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Over the past month, we at Forbes have reported a lot on the Department of Government Efficiency’s job and budget cuts and what it all means for Social Security benefits, postal service operations, aviation safety and more. As the shape of these cuts and their ramifications continues to unfold, one of my many questions has been, “what does this mean for small business owners who depend on government contracts?”
And so, this week I connected with Mary Faith Mount-Cors, the founder and president of EdIntersect, a North Carolina-based company that works with international governments to create early education programs for children around the world. Mount-Cors has successfully built education programs in countries including Mali, Nigeria and Rwanda through USAID and UNICEF contracts, but said that the projects she was working on at the start of the year—in Malawi and Tajikistan—are “gone” following the Trump administration’s slashing of USAID operations.
“We don’t know what ways we will be able to recover, but [as] you can imagine [with] any small business: We don’t have six months or twelve months of capital just sitting there,” Mount-Cors said, adding that there’s a real chance her company faces “dissolution.”
I asked Mount-Cors if private donors and foundations could step in and fill the gaps—after all, the world’s top philanthropists can and do deploy tens of billions of dollars every year—and her reply was a measured “maybe,” because what’s at stake is more than just dollars: It’s logistical know-how and, more broadly, the ability to execute on diplomacy goals through development. “Larger foundations, like the Gates Foundation, can maybe step into the breach more if they choose to, but they’re still not the U.S. government; they’re not going to be playing the same role in building trust and stability between the two countries [involved in these projects],” she said.
This summary is really just a snippet of what we touched on, so if you too have been wondering about the effects of DOGE cuts on small businesses, I recommend watching our conversation in full, here.
Cheers,
Maggie
P.S.: A reminder that nominations for the 2025 U.S. 50 Over 50 list are now open! Head to this link here to tell us about a woman you think should be on this year’s list. Full nominations criteria are on that page but the two most important bits to remember: We’re looking for people who were born in 1974 or earlier, and we’re looking for women who have never been on the list before, because we don’t allow repeats!
Featured Forbes Interview: Why Representative Chrissy Houlahan Says Trump’s USAID Cuts Are The Real ‘Fraud, Waste, And Abuse’
This week, Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) joined ForbesWomen editor Maggie McGrath to talk about Trump administration cuts to USAID and how these cuts pose risks to female students from Afghanistan studying abroad on USAID-funded scholarships. “If those young women are sent back [to Afghanistan], it’s not only at the detriment of their education and their advancement, but it’s also in some cases physically dangerous to them to return to what amounts to an apartheid state for women,” Houlahan said. Click here to watch the full interview.
ICYMI: News Of The Week
Forbes 30 Under 30 alumnae Carly Zakin and Danielle Weisberg sold TheSkimm—the media company they founded nearly 13 years ago—to Ziff Davis’ Everyday Health Group (EHG) earlier this month. The duo is not commenting on the financial terms of the deal but spoke to Forbes contributor Rachel Burchfield about their plans for the company in its new chapter. “theSkimm will feel very much the same to our audience, but they can anticipate enriched content, particularly in health and wellness,” Zakin says.
Genetic testing company 23andMe filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to initiate the process of selling off its assets, while the troubled firm’s co-founder Anne Wojcicki—who was attempting to take 23andMe private—stepped down from her role with the intent to become an outside bidder for the asset sale.
Five minutes into the USC Trojans’ eventual 96-59 win over Mississippi State in the second-round of March Madness, their star shooting guard JuJu Watkins went down with a tear of her right anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) that will require surgical reconstruction and months of rehabilitation before she can return to the court. It’s an injury that’s unfortunately all-too familiar among female basketball players—and there’s a reason that women suffer from this injury at higher rates than men.
Last July, Lattice CEO Sarah Franklin faced blowback when she announced the HR company would create employee records and ratings for artificial intelligence agents. But with the market growing, she’s doubling down on the need for AI agents to face performance tracking.
A new analysis from job search platform Indeed found that remote work opportunities have declined over 20% from their pandemic peak—and while they still remain more common than pre-pandemic, the decline in remote opportunities could create new challenges for women who want or need flexible work arrangements.
The Checklist
1. Break free from the cycle of crunch mode. Do small breaks feel like a luxury? Do work thoughts keep you up at night? These are some signs that you’re trapped in a cycle of too much hustle and stress. Here’s how to reset your work style.
2. Disarm office gossip. While studies show that some people think office gossip can foster team building, more professionals feel that it’s toxic in the workplace. Here’s what you need to know about nipping these harmful conversations in the bud.
3. Avoid job-search burnout. Even the most motivated job seekers start to feel drained after getting ghosted over and over by generic job postings. And here’s the kicker: cold applying alone puts the odds squarely against you. The good news? There are smarter, more sustainable strategies to stay energized in your search— and actually get the results you want.