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Space stocks jump after Musk’s SpaceX-xAI merger

Summary

  • Musk announced a and merger valuing the entity at $1.25T
  • rallied, including Rocket Lab, AST SpaceMobile and Redwire
  • Musk predicts AI compute could move to space within two to three years
  • Analysts see the deal fueling and broader space investment

Feb 3 (Reuters) – U.S. space stocks rose on Tuesday after announced the merger of SpaceX and xAI in a deal that valued the combined entity at $1.25 trillion, a major push to expand infrastructure outside Earth.

Musk estimates that within two to three years, the most cost-effective way to generate AI compute will be in space, as Big Tech companies spend hundreds of billions in the pursuit of artificial general intelligence, a theoretical milestone where machines could surpass human capabilities in cognitive tasks.

The record-setting deal sparked a rally in a relatively nascent industry. Shares of Rocket Lab and Planet Labs rose 3.9% and 1.2%, respectively, while AST SpaceMobile added 4.3%. Intuitive Machines gained 4.7% and Redwire was up about 2%.

Musk said the combination aims to create a vertically integrated and ambitious innovation powerhouse, combining AI, rocket technology, space-based internet services, direct-to-mobile communications and a platform for real-time information and free speech.

“Others may buy into Musk’s grand vision of data centers in the cosmos, and this may only whet the appetite ahead of what could be the largest of all time,” AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould said.

The merger of two of the largest privately held companies in the world comes as SpaceX plans a blockbuster public offering this year that could value it at more than $1.5 trillion, two people familiar with the matter have said.

Global investment in space technology is poised to climb further this year, propelled by government spending on defense-linked satellite systems and private sector bets on launch capacity, investment firm Seraphim Space said last month.

“This is the strongest validation yet that space will be the backbone of the next wave of AI,” said Seraphim Space CEO Mark Boggett.

MUSK’S BIG DREAMS

Musk, the world’s richest man, has a long history of making ambitious promises and often delivering late. Many of his biggest ideas are still in the works, including Tesla’s FSD, which still is not fully autonomous despite years of predictions that it soon would be.

The billionaire’s ambition also included the Department of Government Efficiency, which upended Washington with its rapid-fire drive to slash thousands of federal jobs.

His far-flung business empire – what some investors and analysts informally call the “Muskonomy” – also includes brain-chip maker Neuralink and tunnel firm the Boring Company.

Tesla, which last year lost its global EV sales crown to China’s BYD, plans record capital spending of more than $20 billion this year, which will be used to build factories for Cybercab autonomous vehicles, Optimus robots, semi-trucks, batteries and lithium production.

Musk is taking steps toward building data centers in space. SpaceX has recently sought permission to launch a constellation of up to 1 million satellites that will orbit the planet and harness the sun to power AI data centers.

Building and then sustaining a constellation of 1 million satellites, each with a five-year life, would require launching about 200,000 satellites into orbit annually, analysts at MoffettNathanson wrote in a note on Tuesday.

The capital required to build a large orbital compute constellation could be so vast that SpaceX may need to tap public equity markets, the analysts said.

(Reporting by Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru; additional reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur)

 

Disney taps parks head Josh D’Amaro as CEO to lead post-Iger era

Summary

  • Disney taps parks chief as CEO, effective March 18
  • will remain senior adviser and board member through 2025
  • Dana Walden named chief content officer and president
  • New CEO faces AI disruption, labor talks and intensifying competition

Feb 3 (Reuters) – Walt Disney on Tuesday named head Josh D’Amaro as CEO, ending years of succession uncertainty and placing a longtime insider at the helm as and a wave of consolidation upend the .

D’Amaro, 54, will take the reins from Bob Iger, 74, at the company’s annual investor meeting on March 18. Iger – credited with shaping the modern Disney through deals for Pixar, Marvel and 21st Century Fox – will stay on as a senior adviser and board member until his retirement from the company on Dec. 31.

Disney also named entertainment co-chief Dana Walden, a creative executive in the mold of Iger with a string of commercial and critical hits and strong talent ties, as chief content officer and president.

Walden was among the candidates for the CEO role along with entertainment co-chief Alan Bergman and ESPN head Jimmy Pitaro.

Succession has long been the storied entertainment giant’s weakness – it delayed Iger’s retirement several times and brought him back in 2022 to replace his handpicked successor, Bob Chapek, after the pandemic hobbled its business.

To avoid another misstep, Disney in 2024 named Morgan Stanley veteran James Gorman as its chairman to oversee the CEO search. Gorman, who led a smooth transition at the bank, joined after the House of Mickey Mouse extended Iger’s tenure for a fifth time through 2026.

Disney CEO Bob Iger arrives at The Sun Valley Resort for the Allen and Company Sun Valley Media and Technology Conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, U.S., July 8, 2025. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo
Disney CEO Bob Iger arrives at The Sun Valley Resort for the Allen and Company Sun Valley Media and Technology Conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, U.S., July 8, 2025. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo

“Josh has demonstrated a strong vision for the company’s future and a deep understanding of the creative spirit that makes Disney unique,” Gorman said in a statement on Tuesday.

Disney shares were down 0.8% in early trading.

With D’Amaro, Disney is turning to a nearly three-decade company veteran who runs its biggest profit engine – the experiences unit that includes theme parks and cruises and whose sales have grown every year after the pandemic receded in 2021.

Last fiscal year, the division turned a record operating profit of nearly $10 billion, making up nearly 60% of the company’s earnings.

D’Amaro is leading the company’s push into the Middle East with a theme park in the United Arab Emirates’ capital, Abu Dhabi, that would mark its first major new park in nearly a decade.

CHALLENGES FACING NEW CEO

But a decline in international visitors to the U.S. is weighing on the parks business, with Disney shares falling more than 7% on Monday after the company flagged the “headwind” even as its overall sales and profit exceeded expectations.

While D’Amaro is a familiar face for visitors to Walt Disney World in Florida, analysts have said he is little known in Hollywood. That could pose a challenge as he confronts an entertainment industry that generative AI tools threaten to reshape by automating writing, editing and visual effects.

The timing is particularly high-stakes as the announcement comes just months before the industry’s major guild contracts – including those for writers and actors – expire in May and June, setting the stage for a new round of labor negotiations.

A breakdown in talks, partially over the use of AI, had led to dual strikes in 2023 by the unions that hobbled much of Hollywood production and cost around $6 billion in lost output.

Disney is especially under scrutiny after it agreed late last year to let OpenAI use characters from its Star Wars, Pixar and Marvel franchises in the startup’s Sora AI video generator. It has also agreed to invest $1 billion in the startup.

Chapek, another parks veteran turned CEO, had struggled with talent relations and bungled a dispute with Scarlett Johansson over the simultaneous streaming and theatrical release of “Black Widow”, which resulted in a lawsuit and eventual settlement.

“These are big boots to fill. Disney can ill afford another messy handover,” PP Foresight analyst Paolo Pescatore said.

“Ultimately, the key to Disney’s success and future growth lies in content creation, which drives the flywheel across theatrical releases, experiences, licensing and streaming.”

Competition is also heating up as Netflix and Paramount try to bulk up by buying Warner Bros assets, with either combination expected to result in a major streaming and studio rival.

D’Amaro will also have to navigate political pressure from the .

In September, the company pulled “Jimmy Kimmel Live” after the host’s remarks about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk drew a threat from the communications regulator. It quickly reinstated the late-night show following backlash over the decision.

said in November that licenses used by affiliates of Disney-owned ABC should be “taken away” after a reporter for the network questioned him about the Jeffrey Epstein political scandal.

Disney has set D’Amaro’s annual base salary at $2.5 million, and he will receive a long-term incentive award with a target value of $26.3 million each fiscal year.

(Reporting by Aditya Soni in Bengaluru; additional reporting by Harshita Varghese; Editing by Arun Koyyur and Anil D’Silva)

 

Henrico-based Arko launches IPO of petroleum subsidiary, seeks up to $910M

Arko is seeking a valuation of as much as $910 million in its U.S. initial public offering, the company said Tuesday, the latest to test the waters in a strong listings market.

-based convenience store operator Arko filed a registration statement Dec. 19, 2025, with the for the of its subsidiary.

The IPO market has seen renewed momentum going into 2026, as pent-up demand from a government shutdown last fall and strong investor appetite encourage more firms to go public.

Solar and battery storage firm SOLV said last week it is targeting a valuation of as much as $4.99 billion in its IPO.

Investors have piled into new listings this year, with Brazilian fintech firm PicPay and satellite company York Space Systems seeing robust market debuts.

expects to raise up to $210 million in the offering by selling 10.5 million shares in a price range of $18 to $20 apiece, according to an amendment to the registration form filed Tuesday.

The company has applied to list on the Nasdaq exchange under the symbol “APC.”

Arko Petroleum’s  business will include the operations of Arko’s wholesale, fleet fueling and a segment that supplies fuel to Arko and wholesale sites.

It reported a decline in nine-month revenue to $4.27 billion in its filing, compared with $4.92 billion a year ago.

Virginia Business Associate Editor Beth JoJack contributed to this report. 

Global stock index edges down, silver and oil extend losses

Summary

  • Silver plunged more than 5%, extending its biggest two-day drop in decades
  • fell over 4% on hopes of easing U.S.-Iran tensions
  • Dollar strengthened as investors assessed Fed outlook and earnings

NEW YORK/ LONDON, Feb 2 (Reuters) – MSCI’s global equities gauge edged lower on Monday, with providing a boost while the dollar rose and investors dealt with a deepening selloff in precious metals ahead of a week packed with corporate earnings, central bank meetings and major economic data.

Also on Monday, crude oil futures settled down more than 4% on hopes for a de-escalation of tensions between the U.S. and the OPEC member, while a stronger dollar and milder weather forecasts also weighed.

Trading in silver, which had hit a record high on Thursday, was choppy with the precious metal last down 5.56% at $79.92 an ounce after earlier falling as low as $71.33.

With Friday’s 27% rout, silver was headed for its biggest two-day loss since at least the 1980s.

Dealers said that pressure on a number of silver futures funds in China added to the rout late last week and it was exacerbated on Monday by CME Group raising margins on a number of futures contracts, including silver and gold.

PRECIOUS METALS SPIRAL DOWN

Spot gold, which had also touched a record high on Thursday, was down 3.85% at $4,676.28 an ounce. These losses followed a slump of almost 10% for the safe-haven metal on Friday.

“Gold and silver are on a rollercoaster ride and when you get to the top of the ‘lift hill’, gravity takes over and you are heading down,” said SP Angel analyst John Meyer.

U.S. equities shook off early losses to close the session higher, snapping a three-session selloff in the S&P 500, with help from positive news on funding.

The latest economic data showed that U.S. factory activity grew in January for the first time in a year, with new orders rebounding sharply, although U.S. ‘s import tariffs raised raw material prices and strained supply chains.

“The key thing that seemed to turn sentiment today is a pushback to focusing on fundamentals,” said Carol Schleif, chief market strategist at BMO Private Wealth in Minneapolis.

“The latest AI news headlines and the economic data this morning are supportive of strong growth.”

Schleif said investors will have “a whole lot of fundamentals to dig our teeth into” this week with earnings due from megacap companies including Alphabet and as well as chipmaker AMD.

DOW JONES, S&P 500, NASDAQ ALL GAIN

On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 515.19 points, or 1.05%, to 49,407.66, the S&P 500 rose 37.41 points, or 0.54%, to 6,976.44 and the Nasdaq Composite rose 130.29 points, or 0.56%, to 23,592.11.

MSCI’s gauge of stocks across the globe fell 0.49 points, or 0.05%, to 1,043.77. The pan-European STOXX 600 index closed up 1.03%, propelled by strong gains in financial and healthcare stocks, with about 30% of its constituents due to report earnings this week.

The European Central Bank and Bank of England convene on Thursday although neither is expected to make any changes to monetary policy. The Reserve Bank of Australia, which might even raise rates, also sets policy this week.

In currencies, the dollar strengthened broadly as precious metals sold off and investors assessed the outlook for U.S. interest rates after Trump nominated Kevin Warsh for Chair last week.

Warsh, who served as a Fed governor from 2006 to 2011, has recently advocated for lower rates but he has a more hawkish reputation from his last stint at the central bank.

“There is a slow-motion flight to safety underway across the currency markets, driven by last week’s implosion in the precious metals complex,” said Karl Schamotta, chief market strategist at Corpay in Toronto.

The , which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies including the yen and the euro, rose 0.37% to 97.59, with the euro down 0.47% at $1.1792.

Against the Japanese yen, the dollar strengthened 0.52% to 155.57.

Trump had said over the weekend that Iran was “seriously talking” with Washington and his remarks raised hopes the U.S. military may not strike the country.

Keeping pressure on oil prices, Iranian and U.S. officials told Reuters on Monday that the two countries will resume nuclear talks on Friday in Turkey. A regional diplomat said representatives from countries such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt would participate.

U.S. crude settled down 4.71%, or $3.07, at $62.14 a barrel. Brent settled at $66.30 per barrel, down 4.36%, or $3.02.

In Treasuries, traders also focused on Warsh’s Fed nomination as they estimated whether the former Fed Governor would revisit his more hawkish views or favor easier monetary policy, which Trump has been demanding from the U.S. central bank.

The yield on benchmark U.S. 10-year notes rose 4 basis points to 4.281%, from 4.241% late on Friday while the 30-year bond yield rose 4.2 basis points to 4.9138%.

The 2-year note yield, which typically moves in step with interest rate expectations for the Federal Reserve, rose 4.9 basis points to 3.576%, from 3.527% late on Friday.

In cryptocurrencies, bitcoin bitcoin gained 2.42% to $78,222.81. Ethereum rose 1.9% to $2,330.11.

(Reporting by Sinéad Carew, Anmol Choubey, Twesha Dikshit, Laura Matthews, Amanda Cooper, Wayne Cole; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarrise, Chizu Nomiyama, Mark Heinrich, Nick Zieminski and David Gregorio)

 

January jobs report delayed by partial government shutdown

WASHINGTON, Feb 2 (Reuters) – The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said on Monday the closely watched employment report for January will not be released on Friday because of a partial shutdown of the federal government.

“The release will be rescheduled upon the resumption of government funding,” said Emily Liddel, associate commissioner at the BLS, in a statement to Reuters.

The government partially shut down on Saturday after Congress failed to approve a deal to keep a wide swath of operations, including the Labor Department, funded. Though the U.S. Senate passed a spending package on Friday, the House of Representatives was out of town.

The House was due on Monday to take up legislation, with a final vote expected on Tuesday. House Speaker Mike Johnson has expressed optimism that the shutdown would end within days.

Unlike last year’s record 43-day shutdown, which caused an economic data blackout, the Commerce Department is funded until September 30 and its statistics agencies, the Bureau of Economic Analysis and Census Bureau will continue to release data. The two agencies are still catching up on data releases delayed by last year’s shutdown.

The current partial shutdown will also delay the BLS’ December Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey report due on Tuesday. The BLS had caught up on the employment and inflation data releases that were delayed by the previous shutdown. Economists worried the disruptions could jeopardize the quality of data, considered the gold standard.

Last year’s shutdown resulted in no unemployment rate being published for October and big chunks of the Consumer Price Index report were missing, injecting volatility in November’s reports. The latest shutdown, if it lasts longer than the envisaged few days, could further strain resources at the BLS.

“BLS will work very hard to make sure that quality is preserved, and I think what will happen,” said Erica Groshen, a former BLS Commissioner. “The staff is already under extreme pressure, because in the fall BLS staffing was down about 25% and we know that 39% of the positions are vacant, and the hiring freeze is still in place.”

(Reporting by Lucia Mutikani and Doina Chiacu; editing by Diane Craft)

 

Amazon to close five Virginia stores, cut nearly 700 jobs

Summary:

  • Five stores in County, and are closing in April, impacting 691 workers
  • Last week, announced 16,000 mostly corporate coming nationwide, but Arlington official says no major impact expected at HQ2
  • Some grocery stores will be converted to Whole Foods Markets

Amazon plans to shutter five Northern Virginia grocery stores, laying off about 700 employees beginning April 27, according to a notice to the state dated Jan. 28.

The company announced last week it plans to close its Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh physical stores and convert a number of those locations into stores.

The Northern Virginia facilities slated for closure are located at 10360 Fairfax Blvd. in Fairfax; 7005 Manchester Blvd. in Franconia; 9409 Market St. in Lorton; 3801 Highway in Alexandria; and 5811 Crossroads Center Way in Falls Church, according to the notice, which was sent in compliance with the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act.

About 124 workers each will lose their jobs in Franconia and Fairfax. Falls Church has about 134 affected employees, while Lorton has about 144. Alexandria has about 165 employees affected.

The Amazon Fresh banner — known for allowing customers to skip the checkout line when picking up groceries at brick-and-mortar stores — will continue to operate online in available areas, the company said.

The move is part of Amazon’s plan to open more than 100 new Whole Foods stores over the next few years as it bets on the upmarket grocery brand to help it better compete with retailers such as Walmart and Kroger, as well as delivery services like Instacart.

Last week, Amazon confirmed 16,000 corporate job cuts, in addition to the closing of its stores. The cuts are part of a broader goal under CEO Andy Jassy, who has been trying to reduce bureaucracy and abandon underperforming businesses.

In a statement Monday, Arlington County Board Chair Matt de Ferranti said that, based on preliminary conversations with Amazon, the recently announced 16,000 corporate layoffs are unlikely to affect a significant number of employees at Amazon’s HQ2 in Arlington. He noted the company is one of Arlington’s largest employers, with more than 8,000 employees at its MetPark campus.

“If local workers are affected by layoffs, Arlington offers support through the Arlington Employment Center, which provides services to job seekers,” he said.

The Amazon Fresh stores in Fairfax and Lorton opened in 2022. The one in Franconia opened May 27, 2021. Alexandria’s and Falls Church’s Amazon Fresh stores opened in 2024.

The WARN Act requires 60 days of advance notice, but Amazon is providing at least 90 days of notice. Employees who are not represented by a union can accept internal transfer opportunities, Amazon stated in the letter to the state.

The bulk of the jobs are store associate positions.

In March 2025, Amazon closed an Amazon Fresh store at 7807 Sudley Road in Manassas, impacting about 90 workers, according to a state notice.

Reuters and Virginia Business Associate Editor Josh Janney contributed to this report. 

Swedish Match, Bear Express announce closings in Virginia

Summary:

Swedish Match, a subsidiary owned by Philip Morris International, is closing its Richmond office and laying off 135 workers April 17, according to a letter to the state.

Also announced this week is the closure of two facilities in Norfolk and Virginia Beach, with 168 workers impacted. These are expected to be completed by April 1, according to a letter from Bear Express President Matthew Poulos.

Thomas G. Hayes, president of Swedish Match North America, sent a letter last week notifying Virginia Works of the imminent closure of its 1021 E. Cary St. office in downtown Richmond, part of a larger restructuring of PMI.

PMI said the closing of the office is related to changes in its U.S. geographical footprint “to position our smoke-free business for continued growth and scale. Centralizing key capabilities and functions in strategic location hubs will help us operate with greater speed, agility and consumer focus,” according to a statement Monday.

“As part of this change, we will close our office in Richmond in the coming months as we align around our new smoke-free business geographical footprint strategy. Richmond has a long history and deep connection to our organization. This decision was not made lightly, and we recognize the impact it will have on our employees and the local community,” the corporation said. “Most of the 134 employees in Richmond are being offered the opportunity to relocate to a location aligned with their role and function. Our priority is to support our team members through this transition with respect and care.”

A multinational company headquartered in Stockholm, Swedish Match AB was purchased by PMI in 2022. It produces nicotine pouches, chewing tobacco, cigars and other products, and employs about 1,300 people in the United States.

According to Hayes’ letter, employees of PMI subsidiaries and affiliates Triaga , PMI Global Services Unit, Swedish Match Cigars, Swedish Match North America and Pinkerton Tobacco Co. are impacted. None of the employees are represented by a union, the letter says.

The two Bear Express facilities closing are at 1400 Sewells Point Road in Norfolk and 2097 Harpers Road in Virginia Beach, with 157 drivers losing their jobs. Poulos declined to comment Monday. Bear Express is based in Ocean City, Maryland, and has had an delivery contract in Hampton Roads.

In November 2025, Connecticut-based Philip Morris International — a competitor of Henrico County-based Altria Group’s Philip Morris USA — announced it planned to restructure in 2026 during its third-quarter financial report. According to the company, it will have two main business units, PMI International and PMI U.S., along with Aspeya, its wellness business. PMI plans to focus on expanding smoke-free tobacco products.

With its $16 billion purchase of Swedish Match in 2022, PMI became the owner of Zyn nicotine pouches, a successful smoke-free product.

Dominion’s offshore wind price tag rises to $11.5B

Dominion ‘s () project off ‘s coast just got more expensive, increasing by $300 million.

According to a Jan. 30 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the increase is tied to additional estimated costs associated with tariffs and a December 2025 stop-work order by the .

“Estimated total project costs for CVOW, inclusive of contingency and excluding financing costs, have increased from approximately $11.2 billion to approximately $11.5 billion,” the filing said.

The U.S. in December 2025 issued stop-work orders on five East Coast offshore wind projects already underway, including CVOW. This action led the to sue the federal government. A federal judge on Jan. 16 ruled that Dominion could continue work on CVOW while the utility pursues its legal challenge in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Once operational, CVOW will consist of 176 wind turbines generating up to 9.5 million megawatt-hours per year, or enough energy to power up to 660,000 homes.

In the filing, Dominion said CVOW will begin delivering power to the grid during the first quarter of 2026, with the entire project expected to be completed in early 2027. That completion date is slightly later than the late 2026 estimate a Dominion spokesperson gave in fall 2025.

According to the filing, the offshore wind farm is now 71% complete. Dominion said that $9.3 billion has already been invested in the project as of Dec. 31, 2025, and estimates there are remaining costs of $2.2 billion, of which $1.2 billion will be funded by the Fortune 500 utility.

Last week, Dominion said that its crews installed the project’s first offshore wind tower. According to the filing, future steps for CVOW will include installing a third offshore substation, completing the installation of transition pieces, completing scour protection and cable installation, and installing and commissioning wind turbine generators.

The 2026 Virginia Black Business Leaders Awards

From rebuilding communities in the post–Jim Crow era to leading Fortune 500 companies and public institutions today, Black business leaders have played a central role in shaping Virginia’s modern economy. Today, they are driving growth, innovation and opportunity across the commonwealth — leading major corporations, expanding small businesses, strengthening public institutions and driving progress across industries.

Virginia Business is proud to continue honoring that legacy for the fourth year with our 2026 Virginia Black Business Leaders Awards. This year’s 29 honorees — nominated by our readers and editors — represent a wide range of fields, including health care, finance, energy and professional services, and are recognized for their career achievements, community impact and commitment to mentorship.

Additionally, Virginia Business has named Jonathan P. Harmon, chairman of the powerful law firm McGuireWoods, and Rita McClenny, longtime leader of the Virginia Tourism Corp., to our Virginia Black Business Leaders Hall of Fame, recognizing their enduring influence on Virginia’s business community.

In the pages that follow, our honorees share their stories in their own words — from early career lessons to the ways they continue to give back.

Virginia Black Business Leaders Hall of Fame

2026 Virginia Black Business Leaders Awards: STARLENA S. THOMAS

RMT Construction began in 2003 as a small masonry firm founded by Thomas and her husband, Warren. As they established a roster of clients, requests for additional services pushed the company to evolve into a full-service general contractor and construction management firm in 2007.

When work dried up during the Great Recession, RMT pursued public sector construction opportunities, including smaller projects, which allowed the company to thrive while others floundered. By 2017, the firm had outgrown two offices.

Today, RMT’s portfolio includes commercial, industrial, corporate, , hospitality, government, , multifamily and education clientele. In 2024, RMT partnered with Breeden Construction on a $40 million parking deck at the University of Virginia. That year, the general contracting and construction management firm reported $22 million in revenue.

A behind-the-scenes force who oversees RMT’s financial operations and strategy as well as human resources, Thomas is a agent with a background in finance and business management who graduated from Liberty University.

A passionate supporter of women and minorities in business, she is a member of the National Association of Women in Construction and Commercial Real Estate Women and mentors other leaders at small, women-owned and minority-owned businesses.

Thomas has spoken at the Metropolitan Business League’s Women in Construction Luncheon Summit in Herndon. She has also represented RMT at SWaMfest, a networking and educational event for SWaM-certified businesses held in .