| The mission of the Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council is to significantly increase business relationships between our corporate members and our certified MBEs. We believe that minority business development is a key component of reducing poverty, unemployment, increasing wealth, and integrating American society. You are receiving this email in order to keep you abreast of developments with the Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council, Supplier Diversity Issues and Minority Business Development. If you like what you read please share internally and externally. |
| It is Time to Submit Your Nominations!
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| As we close out the old and bring in the new, it is time for MBEs and corporate members to nominate outstanding MBEs, corporate buyers, supplier diversity advocates, and corporations for award recognitions that will be presented at the 2011 GNEMSDC Awards Gala on Thursday, April 28, 2011 at the Aqua Turf in Southington, CT. Each year, at our Annual Awards Banquet, the Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc. (GNEMSDC) recognizes those certified minority suppliers (MBEs) who have distinguished themselves and their businesses by: Successfully demonstrating growth in sales and employment while overcoming significant obstacles; Consistently providing high quality products and services at competitive prices and offering innovative approaches and cost saving ideas: Continuously growing MBE to MBE purchases; and Significantly contributing to the growth and development of society and their community. All corporate members are invited to nominate MBEs in each of the following categories:
By the end of the first week of 2011 all corporate members will receive a form that should be completed by January 31, 2011 with the names of their nominees. Give the office a call if you have any questions about the appropriate category of your nominees. The important thing is to get your nominees in. MBEs will also be making nominations for the following awards:
By visiting our website and clicking on Corporte Members, you can see which GNEMSDC corporate members are National Corporate Members and which are Local Corporate Members.
Certified MBEs will be provided with nomination forms in the first week of 2011 in an email attachment. We are requesting that the nominations by MBEs also be back by January 31, 2011. The staff is here to assist MBEs with any questions they have about the process or the categories.
It is appropriate for companies, corporate representatives and MBEs to ask their supporters to consider nominating them for these prestigious awards. Although you cannot nominate yourself, sometimes you have to toot your own horn with a gentle reminder to your friends who you have supported throughout the year.
This is going to be wonderful event. We are looking forward to having Rev. Jessie Jackson as our Keynote Speaker. On line registration for this event will be open next week. We encourage you to purchase your tickets early. |
| Rhode Island Regional Advisory Committee to Host Reception Feb.9
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| All Are Welcome to Attend Event at Providence Marriott |
| The GNEMSDC, Rhode Island Regional Advisory Committee (RAC) is hosting its first business reception on February 9 at the Providence Marriott from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM. Invited guests include all RI based corporate members, all certified RI based MBEs and we have invited prospective corporate members and MBEs as well as the political leadership in the region. Providence elected its first Hispanic Mayor in November, Angel Taveras (pictured above). We will be reaching out to him in the hope of having him drop by for introductions. Even if you are not based in RI, you are welcome to join us for this event. Call the office (888-874-7114) to let us know if you are interested in attending. There will be food and drinks and the event is FREE! |
| Capital and Minority Business Development Event March 3 |
| Full Day Summit at Federal Reserve Bank of Boston |
| The GNEMSDC is holding its first "Capital and Minority Business Capacity Summit" at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston on March 3 from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The summit will bring together high profile leaders in private equity, public finance, venture capital, investment banking and commercial banking and minority businesses. One of the long term problems of minority business development has been access to capital. This event hopes to solve not only problems of information about MBEs and sources of capital; this event hopes to establish strong and lasting relationships between MBEs seeking capital and organizations with capital.
We already have several outstanding speakers confirmed for the event. Here is the outline for the day:
Preliminary Agenda 8:30 to 9:00 Registration 9:00 to 9:30 Opening Remarks: Continental Breakfast 9:30 to 10:45 Panel Discussion 1: Public Sector Investments in MBE Capacity Building 10:45 to 12:00 Panel Discussion 2: The Roll of Private Equity Firms, Venture Capitalists 12:00 to 1:00 Lunch: Keynote Speaker TBA 1:30 to 2:45 Panel Discussion 3: Effective Relationships with Funding Sources - Commercial Banks 2:45 to 4:00 Panel Discussion 4: Case Studies: the MBE's Perspective 4:00 to 4:15 Closing Remarks
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| CT Lottery Update |
| This past week was a very eventful one. Last Thursday, I met with Governor Dannel Malloy's Chief of Staff, Tim Bannon and discussed the issue of CT State law regarding the State's supplier diversity program. I have to report that this meeting accomplished the task of getting preliminary support from the Governor's office that the existing law does not accomplish the intention of the law which is to ensure MBE participation on state contracts.
In addition I was interviewed by the Hartford Business Journal http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/news16388.html and WSHU/NPR by Ebong Edoma http://www.wshu.org/news/ . Both the article and the interview were released on Monday, January 17.
Also, very importantly State Representative Gary Holder-Winfield of New Haven has introduced legislation that will establish separate goals for MBEs as distinct from WBEs. All in all it was a good week and we look forward to more positive developments. We will keep you posted. |
| And finally, |
| Tactics and strategies are an important part in the determination of business or political success. In fact, you can go even further and state that they are critical determinants of survival. I heard a report not too long ago on NPR saying that research now shows that while the early bird gets the worm, it is not necessarily the case that it is the early bird that survives. In a study of robins, it was found that dominant robins eat later in the day so that they can better survive the night. while less dominant robins have to eat early in the hopes of avoiding predators or the more dominant robins. "Say it ain't so." I thought about this for a while and could not help but focus on the fact that all my life I was a believer in the Benjamin Franklin credo, that early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy wealthy and wise. And all the while, my friends who partied late into the morning, having quite a bit of fun I imagine, and sleeping into the early afternoon were, based on this study of robins, perhaps pursuing a superior strategy. I am still thinking about this and have not concluded whether dominant humans eat late in order to stay up late, or go to bed early and eat early. I wonder what your story is. Maybe it is not too late to burn the midnight oil.
In your service |
