Growing to Scale Development Workshop - February 18th - 20th
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It is not too late to register for the MBE Growing to Scale Development Program. The Growing to Scale Program will run from February 18th through February 20th. Below are the workshop presenters.
Tuesday, February 18th Dinner Reception 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Wednesday, February 19th 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
Marv White will present on the Seven Pillars to Profit Model
Marv White is a certified MBE with the GNEMSDC who holds a BS in Chemical Engineering with a minor in Economics. He is a business owner, entrepreneur, and business coach. He has advised numerous businesses including startups, sole proprietorships and large enterprises. He firmly believes that entrepreneurs and business leaders are special people that see the world as it can be and not as it is. Marv White is co-author of the bestselling book: The Art and Science of Success Volume 4 and is the author of Seven Pillars to Profit, A Blueprint for Small Business.
Wednesday, February 19th Lunch Presenter
Julie Oka is apart of the Pfizer's Extended Supplier Diversity Team and serves as Director of Supplier Diversity for the Connecticut Chapter of the Institute of Supply Management (ISM-CT).
Julie earned a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) in Pharmaceutical Management and Supply Chain Management from Rutgers Business School and a Bachelors of Science (B.Sc.) in Chemistry and Computer Science at New York University.
Thursday, February 20th Presenter 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
Tom Nesby is founder and CEO of Nesby + Associates, Inc. Nesby has served on the NMSDC national board of directors and in other regional minority business development leadership positions. He has won numerous awards as a certified MBE. He is a contributing author of SAGE--Skills for Adult Guidance Educators. and has authored Developing Quality Circles in Public Service Organizations and A Map for Inclusion: Building Cultural Competencies. Some of his articles include Diversity Practices: New Realities for Construction Companies, and Creating an MBE Supplier Program. The latter appeared recently in the National Institute of Supply Management's InfoEdge magazine. Mr. Nesby was also a resource expert for Entrepreneur Magazine's Going Private, Tap into a Multibillion-dollar Market with Private-sector Contracting.
Thursday, February 20th Lunch Presenter
Dr. Ramesh Wadhwani is the Co-Founder/CEO of SAI Systems International, Inc., a Shelton, CT headquartered, rapidly growing IT Business Solutions and Systems Engineering firm specializing in cost effective delivery of IT products and services. During its 20 years of service, SAI has been fortunate to win several awards: UHY-CT Top40 Tech, Fast50 Growing Asian American Business by USPAACC-EF, and GNEMSDC Supplier of the Year, Inc5000 Fastest Growing Company. Under his leadership SAI has grown to 400+ employees, with operations in 6 countries.
The Growing to Scale Workshops are for small business owners to expand and improve their businesses exponentially.
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Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council Opens Community Business School in Bridgeport - March 1
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The Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council opens the Community Business School at its 333 State Street offices in Bridgeport. The school is designed to develop minority entrepreneurs in the area by providing them access to the tools they need to thrive.
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| GNEMSDC 4th Annual Capital Summit - March 12 |
You are invited to attend one of our very exciting signature events: The 4th Annual MBE Capital Summit. This year's event will be hosted by Bank of America at 100 Federal Street in Boston, MA on March 12th from 8:30am - 12:00pm.
The event will start with opening remarks from Bob Gallery, Massachusetts President of Bank of America and Dr. Fred McKinney. There will be two panel discussions, beginning with "Access to Capital; Choosing the Right Funding for your Business" moderated by Craig Fowler, Managing Director, Bank of America. The second panel will be on "Growth Strategies through Acquisition" moderated by Warren Bacon, Director of the Boston MBDA Center. Next, we are extremely proud to have Professor Steven Rogers from Harvard Business School as our keynote speaker discussing "The Right Money for the Right Need." Steven Rogers is a Senior Lecturer in General Management and teaches Entrepreneurial Finance in the executive programs, "Launching New Ventures" and "Owners, Presidents and Managers (OPM)". He was also a professor for the GNEMSDC GALP program in 2013 and will be participating in 2014 as well.
This event is free, and there are a limited number of seats available. To register online
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| 2014 Annual Gala MC - Jonathan Coachman |
 We are very pleased to announce Jonathan Coachman is a Sports TV Personality for ESPN and ESPN Radio will be joining us at the Gala this year as our MC. Jonathan Coachman began his career in 19997 in Wichita, KS at KAKE-TV. He continued on to Kansas City in 1999 where he worked in the same sports department with NFL legend and Super Bowl MVP Len Dawson. In the fall of 1999 his career took an abrupt turn as Coachman took a hob as a TV personality in WWE.
He spent the next 9 years traveling the world working for Vince McMahon. In 2006 he began also doing sports again at CSTV and MSG network in New York City. In 2008 Jonathan left the road and the WWE for the friendly confines of Bristol, CT and ESPN. In His almost 4 years with the company Jonathan has done just about every sport but he has found a niche as a main host on the flagship show SportsCenter. You may have heard Coachman as you are driving around in your car on ESPN Radio.
In 2011 Jonathan joined forces with Freddie Coleman for "The Coach and Coleman Show" on ESPN Radio. Jonathan is married to Amy and has 2 beautiful kids, Kayana (3) and JJ (1).
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| David Hinson to Receive 2014 GNEMSDC President's Award |
 We are extremely happy to announce that David Hinson as accepted the 2014 GNEMSDC Presidents Award. Mr. Hinson's last day as National Director for the U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency was last week. During his tenure he oversaw a significant increase in the amount of contracts won by minority business clients of the 44 MBDA Centers across the county. We at the GNEMSDC are particularly fortunate to be a beneficiary of his leadership. In 2011, the GNEMSDC won a five-year contract to operate the Boston MBDA Business Center. And in 2013, the GNEMSDC won a four-year contract to operate the Bridgeport MBDA Business Center. Director Hinson is one of the global leaders in minority business development. He has traveled the world to promote business relationships between domestic minority businesses and minority businesses in Brazil, Africa, Australia and Europe. We are honored to have Director Hinson as the GNEMSDC 2014 President's Award recipient.The Award will be presented at the Black-Tie 2014 GNEMSDC Annual Awards Gala at the Aqua Turf in Southington, CT on Tuesday, May 6. It is not too early to reserve your tickets. Call Jerilynn Clarke at203-288-9744 for ticket information. |
| Photo Memories from the GNEMSDC Gala 2010-2013 |
The 2014 GNEMSDC Annual Awards Gala is Tuesday, May 6 at the Aqua Turf in Southington, CT.
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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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| Corporation of the Week:
Liberty Mutual Insurance Companies
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 Since 1912, we at Liberty Mutual Insurance have committed ourselves to providing broad, useful and competitively-priced insurance products and services to meet our customers' ever-changing needs.Our delivery on this commitment is the reason that Liberty is the 3rd largest property and casualty insurer in the US, the 3rd largest commercial lines writer in the US, the 6th largest personal lines writer in the US and the 5th largest global P&C insurer - all statistics based on 2012 direct premium written according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Liberty Mutual is number 81 on The Fortune 500 list. Liberty Mutual operates in 30 countries around the globe. Liberty Mutual is a proud sponsor of US athletes for the 2014 Olympic Winter games. Supplier Diversity As a growing international company, Liberty Mutual Insurance serves customers from different cultures and backgrounds. To succeed in this global environment, our workforce, vendors and business partners must reflect the communities in which we live and work.
Mutual Success Through Diversity
With that goal in mind, we actively support minority-owned business enterprises (MBEs). By doing so, we contribute to the overall economic success of the communities we serve and the expansion of our markets. In fact, whether we purchase direct from MBEs, or MBEs subcontract with our primary vendors, we all win.
Our Supplier Diversity Program supports this commitment with three objectives:
- Identify qualified minority-owned businesses
- Provide opportunities to compete for our corporate purchases
- Promote the development and growth of minority enterprises
If you wish to be considered as a supplier and to participate in bidding opportunities, please complete our Supplier Profile. |
| MBE of the Week: Vase Construction Management |
 
VASE offers Construction Management, Back Office Consulting and Technical Assistance and E-procurement services for government agencies, general contractors, and subcontracting firms. For over 10 years, VASE continues to support government agencies and major contractors to provide opportunities to small, minority, women, and section 3 firms.
Businesses who work with VASE hugely enjoy contract awards, meeting DBE compliances, accessing bonding, finances, outreach, and business development services. VASE offer competitive advantage by assisting clients to understand contracts and requirements. The firm offer resources and relevant information to get work done. They provide access to key contacts that are purchasers and decision makers, as well as access to eligible and diverse contractors.
VASE E-Procurement website (VASEConstruction.com) allows businesses to create a profile and portfolio of bid's, RFP's and construction work opportunities as well as provide the ability to see first-hand what is new in the construction market. The website provides a portal to qualified subcontractors including small and disadvantaged businesses that have been screened by VASE to ensure that they have the capacity to complete any work awarded to them. The website also a quick and economically way for agencies to meet federal, state and local requirements to outreach to small and disadvantaged businesses.
VASE is a thought leader in the construction industry. Their current clients include City of Norwalk, Town of Fairfield, Andron Construction Company, Housing Authority of the City of New Haven, Stop & Shop, Housing Authority of the City of Ansonia, and more. VASE is currently one of twenty construction management firms approved by the Connecticut Department of Housing (DOH) to provide services for the Superstorm Sandy Relief Effort.
Ms. Vincencia Adusei is the President. She is an award-winning business owner. She received her M.B.A. degree from the University of Bridgeport. She is diversity oriented. She is originally, from Ghana, West Africa and she is fluent in Akan Language and English. For more information please visit; www.vaseconstruction.com.
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Award Winning Director - Cheryl Clarke Retires from NU
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 Cheryl Clarke, long-time GNEMSDC Director and Supplier Diversity Leader at Northeast Utilities retired from Northeast Utilities earlier this month. In her tenure at NU, Cheryl was responsible for all aspects of supplier diversity including training and outreach. Mrs. Clarke was also responsible for the development and implementation of NU's corporate small business subcontracting plan. Mrs. Clarke also evaluated, coordinated, and monitored the development of programs and processes to improve NU's market position with regards to supplier relationships and supplier diversity.I know I speak on behalf of all MBEs and corporate members in our network, when I thank Cheryl for her outstanding service and support. Also on behalf of the entire GNEMSDC network, we wish you the best. |
Opportunity In Greater Boston
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Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation and CropCircle Kitchen have teamed up to redevelop a former meat packing facility in Dorchester into the Pearl Food Production Center.
This 36,000 square-foot, single-story building will contain three types of food production spaces:
(1) a shared commercial kitchen run by CropCircle Kitchen
(2) a food truck commissary kitchen also run by CropCircle Kitchen
(3) 7 to 8 separate spaces for lease by food businesses in a mezzanine stage of growth.
Pearl is now seeking food business tenants for all three space types. Pearl will open for business in April 2014 and tenants should be able to move in and begin production in April 2014.
To learn more about the project and to start an application, visit:
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Invitations for Bid and Opportunities
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| FYI |
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| 2014 MBE Performance Survey - Preliminary Results |
| Each year since 2009 we have conducted the MBE Performance Survey. The 2014 survey helps us better understand how MBEs are doing and what changes they are making or considering making in their businesses. If you are an MBE, please take 10 minutes to complete the survey. Your answers are confidential. Thank you.
Here are the preliminary results for the survey.
2014 MBE Performance Survey Deadline is February 24.
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| And Finally... |
This weekend, I was reading one the must have books for all business owners, Quality is Freeby Philip Crosby. I used this book for a class I taught at UCONN over 20 years ago, and perhaps nobody talks about quality better than Crosby does in this book. But I found this great quote in the book on the difference between optimists and pessimists. Crosby says that the difference between an optimist and a pessimist is that the pessimist has more data. I also like what writer Oscar Wilde said about optimism. "The basis of optimism is sheer terror." But whether it is because MBEs are lacking in data or that they are terrified, the good news is that in 2014, MBEs are more optimistic than they have been since the market crash in September 2008.
The 2013 Annual MBE Performance Survey is an opportunity for the GNEMSDC to learn more about our MBEs. The surveys are still coming in, but one thing appears clear from the 2013 survey compared to the 2012 survey; MBEs are more optimistic about the future.
Over 88% of surveyed MBEs expect sales to grow in 2014. This represents an increase over last year's survey when 70.8 percent stated they expected sales growth. Further evidence of MBE optimism shows up in loan activity. The percentage of MBEs seeking a loan increased from 33.3% in 2012 to 45.3 percent last year. And only 2.3 percent of MBEs applied for loans and were rejected compared to over 8 percent in 2012. The overall Optimism Index (where 1 was extremely pessimistic and 7 was extremely optimistic) increased from 5.1 to 5.3 between 2012 and 2013.
We are still receiving results from the 2014 MBE Performance Survey. If you have not completed the 10 minute survey, please do. We want to know how you are doing. And by the way, stay optimistic; successful attitudes attract success.
In your service
Dr. Fred
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