MARISELA VILLAMIL

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Maryland Small Business Development Center

Marisela Villamil, a business consultant at the Maryland Small Business Development Center, has dedicated her career to empowering entrepreneurs and small business owners through comprehensive coaching and community building. Armed with a master’s in education focused on pedagogy, Villamil has brought specialized training and development skills to her consulting role since 2006.

During her tenure as team leader of the Hispanic Business Center from June 2013 to April 2021, Villamil broke new ground by presenting the first conference in Spanish at the ASBDC national organization. Her innovative approach extended internationally as she cooperated with several countries to create centers supporting small businesses and developed strong community relations to bolster local enterprises.

Villamil’s mentoring philosophy centers on creating comprehensive support systems for clients. She provides daily coaching to entrepreneurs, developing clear professional pathways while offering personal motivation and alternative business strategies. She builds business communities to generate client leads and maintains extensive resource networks, including accountants, insurance experts, banks, designers and legal offices. Her approach extends beyond professional guidance to personal goal achievement, helping clients pursue objectives such as sending children to university or purchasing first homes.

Her dedication has earned significant recognition. The U.S. Small Business Administration named her 2009 Minority Small Business Champion of the Year and presented her with a 2008 National Award for translating SBA Form 641 into Spanish for nationwide use.

She received Maryland SBDC’s 2008 Regional Star and 2009 State Star awards, plus a 2014 award from Telemundo Washington DC and Montgomery County for small business support.

Despite facing serious health challenges, Villamil continues serving clients who provide daily motivation. Her leadership philosophy emphasizes client-centered service, delivering guidance with respect and love while actively participating in supporting activities.

Honoree profiles were written using an artificial intelligence program and supported by honoree nominations, applications and letters of recommendation. Each profile was reviewed, fact-checked and edited for accuracy by The Daily Record’s editorial staff.

This is an honoree profile from The Daily Record's Hispanic Leadership Awards for 2025. Information used in this profile was sourced from the honoree.