible, and that small businesses continue to be one of its greatest expressions.”
Founded in 2011, Cool & Associates LLC has grown from a small firm into a nationally recognized strategic consulting company specializing in organizational strategy, community engagement, facilitation, communications, workforce development, language access, research, and the responsible integration of artificial intelligence. The company partners with government agencies, healthcare systems, educational institutions, nonprofits, and private-sector organizations to help them build trust, engage diverse communities, and achieve measurable results.
During her testimony, Cool emphasized that entrepreneurship is about far more than starting a business. “Behind every small business is a personal story,” she told the Committee. “Entrepreneurs don’t just create jobs – they solve problems, strengthen communities, create opportunity, and invest in the people around them.”
Drawing upon more than fifteen years of experience leading a woman- and minority-owned business, Cool discussed the realities of entrepreneurship, including navigating economic uncertainty, adapting to technological change, building resilient teams, and competing for government contracts. She also encouraged Congress to continue reducing unnecessary administrative burdens, expanding access to entrepreneurship education and workforce development, supporting responsible adoption of artificial intelligence, and creating a more predictable environment for small businesses to invest and grow.
A central theme of her testimony was the idea that communication itself is an essential form of economic infrastructure.
“When people understand how to access healthcare, government services, workforce opportunities, and small business resources, they participate,” Cool said. “Participation strengthens communities. Stronger communities create stronger economies.”
Over the past fifteen years, COOL & Associates LLC has helped hundreds of organizations improve how they communicate with and serve increasingly diverse communities. The firm’s work has supported public health initiatives, workforce development, community engagement, strategic planning, language access, and organizational transformation throughout Maryland and across the country.
For Cool, appearing before Congress represented more than a personal milestone.
“It was recognition that a small business built through perseverance, trusted relationships, and meaningful community impact can help shape conversations about our nation’s future,” she said. “That honor belongs to my incredible team, our clients, our partners, and every entrepreneur who continues showing up every day to build something meaningful.”
As America marks 250 years of independence, Cool hopes her story encourages the next generation of entrepreneurs to believe in the power of opportunity, resilience, and service.
“The American Dream has never guaranteed success,” she reflected. “What it offers is the opportunity to build something meaningful. My hope is that future generations, regardless of where they were born or how they begin, continue to believe that through hard work, integrity, and perseverance, that dream remains within reach.”
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About Cool & Associates LLC
Founded in 2011, Cool & Associates LLC is a nationally recognized strategic consulting firm based in Baltimore, Maryland. The firm specializes in organizational strategy, facilitation, community engagement, language access, communications, workforce development, research, and training. Working with government agencies, healthcare organizations, educational institutions, nonprofits, and private-sector clients, Cool helps organizations strengthen trust, improve engagement, and achieve measurable impact through culturally responsive and innovative solutions.
Media Contact
Milva Rausseo
Milva@coolassociatesllc.com
www.coolassociatesllc.com