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P.E.R.K. President Named Among PG County 40 Under 40

P.E.R.K. Consulting President, Andrena Sawyer, was presented with the prestigious Forty Under 40 Award on June 6^th 2018, presented by Prince George’s County Social Innovation Fund, for exceptional contributions in business.

Forty Under 40 Information:
Prince George’s County Social Innovation Fund’s (PGCSIF) flagship initiative, recognizes top talent in the County in the areas of arts and humanities, business, education, health and fitness, public service, and science and engineering; and then seeks to  engage them more actively in civic and socially oriented ventures through advisory, board service, and advocacy opportunities. After seven years of successfully recognizing next generation leaders in Prince George’s County (200 Honorees to date), nearly 25% of honorees have joined non-profit boards and advisory committees throughout the County. The recognition makes it easy for organizations to identify top talent! Honorees have also engaged in policy discussions with the Prince George’s County Executive and the leadership at the Prince George’s County Chamber of Commerce on issues ranging from public education to economic development and residency preferences for employment and contracting.

The culture at PGCSIF is grounded in their fundamental belief that through innovative solutions, alignment across and within sectors, and a keen focus on results Prince George’s County can quickly shift course on a broad number of issues facing its most vulnerable populations. PGCSIF recognize the pockets of opportunity in the County, as well as the disconnection between the multiple stakeholders who are attempting to address many of the same issues, largely in an unorganized or uncoordinated way.  PGCSIF expectation is that by identifying best and innovative practice, supporting local infrastructure, and aligning outcomes, they will bridge these gaps and quickly increase impact.

Awardee Information:
Andrena Sawyer is the founder and president of P.E.R.K. Consulting, an advisory firm for small to mid-sized nonprofits and businesses. Originally from Freetown, Sierra Leone, she and her family moved to the U.S. when she was 9 due to a civil war that left thousands dead and untold numbers maimed and displaced. She now credits her family’s move during the war for her interest in human triumph and perseverance.

She has since actively worked to mobilize and empower others. At age 15, she founded Triple “T” MAD (Teens Trying to Make a Difference), a community service organization for teens in central New Jersey. As a student at Howard University, she continued to cultivate her interest in community development by founding Rock, the MIC, an annual outreach for youth in the DC area. These experiences laid a firm foundation that continues to define her work.

For her work with nonprofits and small businesses, Andrena has also been awarded the Black Business Review’s 40 Under 40, the International Alliance for Women World of Difference 100 Award, the Women Owned Small Business Award by the Associated Black Charities, and the Hope for Africa Leadership in Community Development Award.

In addition to her work with P.E.R.K. Consulting, she is the author of The Other Side of Assertiveness, Ponder It In Her Heart, and The Long Way Home.