2M Research Services, LLC

2M Research gets its name from the husband and wife pair, Dr. Marcus Martin and Dr. Eddilisa Martin, that first met on a plane and were engaged 30 days later. They’ve been together for 19 years now. These academics-turned-entrepreneurs explain that the creation of the business was intentional, not accidental. The two worked for 8 months on a business plan, understanding that “strategy is just as important as everything else.” They started with intellectual capital and a strong network and asked themselves what they could to with it. The resulting company is 2M Research, a research and advisory firm focused on providing federal, state, and local government agencies, commercial clients, and nonprofit organizations with objective and rigorous research, program evaluation, and policy analysis consulting services. Since being awarded its first federal prime contract in November 2013, 2M has successfully been awarded prime contracts in 18 federal agencies. Along the way they’ve discovered a unique ability to both find hidden talent in the local workforce and attract those with advanced degrees. Marcus’s goal is to make 2M an employee-owned firm in the next 4-5 years. Marcus and Eddilisa believe entrepreneurship is an answer for social problems, but that “we need to make sure the capability and option is there because the odds are so often stacked against people in these communities.”