In many ways, Diala Jawhary’s entrepreneurial journey began decades before she started on the path to business ownership. Established in 2021, Jawhary’s business, A & D Solutions, is a management consulting firm that helps businesses and agencies support their work of climate stewardship and environmental justice—but her vision for ensuring that organizations achieve their development and sustainability goals with authentic inclusion of frontline communities started during her work in international community development.
Now, with A & D Solutions, Jawhary supports this vision for large agencies through contract project management in areas like community outreach, stakeholder engagement, grant and report writing, research and more. Working with a procurement counselor at the California Capital APEX Accelerator, Jawhary has built a network of clients and collaborators that allow her to work towards a vision of sustainability and resilience.
Listening to Communities
After earning her master’s degree in environment and resource studies, Jawhary began working for large agencies charged with building sustainable projects in underdeveloped communities—and she noticed a marked disconnect between the work that was reported and the work that was undertaken. “I noticed that there is always a way to present things in a way where it’s not actually what is happening on the ground,” says Jawhary, reflecting on the illuminating early years of her career. “There was no listening to the communities – the projects were just meant to check boxes.”
Working in conflict areas and with groups sensitive to local corruption, civil war, and distrust of institutions, Jawhary wanted to know what caused this gap, knowing that the aid workers in the field had the best intentions. “I noticed that the communities opened up to me and told me things they wouldn’t tell others, and worked with me when they wouldn’t work with others,” she explains. “Because I was transparent and actually listened and treated them like real partners in reaching the common good.”
In this way, Jawhary developed her philosophy that projects meant to benefit communities must be led by the priorities of those communities, and solidified her belief that approaches to environmental sustainability must be holistically grounded in community impact.
From Philosophy to Practice
In 2021, when she was ready to reenter the workforce after several years as a stay-at-home mother, Jawhary explored her options for putting her skillset to use. With her educational background, experience in the field, and natural ability to build connections, creating a consultancy that would allow her to reach multiple agencies and organizations felt like a natural choice. “I always had my way of doing things that didn’t always line up with what happens with larger orgs,” she explains. “I didn’t want to go to a company and have to convince them of my way. So, I thought, ‘Why don’t I start my own thing?’”.
From this vision, A & D Solutions was launched, and Jawhary put her passion for environmental social governance into action. After attaining the certifications necessary to contract with entities like Caltrans, the State of California, and the California Public Utilities Commission, Jawhary connected with the California Capital APEX Accelerator. Part of a national program under management of the Department of Defense Office of Small Business Programs, the APEX Accelerator helps businesses prepare for, pursue, and perform on contracts with government agencies. For Jawhary, this meant mentorship, networking, and encouragement.
Jawhary was matched with procurement counselor Alex McCracken, and the pair got to work immediately. Because Jawhary had already self-certified, McCracken began by helping her refine her offerings, access educational opportunities, and respond to requests for proposal.
“[My counselor] was able to engage me at the level I was at rather than treating me like a computer. She made it customized and personalized,” says Jawhary, reflecting on how working with a counselor led her to opportunities she did not foresee. “She would tell me what research to do, but she also went beyond that and introduced me to other businesses that she thought would be good partners for the proposals I was submitting.”
A Bright Future Grounded in Partnership
As an entrepreneur new to the consulting field, these partnerships were key in helping Jawhary land some of her first contracts. With this network of support, Jawhary has brought her grant writing, community engagement, and end-to-end project management services to clients including the California State University system, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the State of California Coastal Conservancy.
Looking ahead to the future of A & D Solutions, Jawhary hopes to continue educating agencies and corporations about the importance of environmental social governance that fit the criteria for citizen engagement and sustainability.
“We need meaningful engagement of all stakeholders, and not just checking the box,” she says when envisioning how she can scale the impact of A & D Solutions. “I believe this is the only way forward with the problems we’re facing—we need the whole community to be partners.”
