| GNEMSDC Advanced Leadership Program (GALP) Professors |
 Professor Olav Sorenson is the Frederick Frank '54 and Mary C. Tanner Chair Professor of Management at the Yale School of Management. Professor Sorenson is leading off the GNEMSDC Advanced Leadership Program on Friday, October 4 at the GNEMSDC offices in Bridgeport, CT. Professor Sorenson will talk about the importance of marketing positioning as a strategy for success. This topic is very important for MBEs who are trying to become "top of mind" for corporate procurement executives. How many of our readers started their companies with a good idea based on a variation of someone else's great idea. This might get you some success, but it will not help you make profits that can sustain you. Strategy and positioning is all about how you fit in the market in ways that help you maximize your goals. This session is the first of five in the series. Professor Sorenson has taught at UCLA School of Management, the University of Chicago School of Management and the London School of Economics.  Jeffrey Fox, Best Selling New York Times and Wall Street Journal author, (How to Become Rainmaker and How to Become a Fierce Competitor)For over 25 years, Jeffrey Fox has been helping clients grow revenues and increase gross margins. Jeffrey is founder of Fox and Company, a management consulting firm that shows clients how to dollarize their value proposition to overcome the price objection and to shorten the sales cycle. Fox has written eleven best-selling business books that have been translated into over thirty languages. Jeff is the author of "How to Become CEO," which was on the NY Times, Business Week, Wall Street Journal, Knight-Ridder, Amazon.com, best seller lists. His books have been best sellers in France, Germany, Singapore, Hong Kong and Russia. His book, "How to Become a Rainmaker," was selected as one of the 100 best business books ever written. His "Dollarization Discipline" was selected as one off the top thirty business books of 2006. He is a popular speaker, appearing regularly before senior management groups and sales forces. Jeff is a graduate of Harvard Business School. Fox and Company is in Chester, Conn.  Professor Steven Rogers is a Senior Lecturer in General Management and teaches the Entrepreneurial Finance Immersion Experiences for Leadership Development (FIELD and Entrepreneurial Finance) course in the MBA program. A 1985 graduate of the school, Professor Rogers holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Williams College. Prior to teaching at HBS, Professor Rogers taught in the MBA program at the Kellogg School of Management in addition to Kellogg executive programs in the U.S., Toronto and Hong Kong, including the Northwestern University PhD program. He received the Outstanding Professor Award for the Executive Program 26 times.Before joining the Kellogg Faculty, he owned and operated two manufacturing firms and one retail operation. Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, Professor Rogers worked at Bain and Company Consulting firm, Cummins Engine Company and UNC Ventures, a venture capital firm. In 2000, he received the 'Bicentennial Medal for Distinguished Achievement' by an alum from Williams College. In 2005, he received the 'Bert King Award for Service' from the African American Student Union at Harvard Business School. In 2006, he was selected as one of the "100 Men Impacting Supplier Diversity." In 2009, Ebony Magazine named him one of the top 150 influential people in America. In 2011, he joined Chicago Mayor Emmanuel's Supplier Diversity Task Force.  Fred McKinney is the President and CEO of the Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council. The GNEMSDC's mission is to advance business opportunities for certified MBEs and connect them to corporate members. Prior to coming to the GNEMSDC, Dr. McKinney was a professor of business at the University of Connecticut School of Business where he taught economics, forecasting and entrepreneurship. Dr. McKinney has published three books on minority business development and has over 25 articles published on the subject of minority business development. Dr. McKinney served on the White House Council of Economic Advisors in 1978-79. Dr. McKinney has extensive board experience in the for-profit and non-profit sectors. Dr. McKinney received his Ph.D. in economics from Yale University.
Participants will receive a certificate signed by all professors in the program. This will be a valuable reminder of the time invested in this innovative program. Program Details
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Corporate Member of the Week: Connecticut Health Foundation
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Welcome to our new Corporate Member: Connecticut Health Foundation!
The Connecticut Health Foundation:
-Funds innovative programs and initiatives that change health systems to improve the health of all.
-Promotes policy change.
-Develops influential leaders who can champion health justice.
-Changes structures and opinions that contribute to health inequities.
-Elevates the voice of the consumer to ensure that the health care system reflects diverse consumer needs and preferences.
The mission of Connecticut Health Foundation:
Everyone deserves the opportunity for optimal health-regardless of race, background or income level. The Connecticut Health Foundation strives to improve the health and well being of people all across the state by using a systems change approach to unlock greater access to quality, affordable care, especially for populations of color and undeserved communities.
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MBE of the Week: Jantris Marketing Services
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 Founded in 1998 by Tricia Farin, Jantris Marketing Services is a group of creative, like-minded professionals that are dedicated to delivering beautiful and functional products. We've built our reputation on delivering world-class service, while keeping our process focused and simple. We love working with local businesses in our hometown of Newtown, CT, while always welcoming new relationships across the country.We'd like to think of ourselves as problem solvers. We know every client has a different set of requirements that must be met, which motivates us to custom-tailor professional products, unique to each and every project. |
Upcoming Events
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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:
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| MBEIC Meeting - October 8 |
 Tuesday October 8th 9:00am - 12:00pm at the GNEMSDC Office 333 State Street Bridgeport, CT
Please plan to join us on the 8th. If you have not visited the new GNEMSDC offices this will be a great time to do so and if you have not been there since the second building renovations were completed this will be your opportunity to do so.
We will plan to cover recent NMSDC announcements, preview the NMSDC trade fair in San Antonio and cover other major topics as we head into the 4th quarter of another year. Please rsvp to Gstiffler@thematletgroup.com to confirm your attendance. A reserved count is important to make sure we have properly allotted for the size room for our meetings. |
| Denise Nappier, Treasurer State of Connecticut to Speak at GNEMSDC Luncheon at The Hartford Club - October 16 |
Connecticut Treasurer Denise Nappier will be the lead panelist at a luncheon at The Hartford Club on Wednesday, October 16, Treasurer Nappier is a four-term Treasurer of the State of Connecticut and a leading proponent of public sector investors for corporate diversity. Treasurer Nappier will talk about her efforts to nudge corporations towards greater diversity by using the leverage and influence of the State's billion investment fund.
This luncheon is open to Corporate Members of the GNEMSDC and certified MBEs in financial services. The luncheon is free, but space is limited. We are asking our corporate members to see if there is interest by their CFOs and Treasurers to attend this informative and interesting luncheon. Please contact jclarke@gnemsdc.org if you are interested in attending. Space is limited. Additional Information |
| Celebrating Diversity in the Greater Bridgeport Business Community |
October 23, 2013 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
People's United Bank Lobby
850 Main Street, Bridgeport
Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres will be served
R.S.V.P.
We look forward to seeing you!
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Opportunities
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| FYI |
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And Finally...
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The current Federal shutdown is having a devastating impact on the economy and businesses large and small. I published an editorial in the Hartford Business Journal on Friday, October 4 that addresses the economic implications of this irresponsible action on the part of the Republican Party. I did not mention in that editorial the specific negative impact a government shutdown has on small and minority businesses. The longer this goes on the more damaging it will be to all. But you can rest assured that small and minority businesses will be disproportionately impacted by this shutdown. Why you might ask would this be the case? The reason for the disparate impact has to do with where MBEs are in the corporate supply chain and the on-going problem of access to capital. MBEs are typically smaller businesses and are disproportionately represented among indirect suppliers to major corporations. So as companies who are directly impacted by the shutdown, companies like Sikorsky that have announced a furlough of 2,000 employees, they are looking at ways to conserve cash and adjust or cancel contracts. It will be the smaller companies and companies that are not mission critical that will understandably suffer the first hit. To compound matters for MBEs, getting through even temporary slowdowns in business is a challenge when access to capital is problematic. MBEs without strong relationships with their lenders, will likely see access to short-term capital restricted and at higher rates. I hope by the time this goes out that the decision makers in Washington realize that this stalemate has to end and never should have happened in the first place.
In your service,
Dr. Fred |
