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N. Madeira Cofield

@nmcofield

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Award-winning CEO.
Boards and Balance• Policy and Philanthropy Real Estate + Decor • Mahjong 🀄️. Fashion Always
✨ Smart. Stylish. Always strategic.

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I am honored to share that I have been appointed by Governor Wes Moore and confirmed by the Maryland Senate to serve on the Board of Directors of TEDCO.

I am deeply grateful to Governor Moore for his confidence and to the Maryland Senate for their confirmation and support. It is a privilege to serve the State of Maryland in this capacity.

TEDCO plays a critical role in advancing Maryland’s innovation economy, deploying and managing hundreds of millions of dollars in funding and investment to support entrepreneurs, strengthen ecosystems, and drive economic growth across the state.

Throughout my career, I have remained committed to expanding access to capital, networks, and opportunity. I look forward to bringing that experience to support TEDCO’s mission and impact.

Thank you to the many colleagues, partners, and mentors who have supported me along the way. I look forward to the work ahead. by @nmcofield

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6 months ago

It is with great enthusiasm that I share that I have been appointed as CEO for AEO (Association for Enterprise Opportunity) @weareaeoworks effective March 18, 2024. With a legacy spanning over 30 years, AEO, along with its 2,700 member/partner organizations, has been a beacon of support for millions of entrepreneurs, catalyzing economic growth across the nation.

The Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO) is the voice of innovation in microbusiness and microfinance in the United States. For over 30 years, AEO and its members have helped millions of entrepreneurs contribute to economic growth while supporting themselves, their families, and their communities. AEO’s membership includes a diverse range of organizations providing capital and services to assist underserved entrepreneurs in starting, stabilizing, and expanding their businesses.

Click here for more information — https://lnkd.in/eXNQTyfD by @nmcofield

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3 years ago

October is National Women’s Small Business Month.

There is a lot to celebrate. Women now own 14.2 million businesses across the country and generate $2.8 trillion in receipts.
But I think it’s time for the conversation to go further.

We know women are starting businesses. I’m interested in what happens next. Are those businesses growing? Are they profitable? Are they creating jobs and building wealth? And do women entrepreneurs have access to the resources and opportunities they need to build the businesses they envision?

That’s what I’m exploring in a new four-part Forbes series on the changing economics of women’s entrepreneurship.

Part One is out now: “Women Entrepreneurs Are Starting. The Challenge Is Scaling.”

Swipe through for a few of the numbers that caught my attention, and you can read the full piece at the link in my bio.

#WomenEntrepreneurs #WomenOwnedBusiness #SmallBusiness #WomenInBusiness #Entrepreneurship by @nmcofield

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9 hours ago

This is what anxiety and depression can look like.

Today is the final day of Suicide Prevention Month, and it feels like the right day to share this part of my story.

One in five adults in America experiences a mental health challenge each year. Behind that number are people we know, work with, love and lead alongside.

I am one of them.

My journey with anxiety and depression began when I was 12 years old. It didn’t end there.

Anxiety and depression have been part of different seasons of my life, including some of my most successful ones. There have been moments of profound despair and moments when I’ve had to find a reason to keep going.

At the same time, I became an entrepreneur. An executive. A CEO. A board member. I built a career and led organizations, even when showing up for myself required tremendous effort.

That’s the part we don’t always see.

As I close out my birthday month and Suicide Prevention Month, I find myself reflecting on just how much life I have lived since that 12-year-old girl first began this journey.

I’m proud of her. And I’m proud of the woman she became.

That is part of why I created While Leading, a new monthly personal essay series. For years, my writing has focused largely on business, economics and entrepreneurship. But there are parts of my story, and lessons from my life, that don’t fit neatly into academic or business writing. While Leading is a space to explore the humanity of leadership and the personal experiences that shape who we are while we lead.

My first essay, “The Mental Health Conversation We Aren’t Having About Successful Leaders,” starts here, with my own story.

And perhaps the best place to begin is with the words I wish I could have given my 12-year-old self, and the words I still need for myself today:

You are good enough.
You are worthy enough.
You are loved enough.

Whatever you are experiencing today does not have to be the end of your story.

Welcome to While Leading. (Link in Bio)

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, call or text 988. by @nmcofield

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6 days ago

First session down, and what an experience it was. ❤️

Last week, I had the opportunity to lead the first session of my Fall Study Group with the Good Services Lab at the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University.

We talked about AI, entrepreneurship, cities, and what the changing geography of economic opportunity could mean for communities across the country.

I loved being in the room. Teaching. Learning. Asking questions. Hearing different perspectives. And getting to bring so much of what I’ve spent my career working on into a Harvard classroom.

Thank you to Mark Muro and Shriya Methkupally of Brookings Metro for joining me and sharing their research and insights, and to Dr. Kimberlyn Leary for entrusting me with this fellowship and the opportunity to create and lead this study group.

There is something special about getting to bring your experiences, your work, and the questions you care deeply about into a space like this.

Session one is officially in the books.

#Harvard #ArtificialIntelligence #Entrepreneurship #EconomicOpportunity #Fellowship taken in Harvard Kennedy School by @nmcofield

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7 days ago

I’ve been reflecting a lot lately on what opportunity will look like in an AI-driven economy.

Not simply what AI will mean for how we work, but what it will mean for who gets to participate, where new opportunities will emerge, and what it will take for entrepreneurs and small businesses to compete and grow.

For much of my career, my work has centered on expanding pathways to entrepreneurship and economic opportunity. And I believe we are entering a moment that requires us to think differently about those pathways.

AI is beginning to redraw the geography of opportunity in America. Some communities are emerging as centers of AI investment and infrastructure. Small businesses are navigating what adoption means for their companies. And cities and regions are making decisions today that could shape their economic competitiveness for years to come.

I’ve been thinking deeply about all of this through my work, conversations and research, and I wanted to put some of those thoughts to paper.

My latest Forbes piece, “AI Is Redrawing the Map of Entrepreneurial Opportunity,” explores what this moment could mean for entrepreneurs, small businesses and the communities they call home.

Because for me, the question isn’t simply where AI is going.

It’s who will have the opportunity to go with it.

I hope you’ll read it and share your thoughts. by @nmcofield

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12 days ago

I’m excited to officially launch the inaugural study group of the Good Services Lab at the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University.

This fall, I’m leading AI and the Future of Entrepreneurial Opportunity: Implications for Cities and Regions, a three-part study group exploring how AI is reshaping entrepreneurship, small business, economic opportunity, and the future of cities and regions.

We begin today with “The New Geography of Entrepreneurial Opportunity in the AI Economy,” featuring Mark Muro, Senior Fellow, Brookings Metro, and Shriya Methkupally, Senior Research Assistant, Brookings Metro.

Our central question: As AI transforms our economy, where will new entrepreneurial opportunity emerge, and who will be positioned to participate?

I’m grateful to Dr. Kimberlyn Leary for entrusting me with the opportunity to lead this inaugural study group. Looking forward to the conversations, ideas, and insights that will emerge with our students throughout the fall. taken in Harvard Kennedy School by @nmcofield

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13 days ago

Last week, AEO brought together leaders and partners for our Small Business Growth Coalition Reception during Congressional Black Caucus Foundation week.

The premise was simple: One Voice. Shared Growth. Greater Opportunity.

America’s smallest businesses are essential to our communities and our economy, and advancing their interests requires collaboration across organizations, industries and communities. This gathering was an opportunity to strengthen those relationships, exchange ideas and continue building a broader coalition around the entrepreneurs and small businesses we collectively serve.

I’m grateful to everyone who joined us, contributed to the conversation and continues to champion greater access to capital, resources and opportunity for small businesses across the country.

At AEO, we know that no single organization can do this work alone. Our collective voice—and our collective action—matters. by @nmcofield

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14 days ago

CBCF 2026 by @nmcofield

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17 days ago

Status… grown. by @nmcofield

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a month ago

I’m really excited about this one!

In addition to my role as President & CEO of the Association for Enterprise Opportunity, I have the incredible opportunity to spend this year as a Fellow with the Good Services Lab at the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University.

And this fall, I’m heading into the classroom!

I’ll be leading a Harvard graduate student study group on “AI and the Future of Entrepreneurial Opportunity: Implications for Cities and Regions.”

We’ll dig into some of the questions I think about every day: How is AI changing what it takes to start, compete, and grow a business? What does that mean for access to capital and opportunity? And what are the implications for our cities and local economies?

The study group is currently at capacity, and I’m so looking forward to the conversations, learning, and perspectives we’ll bring together over the three sessions.

More to come from Cambridge! ❤️

Learn more at the link in my bio.

#Harvard #ArtificialIntelligence #Entrepreneurship #SmallBusiness #EconomicOpportunity taken in Harvard Kennedy School by @nmcofield

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a month ago

Summering… taken in Martha's Vineyard by @nmcofield

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2 months ago