THANK YOU! GNEMSDC Golf Outing Players & Sponsors
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 On behalf of the GNEMSDC Board of Directors, I want to thank all of the sponsors, players, volunteers, guests and staff for making this year's GNEMSDC CT Golf Classic a tremendous success. We had fantastic weather, great golf and even better networking. I hope to see you all back again next year. |
Accelerate with Google:
Google Is Coming To GNEMSDC Bridgeport This Thursday, July 17! |
 What: Accelerate with Google Academy is a 12-week intensive program that teaches underrepresented minority business how to be found online and generate business through their websites. It focuses on Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Google AdWords.
Key Benefits: Use the web to attract new customers, make your business website easier to find, and learn how measure the results.
Deadline: Upcoming application deadline is June 9th, with more rounds of application available in July and August.
Success Stories:http://accelerate.withgoogle.com/success-stories
Join us for an afternoon lunch and learn session with Ka Kui Cheng Ye from Google. Ka Kui first started at Google as an AdWords intern. Since then he's worked as in various departments focused on online ad technology. From being an AdWords manager to becoming a technical consultant for DoubleClick he has developed great skills that he will share with program participants. Ka Kui will discuss how small businesses can leverage the Google platform to improve their online presence. If possible, bring your laptop as this will be an interactive session.
Please find more information on the PDF attached. Apply today at: http://accelerate.withgoogle.com/. For any questions, email acceleratewithgoogle@google.com and kakui@google.com
If you are interested in attending a luncheon and presentation by Google at the GNEMSDC Bridgeport on Thursday, July 17 from 12 noon to 3 PM, call the office and ask for Diane or Nicole (203-288-9744). This event will be limited to certified MBEs only. Lunch will be provided and there is no cost to certified MBEs. And because of space constraints, only one person per MBE for this program.
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Abt Associates Small Business Opportunities Matchmaker
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Abt Associates is seeking business partnerships with Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), Service-Disabled Veteran (SDVOSB), HUBzone, or Small Disadvantaged Businesses (SDB) with expertise in:
US Health
(Health Policy, Behavioral Health, and Public Health, Epidemiology, focus group testing, expert panel meeting logistics & facilitation, quality measure development and testing, electronic health record data mining/data analytics, Medicaid data analytics)
Social & Economic Policy
(Housing, Income Security, Workforce, Education, survey, web, and in-field data collection support, quantitative and qualitative; expertise in workforce development, employment & training programs, US food security programs & policies, firms with experience evaluating educational programs and policies)
Environmental Resources
(Information and Sustainability, Pesticides, Toxics, and Risks, Climate Change and Air Quality, Natural Resources, Water Quality/ Watershed Modeling, Technical and Administrative Support for Workshops, Seminars, Meetings, Public Hearings, and Peer Review Panels, Conduct Focus Group Sessions, Geographical Information Services (GIS), Technical Design & Graphics Support)
Please join us
Identify potential collaborations with GNEMSDC certified MBEs, and explore partnership opportunities with Abt Project Directors and Technical Leads.
RSVP Today
Please register by July 21st to be assigned 15-minute matchmaker appointments with Abt Associates Decision Makers. One attendee per company, please, as space is limited!
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| GNEMSDC Trade Expo and Conference is Coming! REGISTRATION IS OPEN |
 The GNEMSDC Business Opportunity Expo and Conference is coming. This year the event will take place on Tuesday, September 30 and Wednesday, October 1 at the Mohegan Sun Casino and resort. Please mark your calendar. It is time for MBEs and corporate members to start preparing for the event. One of the biggest attractions is the very successful One-on-One sessions. These allow corporate members to schedule 15 minute appointments with specific MBEs for specific commodity/service opportunities. This year we will once again employ some great technology that will allow us to efficiently make these matches between corporate members and MBEs. We encourage all of our corporate members to participate in the Expo and the One-on-One program. This year we have some very important editions to the program. Stay tuned. (Photo is of CT Governor Dannel Malloy with Dr. Fred at last year's Expo.)
Here is the preliminary program:
Monday, September 29
6:30 PM GNEMSDC Board of Directors and Senior Advisory Dinner
Tuesday, September 30
7:00 AM Registration Opens
7:15 AM Breakfast
8:45 AM Industry Opportunity Sessions - Part 1
10:30 AM Industry Opportunity Sessions - Part 2
12:00 Noon MBE Sponsors Lunch
2:00 PM - MBE "Shark Tank" ($5,000 in total prizes for the top 3 sales performances by an MBE)
4:30 PM Break
5:30 PM Shining Star Reception
9:00 Expo Booth Set Up
Wednesday, October 1
7:15 AM Breakfast
8:55 AM Expo Ribbon Cutting
9:00 AM Morning Expo Session
12:45 PM Corporate Sponsors Lunch
2:00 PM Expo Afternoon Session
2:00 PM One-on-One Meetings between MBEs and Corporate Members
4:00 PM Expo Closes
5:00 PM One-on-One Meetings End
5:30 PM Post Expo Reception
Here is the link for the Expo Registration. From this site you can also sign up to participate in the One-on-One program. You will need to register for the event before you register for the One-on-Ones.
Hotel Reservations
Single & Double Occupancy Rooms are available for $159/night
For online reservations: https://resweb.passkey.com/go/GNEMS14
To make a reservation by phone please call 1-866-708 1340 and reference the group code: GNEMS14
Reservations must be made by Tuesday September 9 any reservations made after this date will be based on room availability and regular hotel rates |
| GNEMSDC "Shark Tank" at the Trade Expo October 1 |
 Before there was a "Shark Tank" program, the GNEMSDC had a "Speed Presentation" program as part of our Trade Expo. This was one of the most popular and fun parts of the Expo, and for some inexplicable reason, we dropped it. Well it is back for the 2014 GNEMSDC Trade Expo with a revised focus and structure.
This year on Tuesday, September 30 after the MBE Sponsors' Luncheon, we will feature a program that gives MBEs a chance to compete for $5,000 in cash that will be awarded to the best presentations on your "Value Proposition". That's right; $5,000 in cash. Here are the rules. You must be a certified MBE or DBE or MBDA client. You will have 10 minutes to state you value proposition. A panel of senior procurement officers from the GNEMSDC corporate membership will make the call on who made the best value proposition presentations.
All interested MBEs, DBEs and MBDA clients, must be registered or the entire Expo and must contact Jennifer Little-Greer by email, indicating your interest to participate in the program. Space and time are limited. So get your emails in early.
The goal here is not simply to have a good time. The goal is to have MBEs work on presenting their value proposition concisely and effectively. There will be no power point presentations or props allowed. It is just you, your brain and your mouth. If we are over subscribed we may contact all of the interested parties and hold a preliminary qualifying competition. Get ready!
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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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MBE Input Committee Retreat at Water's Edge August 8
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The GNEMSDC Advanced Leadership Program (GALP)
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We are pleased to announce the second year of the GNEMSDC Advanced Leadership Program (GALP). The program consists of 5 full-day sessions led by outstanding business professors and writers. The professors in this program represent the best executive educators in the world, and are from the top business schools in the world. The GALP faculty includes, Steven Rogers of the Harvard Business School, David Hinson, former National Director of the MBDA. Olav Sorensen of Yale School of Management, and Jeffrey Fox, best-selling author of "How to Become a Rainmaker" and other top selling business books.
At lunch during each day of the program, we will have corporate CEOs and other C-Level executives speak to the program participants. Last year the CEO faculty included Anne Noble, President and CEO of the CT Lottery, Kevin Kelleher, President and CEO of Cartus, William Jennings, President and CEO of Bridgeport Hospital, Rodney Powell, President and COO of Yankee Gas, Carlton Highsmith, Retired Chairman of Specialized Packaging Group and Joseph Black, Chief Procurement Officer of Aetna. The program begins on Friday October 17, 2014 and ending on Friday, November 14.
The program is geared to the owner/entrepreneurs of firms with $1 million in annual sales or more who are looking to significantly grow their business's top and bottom lines. Participants will not only experience the wisdom of the assembled professors, participants will benefit greatly by learning from the other high powered MBE owners in attendance. Space is limited to 25 MBEs. Think of the value of simply making the connections that being part of this program can do for your business; that alone is worth the investment of your time and resources.
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.
This year we are proud to have the generous support of the Fairfield County Community Foundation. Call the office if you are interested in being participant in this MBE educational program.
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Corporate Member of the Week:
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
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 A core value and key component of Harvard Pilgrim's Inclusion Initiative is to expand partnerships with a diverse range of suppliers, and we recognize the importance of diverse suppliers to the region's economic vitality. We strive to identify diverse suppliers that can provide innovative solutions, competitive pricing and high-quality goods and services. It is our goal through an inclusive approach and sustained commitment, that we encourage and afford opportunities to diverse suppliers, while ensuring that we receive the highest quality products and services at the most economical price. As a diverse supplier working with Harvard Pilgrim, you are supporting one of our strategic initiatives: to increase the strength of our partnerships with a diverse range of suppliers. You can expect to be part of a strong and innovative business partnership. For more information on Harvard Pilgrim's supplier diversity program please visit our website. |
NMSDC Leadership Awards 2014
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Please enjoy Light Speed's latest creation on the NMSDC Leadership Awards 2014.
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Invitations for Bid and Opportunities
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| And Finally... |
Corporate fads and processes come and go. One change that we saw instituted with a vengeance during the depths of the Great Recession was the policy of large corporations to string out their suppliers 90 days, 120 days and even 180 days. This extension of terms often with no interest being paid to the supplier made many suppliers wonder if it was even worth doing business with some large corporations. On top of that, there is/was an inherent unfairness to a system whereby companies with better access to capital were demanding working capital from companies, that in many cases, had no access to capital at all.
I am very happy to report that NMSDC corporate members, Apple and Coca-Cola have recently announced that they are going to pay their small suppliers on an expedited basis. The Obama Administration started the "Quick Pay" program in 2011. Apple and Coca-Cola executives after meeting with President Obama, agreed to adopt a similar program in their payments to small businesses. (Wall Street Journal, July 11, 2014 article by Jeffrey Sparshott.)
I know from our experience with out MBDA contracts, that the Federal government is without question our best customer when it comes to turning around an invoice. Right now we get paid in two business days once an invoice is submitted. The Federal government has clearly turned around its image as a slow payer. I hope that other large corporations will follow Apple's and Coca-Cola's lead and begin paying their small business suppliers much faster as well.
This will make small businesses stronger and the economy stronger as well. Nobel laureate Milton Friedman had a very simply equation that equated nominal GDP to the supply of money multiplied by the velocity of money. The velocity of money is basically how many times our money turns over. (Look in your wallet. How many of the bills in your wallet are brand new? How many were used by someone else prior to coming into your possession?). One main determinant of the velocity of money is payment term. How often are workers paid? How quickly are vendors paid? If corporations pay their vendor faster, velocity increases and, as economists like to say, ceterus paribus, nominal GDP will increase. So if all businesses paid their suppliers faster, economic activity would pick up and everyone would be better off.
Thank you Apple and Coca-Cola for your leadership. Let's hope others follow.
In your service,
Dr. Fred
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