February 27, 2025 – Victoria Malaszecki, MBA, PMP, President & CEO of Envision Consultants, Ltd. (Envision), was honored to serve as a panelist at the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) Philadelphia Chapter’s DBE Breakfast on February 3rd. COMTO’s mission is to advocate for diversity and inclusion in the transportation industry, ensuring opportunities for minorities, women, veterans, and DBE/SBE businesses. The organization achieves this through leadership training, professional development, scholarships, internships, and networking opportunities.
Moderated by Michael Carroll, Deputy Managing Director of the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems (OTIS), the event brought distinguished business executives together to discuss key trends in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry and provided an interactive speed networking session aimed at fostering new business relationships. Ariella Moran, Executive Director of the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC), was featured as the keynote speaker.
Ms. Malaszecki shared the stage with a group of panelists to provide strategies for building successful partnerships. The panel addressed topics such as exclusivity in teaming arrangements, effective project planning, in addition to the significance of certifications and insurance in securing business relationships and opportunities. The discussion underscored the importance of collaboration, sharing lessons learned and delivering on promises to foster mutual growth within AEC industry.
One critical point raised during the panel discussion was the challenge DBE firms face in gaining a seat at the table during negotiations with project owners and agencies, particularly when working as subconsultants. The panelists shared best practices and advice on how DBEs can simultaneously build relationships with both owners and primes to position themselves for future success.
Tamara Nicholson, PgMP, PMP, Principal of Unicorn Consulting Solutions and a fellow WBE/DBE entrepreneur, co-chaired the event, gaining valuable insights from the panel on navigating the evolving landscape of private, state, and federally funded projects. Ms. Nicholson, who founded her own consulting firm four years ago, took advantage of the session to learn from the experiences of established DBE executives.
“I am truly inspired by the DBE Panelists who came out and shared their stories at this year’s COMTO DBE Breakfast. After hearing the panelists’ perspectives and speaking with Vicki, I realized she is exactly where I want to be 30 years from now. I look forward to being in a position to give back to new firms, sharing our common struggles while offering reassurance. Vicki took the time to impart on me the importance of diversifying—not only your certifications, but also your client base and market sectors,” said Ms. Nicholson.
Overall, this event proved to be a powerful networking opportunity, allowing participants to connect with prime contractors, consultants, and peers to explore potential collaborations while sharing knowledge that can lead to new business ventures and industry success.
When asked by Mr. Carroll for her final remarks to the attendees, Ms. Malaszecki simply stated, “Stay true to yourself”.