Global Chamber® Baltimore/Washington: New Year of Global Markets & Opportunities

Global Chamber® Baltimore/Washington

A New Year of Global Markets & Opportunities

Kick off 2026 with insights, connections, and strategies shaping global growth.

Event Details

🗓️ Date: Friday, January 23, 2026
⏰ Time: 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM
📍 Venue: Pupatella Mosaic at 2980 District Ave, Unit 140, Fairfax, VA 22031

This event is FULL. Please direct any inquiries to Mi Jeong at mijeong@globalchamber.org

About the Event

Join Global Chamber® Baltimore/Washington for our first in-person 2026 event - a high-value executive lunch focused on global economic trends, emerging markets, and growth strategies.

A New Year of Global Markets & Opportunities brings together global business leaders, investors, and executives to exchange insights, build strategic relationships, and expand cross-border opportunities through meaningful networking.

Hamilton Prime International based in Virginia is our Community Partner Sponsor - thank you!

As we step into a new year, this event sets the stage for purposeful conversation, fresh perspectives, and actionable intelligence to support business growth in 2026.

We are pleased to welcome Anna Nissinen, Senior Vice President at FCEDA, Fairfax County’s primary economic development agency. Anna will share valuable insights into Fairfax County’s global growth strategy and foreign direct investment (FDI), informed by FCEDA’s extensive experience supporting business investment, technology innovation, and regional economic development. Her perspective is essential for global business leaders seeking to understand opportunities in one of North America’s most dynamic economic hubs.

We are also delighted to welcome Dr. Ashish Gupta from Fannie Mae, a U.S. government-sponsored enterprise and publicly traded company that plays a critical role in housing finance and economic stability. Dr. Gupta will share valuable insights into U.S. and global economic trends for 2026, informed by Fannie Mae’s deep experience managing large-scale mortgage risk and analyzing extensive housing and consumer data. Fannie Mae’s perspective is widely regarded for connecting housing market conditions to broader economic performance, making its analysis essential for investors, policymakers, and global business leaders.

Finally, we are also pleased to welcome César Trabanco, Vice President of Business Services at Global Chamber®, joining us in person from Puerto Rico. César will discuss the power of global connections and strategic networking enabled by Global Chamber®, especially in the age of AI and advanced digital tools and resources. He will share how the Chamber is evolving to help members expand internationally, accelerate growth, and seize unprecedented global opportunities.

Join us and start 2026 with clarity, confidence, and connection.

✔️ Gain forward-looking economic insights for 2026
✔️ Learn from leaders shaping global markets and finance
✔️ Connect with executives, entrepreneurs, and investors
✔️ Discover new tools and strategies for global expansion
✔️ Build meaningful relationships over a curated lunch experience

Attendees will enjoy a full lunch featuring a delicious selection of items—including appetizers, gourmet specialty pizzas crafted with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options, desserts, and drinks.

Speakers:

 

Anna Nissinen - Senior Vice President at Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA)

 

As Senior Vice President of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA), she serves on the Executive Team of a global, high-performing organization recognized for setting the gold standard in mission-driven economic development. She leads Fairfax County’s global business investment growth strategy, supporting a $167.5 billion GDP economy and the economic engine of the #1 Tech Hub in North America (Site Selection Magazine), located in America’s Top State for Business (CNBC). 

 

She oversees FCEDA’s global operations across the U.S. East and West Coasts, as well as the U.K., Europe, and Asia, including site selection, incentives, capital attraction, entrepreneurship, and business investment and talent attraction marketing. She also leads FCEDA’s work in AI adoption and digital transformation to drive measurable economic impact.

 

Ashish Gupta - Senior Director, PhD., Multifamily Analytics at Fannie Mae 

 

With extensive experience in financial risk analysis and portfolio management, Dr. Gupta has led successful efforts to assess risk and price loans, securities, and structured investments. He has built advanced risk analysis tools and guided teams in delivering insights to senior management, boards, and regulators, helping organizations understand portfolio performance and risk. His team’s work focuses on developing and implementing strategies to monitor and manage complex loan portfolios.

 

César Trabanco - Vice President of Business Services at Global Chamber®

With over a decade of administrative, operational and leadership experience in different types of environments that range from international non-profit organizations to private corporations, Cesar has focused on international business and trade with significant input to the service sector. Specifically, he has worked on market development and service management for Latin America and Europe.

Cesar's work with Global Chamber® has allowed him to interact a lot more with markets like Asia, Africa and North America as collectively the team is in process to build the first truly global business community. Back in Puerto Rico, his main goal is to put the island on the map of global business and to open more opportunities for the improvement of the economy there during the years to come.

 

Tarun Chopra - Board Chair at Global Chamber® Baltimore/Washington.

 

Tarun Chopra is a highly accomplished global executive, distinguished by his unique experience of living on four continents and working across six. He is an award-winning transformational leader known for driving corporate growth through strategic insight, innovative perspectives, and a commitment to positive change. With extensive expertise in leading high-performance teams across diverse geographies, industries, and cultures, he brings a wealth of knowledge to every organization he serves. Tarun holds an MBA, is a Chartered Accountant (CPA equivalent), and has certifications in Blockchain and SAP, reflecting his commitment to continuous learning and professional excellence. He is a respected public speaker and thought leader, with insights featured in prominent publications such as the Wall Street Journal and CFO Magazine. His career spans roles with Fortune 500 companies and leading organizations, including Clements Worldwide, Fannie Mae, Whirlpool Corporation, Ernst & Young (EY), Boston Consulting Group (BCG), and Gallagher.

 

 

Mi Jeong Hibbitts - Executive Director at Global Chamber® Baltimore/Washington

 

Mi Jeong Hibbitts is an international business and marketing expert with extensive expertise in the areas of international trade, marketing, advertising, journalism/media, finance, and the US government. Mi Jeong is currently the Executive Director for the Global Chamber® Baltimore/Washington region, an organization that helps members in 525 metro areas worldwide, and growing, bridge new global business opportunities. Mi Jeong is also president of Robert & William, LLC, an international trade and marketing consulting firm located in Maryland where she brings decades of broad working experience in the private and public sectors in the US and overseas. Her services focus on assisting companies engaging in cross border trade between the US and Asia by providing strategic guidance and practical knowhow, including providing leads and contacts related to market entry, development, and expansion strategy.

 

Global Chamber® Baltimore-Washington

Read more here.

About Global Chamber®

Global Chamber® is a diverse, innovative and positive worldwide platform for CEOs, executives, investors and industry leaders across 195 countries and 605+ metros around the world to find opportunities and effectively empower growth, success and progress. We're the only chamber of commerce operating in hundreds of locations that delivers strategic connections, information and resources to facilitate exporting, importing and investing across regions and borders, while addressing climate change and advancing sustainability. Be global and UNSTOPPABLE! Global Chamber® is a registered trademark of Global Chamber, LLC since 2014.