We help build resilent communities by improving economic opportunities for small and local businesses.

About SB Works

SB Works is a non-profit organization devoted to the protection and promotion of small businesses and the improvement of local economies. Our mission is to find smart, progressive, and efficient ways to help communities increase their economic and social resiliency by strengthening the roles of their small businesses and self-employed residents.

We pride ourselves on providing more than just plans—we work with our clients through every step of completing meaningful, impactful, and sustainable improvements for their businesses or communities. SB Works is a long-term partner to our clients, providing guidance and support through assessments, planning, and completed project implementation.

Meet the Team

  • Executive Director SB Works

    John Mains

    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

    John became SB Works' Executive Director in 2016, and has since led the organization to become one of the DMV's largest and most effective non-profits for small business support and community economic resiliency, with organizational funding and clients served almost doubling every year since its founding. Prior to SB Works, John worked with community improvement programs around the US and abroad for over eight years, helping to plan and manage development projects for both public and private organizations. He has extensive experience working in the small business, community sustainability, and agricultural development fields. John is also a practicing attorney and an active volunteer in local rugby, sustainability causes, and the 4-H Youth Development program.

  • Resiliency Director at SB Works

    Chris Van Orden

    RESILIENCY DIRECTOR

    Chris is a small business consultant specializing in the food and beverage sector. His experience includes such wide-ranging topics as finances and budgeting, production planning, supply chain management, brand-building, marketing, media relations, and export strategy. Previously, Chris served as the Manager of Marketing and Beer Strategy at Port City Brewing Company, where he established the company's export program, managed the launch of new brands, and streamlined internal processes. Prior to his time at Port City, Chris worked for the US Department of Education’s Budget Service, overseeing Federal grant funds across a wide array of higher education programs.

  • Program Manager at SB Works

    Tom Litke

    PROGRAM MANAGER—DC FACADES

    Tom has served in community-based economic development for more than twenty years. He began DC Facades in 2012. He is active in redeveloping local spaces to support neighborhood revitalization, coordinating $6 million in projects across the Mid-Atlantic and New England on behalf of local nonprofits and small businesses. He served as Executive Director to the award-winning Roslindale Village Main Street and as Community Development Block Grant Program Manager in Massachusetts. His historic preservation-based development projects in Turkey and the United States were recognized by World Monuments Fund. He is currently working on his doctoral dissertation that focuses on the role of nonprofit institutions supporting the small business lifestyle. Tom is also certified in Construction Management, having worked in the field in various projects.

  • Outreach Coordinator at SB Works

    Cristine Davis

    OUTREACH COORDINATOR

    Cristine is an arts management professional whose career has included strategic planning, board development, marketing and communications, program management, operations, and staff development. Most recently, Davis served as a Program Manager for North Capitol Main Street, where she supported small businesses along the NCMS Corridor. Previously, Davis owned and directed District Dance Arts, a dance studio offering ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, and creative movement in Northeast Washington, DC. Davis has also served as General Manager of the Performing Arts Alliance (PAA), a national coalition of nonprofit performing arts service organizations dedicated to advocacy for federal policies that impact the sector. Davis holds a BA in English Writing from the University of Pittsburgh and a MA in Arts Management from the Heinz College of Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University.