March 5, 2012

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.  Great News!  GNEMSDC to Offer Full Scholarships for MBE Education  The GNEMSDC is proud to announce that we will offer four (4) locally certified MBEs who have been certified for at least 3 consecutive years by the GNEMSDC with full scholarships to either Kellogg or Tuck.  This offer is for the owners only, employees who are not owners of MBE firms are not eligible for this offer.  If you are interested please contact the office immediately.  Awards will be announced at the April 26 Awards Gala.  All applicants need to have their applications in by March 9. "Advanced Management Education Program" this year is from June 3 through 7 at the Kellogg School of Management in Evanston, IL.   The Tuck School of Business  "Building a High Performing Minority Business Program"will run from May 6 through May 11.    Tuck is located in Hanover, NH.  Certified MBEs are encouraged to attend both of these programs.  The GNEMSDC will support 4 full scholarships and 3 half scholarships of the cost of tuition for any certified MBE wishing to attend.  Click here for the GNEMSDC Scholarship Application.  Application deadline is March 9, 2012. Our goal is for every certified MBE to have gone through at least one of these excellent program  2nd Annual Capital and Minority Business Capacity Building Summit  - March 27, 2012 MBEs and Corporations and Financial Institutions are invited to attend the 2nd Annual MBE Capital Summit hosted by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, on Tuesday, March 27 from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM (401 Park Drive, Boston, MA). This year our keynote speaker is the  Massachusetts Commonwealth Treasurer Steve Grossman.    We are getting great responses from MBEs and corporate members from around the country for the 2nd Annual Capital and Minority Business Capacity Building Summit.  We are also happy to announce that because of the generous support of our sponsors, the event is FREE!  If you are interested in attending this high powered meeting of leaders from business, finance politics, policy and the media, call the office to reserve your seat.  Because of space constraints we are limiting attendance to two persons per company.  Last year we had 250 attendees at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.  This year we have room for 150 attendees.  Summit Agenda and Program Overview To register and reserve your seats for this event please email: sjames@gnemsdc.org   Event Sponsors are:  State Street Financial, Liberty Mutual, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Bank of America, The Boston Foundation and Partners Healthcare Capital Summit Public Service Announcement Annual Award Gala - April 26, 2012    GNEMSDC Annual Awards Gala on April 28 at the Aqua Turf in Southington, CT. This event will start at 4:00 pm with our Annual Meeting, followed by a cocktail reception starting at 5:00 pm. Dinner & the award presentations will begin at 6:30 pm.  {Please click below link for Sponsorship, Hotel information, and Directions} 2012 GNEMSDC Annual Award Gala Co-Chair are Carlton Highsmith and Jennifer Jackson, President/CEO of CHA (Ct Hospital Association) Carlton Highsmith Chairman of the Board, Connecticut Center for Arts & Technology. Carlton has led the expansion into Connecticut of McArthur Genius Award winner Bill Strickland's replication model for adult training and after school student arts programming. Known locally as the Connecticut Center for Arts & Technology (ConnCAT), the Center is located in Science Park at Yale in New Haven and has become Strickland's fifth replication Center in the nation, joining San Francisco, Grand Rapids, Cincinnati and Cleveland.  Vice Chairman, SPG PaperWorks, a portfolio company of Sun Capital Partners. In 2009 orchestrated a successful merger of Specialized Packaging Group with Paperworks to form the 3rd largest integrated paperboard packaging company in North America. Carlton served as Vice Chairman of the merged company until his retirement in April 2010.  Carlton was founder, chairman, president and chief executive officer of The Specialized Packaging Group, Inc (SPG) from 1983 until 2009. Jennifer Jackson  Jennifer Jackson is CHA's President and Chief Executive Officer and is responsible for the operation and management of the Association and its affiliated organizations.  Prior to being named CEO in 2000, Jennifer served as CHA's General Counsel and Vice President of Clinical Services. Before joining CHA in 1988, she held various positions in hospital nursing, nursing administration, and insurance medical management.  Jennifer holds a bachelor of science in Nursing from the University of Delaware, a master of business administration from the University of New Haven, and a juris doctorate from the University of Connecticut School of Law. Registration Information for Non-Annual Sponsors In order to register for the GNEMSDC Awards Gala you will need to register with the GNEMSDC site {Please click below link for instruction "how to register online}. Annual Sponsors- please do not register online, email all information to gnemsdc@gnemsdc.org Non-Annual Sponsors "how to Register for the Awards Gala online", sponsorship information, Hotel Information, and Directions to Aqua Turf   If you have questions about the portal's features or are having problems, please give Tatiana a call, (203) 288-9744.  ***Volunteer opportunity available - Contact Volunteer Coordinator  (before March 15)***    GNEMSDC Annual Sponsorship Last call for MBEs and Corporate Members to sign up as 2012 Annual Sponsors.  We work hard trying to increase opportunities for you and all of our MBEs.  Your assistance would make us more effective at this.  The Annual Sponsorship package is the most cost effective way to participate in our programs and activities.  Attached are the levels of sponsorships and the benefits.  Think of us as part of your sales and marketing team and compare what it would cost for you to generate the leads to what it would cost to pay a consultant or employee.  We think this is an excellent value.  If you are interested in becoming an Annual Sponsor please fill out the attached form and send back to our CT office.  If you have any questions please contact Tatiana Paredes (203-288-9744 or tparedes@gnemsdc.org)   GNEMSDC Corporate Annual Sponsorship Application and MBE Annual Sponsorship Application New GNEMSDC Corporate Member   - The Boston Foundation   On behalf of the GNEMSDC Board of Directors, I welcome the Boston Foundation  as a new corporate member of the GNEMSDC.    Founded in 1915, the Boston Foundation, Greater Boston's community foundation, is one of the oldest and largest community foundations in the nation.  The Foundation and its donors make more than $80 million in grants every year.  Our donors meet their own philanthropic goals, while adding to the Foundation's overall strength.  The Foundation also plays a major civic leadership role for our region through publishing fresh research, convening people to discuss our region's challenges and creating powerful agendas for change.  We look forward to working with the Boston Foundation!     MBE Showcase - J & J Contractors, Inc. This week we feature J & J Contractors, Inc. J&J Contractors, Inc. is a design/build, construction management, and general contracting firm based in historic Downtown Lowell, Massachusetts. J&J enjoys a solid record of excellent performance in a variety of public and private projects from small renovations to new construction over $75 Million. Since its inception in 1997, J&J has performed numerous projects for the Federal Government, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Private Clients, and Local Municipalities. J&J has a successful track record in completing such projects ahead of schedule and within budget. The determination, loyalty, and dreams of the original employees has allowed J&J to forge ahead, growing at every step. J&J has fueled its growth with the addition of talented professionals in the field and our corporate office Learn more...   Events That MBEs Should Not Miss   There are several events coming up on our calendar that are designed specifically for MBEs to learn about corporate opportunities.  We know how busy everyone's schedule is, but these are events often hosted by our corporate members with the expressed purpose of finding out more about you and your business with the ultimate aim, to make you a valuable supplier to their companies.  Here are some events you should consider: 2012 Upcoming Events East West Bank Tax Seminar on March 6, 5 p.m. Next Street, Insight Series: MassDOT - An engaging 3-day workshop for M/W/SBEs to grow their horizontal construction business opportunities: Series One: March 1, 15, and 29 or Series Two: March 7, 21, and 29 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM Transportation Building * 10 Park Plaza * Boston, MA 02116 March 16 - How to do business with Northeast Utilities - 107 Selden Street, Berlin, CT 06037 Time: 9:00 am - noon. To RSVP for this event email jclarke@gnemsdc.org March 19 - How to do business with Mass Port -  Hilton Boston Logan Airport, One Hotel Drive, Boston, MA 02128 from 1:00 pm- 5:00 pm.  To register please email massportmeansbusiness@massport.com. The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development's 26th Annual Reservation Economic Summit (REC), February 27-March 1, 2012.  More information visitwww.ncaied.org March 26 - How to do business with PepsiCo - this event will be held at their facility located at 700 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, NY 10577 from 8:30 am - 1:00 pm.  Registration is required to attend and space is limited.  Please fill out the attached registration form & email it back to jclarke@gnemsdc.org.  MBEs must register by February 29, 2012.  This event is an excellent opportunity to learn about PepsiCo's sourcing process and meet internal and external stakeholders March 27 - Blue Cross Blue Shield of MA - 2nd Annual Capital Summit featuring MA Commonwealth Treasurer Steve Grossman. For more details see the updated calendar below for times locations and directions.  April 26 - SAVE THE DATE- GNEMSDC Annual Awards Gala- Aqua Turf Country Club, 556 Mulberry Street, Plantsville, CT. This event will start at 4:00 pm with our Annual Meeting, followed by a cocktail reception starting at 5:00 pm. Dinner & the award presentations will begin at 6:30 pm. May 15 - The Pitney Bowes Supplier Diversity Summit is a business networking event that increases awareness, builds business relationships, and educates stakeholders on the benefits and value of supplier diversity.  The Summit also provides the opportunity for diverse business owners to share capabilities with decision makers. May 15, 8 am to 3 pm   June 7 -  2012 New England Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Day Conference & Expo!  at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center Disney Opportunity  The Walt Disney Company will host its 4th Supplier Diversity Showcase in conjunction with the NAB Expo this year in Las Vegas.  We are partnering with the NAB Education Foundation to make this event happen.  This showcase provides a unique opportunity for women and minority owned businesses to highlight their capabilities to Disney, ABC, and ESPN decision makers.  The showcase will be held at the Las Vegas Hotel and Casino (formally The Las Vegas Hilton) on Monday, April 16, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., immediately following the trade show floor closing.   The deadline is March 16 to register for this event. Suppliers in the categories below should complete the profile for consideration using this link: Disney Supplier Diversity Supplier Profile Production & Post Production:  Technology product and services related to the production and post production workflows. OEM / Reseller & Systems Integration:  Original equipment manufacturer or reseller as well as broadcast and / or IT systems integration. IT Applications / Infrastructure:  storage, data management, data integration, data warehousing, business intelligence and customer relationship management (CRM), etc. (not Staffing) NMSDC/GNEMSDC Information   Please take a close look at the information listed below.  The links will take you to detailed information.    State of CT, Job Expansion Tax Credit Program (JET)  A Quick Guide to QuickBooks; 12 Advanced Features You Should Be Using  Boston Business Journal honors your picks for 2012's 'Most Admired' executives, brands and companies  Comcast to start new minority-owned cable channels Hartford Business Journal article by Dr Fred, "$25 billion is not enough to fix mortgage mess"  Test of a True Entrepreneur: Can You Step Away? Tax Calendar for Businesses and Self-Employed SBA Final Rule Increases Size Standards, Expands Eligibility for Small Business Programs  Image Maker of Boston sponsor by University of Massachusetts Boston on February 29, 2012, 5:30-8 pm; UMASS Campus Center PSEG's March 7th 2012; Supplier Diversity Procurement Fair - No Charge To Participate! 8:30 a.m. - Noon, PSEG Newark Headquarters   Small Business Development Center - 365 To Export course brochure, and more information Bay State Banner article by Dr Fred on Bain Capital, private equity and capitalism  "The Leadership & Organization Development Journal" by Ronald S McMullen & Henry Adobor; The authors are two professors of business at Quinnipiac University.  Dr Fred was the subject of the article on effective leadership in a collaborative organization.   Opportunities with Corporate Members Town of Bloomfield RFP for Professional Consulting Service Contracting opportunity - Bid #CDB257123, Due March 7, 11 a.m.  Institute for a Sustainable Economy, is in need of hiring a union contractor for installation of electrical and water meters.  Please contact Crystal Johnson, Managing DirectorNISE! / National Institute for a Sustainable Economy LLC (617) 416-4915  The 2012 Petrochemical & Energy Industry Procurement Connection Forum is taking place on March 14-15 in Houston TX. The event is sponsored by BP, Chevron, Citgo, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, Marathon, Shell, GE Energy, Halliburton and Turner Industries.   Suppliers are encouraged to visit www.possiblemissions.com.  This event is targeting certified minority and women owned businesses and small businesses.  Once on the website they will need a password to register.  They can call the office for the password 2012 New England Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Day Conference & Expo  Save the Date for the 2012 New England Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Day Conference & Expo! June 7, 2012 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center MED Day is the premier event for minority enterprises and the public and private sectors. MED Day will offer the opportunity for MBEs to access information, tools and resources to grow their businesses both domestically and internationally. MBEs across a variety of industries will gather to connect with public and private sector buyers, explore avenues for business expansion, and develop thriving partnerships with firms across multiple industry sectors. Large corporations can expect to meet Small Disadvantaged Businesses (SDBs) and MBEs to achieve their federal government goals. This conference will also introduce the new U.S. Department of Commerce's Boston Minority Business Development Center, a powerful tool for MBEs who want to grow. Attendees can expect networking, business-to-business matchmaking sessions with corporate procurement officials and capital providers and workshops

And Finally... I just finished the book Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. The book is the story of Tarahumara people who are known for their long distance running abilities.  It is not uncommon for Tarahumara men or women to run 30 to 50 miles in a single day in some of the most inhospitable and wildest country in Mexico.  McDougall in the course of studying these beautifully unique people also enters the Western world of ultra marathoning, races of 50 miles to over 100 miles in length.  As someone who has started and completed four marathons, I am in awe of any runner who can compete at this distance, let alone a distance 2 to 4 times the length of a marathon.  The book is also the story of how humans were born to run these distances in order to survive as a species.    The story takes McDougall to South Africa where he finds a small group of Kalahari tribesman who literally run down their dinner after chasing their prey until that prey is physically exhausted.  These hunts last for 35 to 80 miles all on foot, and often at a good pace.  This is quite a story of not only endurance and will, but a story of perseverance and the ability to deal with physical and mental stress.  This story is itself a metaphor for the successful minority business.  In order to be successful in business, you have to be prepared for a long hunt that utilizes all of your senses and resources.  Survival demands it.  Successful runners and business owners also know, and are not deterred by the inevitable obstacles they are sure to confront.  So if you want, or need some inspiration, try this book.  If this book is not enough to inspire you, why not try to run a 50 mile race?  After all, we are born to run. In your service, Dr. Fred