2014 GALP Program Schedule
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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.
Jeffrey Fox, author, consultant to CEOs and sales and leadership expert, will be our featured speaker this Friday, October 17 in the GALP program. Mr. Fox's best selling book "How to Become a Rainmaker" will be the focus of the days material. You do not want to miss this.
Program Schedule:
Participants will receive a certificate signed by all professors in the program. This will be a val
This year we are proud to have the generous support of the Fairfield County Community Foundation. We also want to thank Bank of America for supporting an MBE to participate in this year's class.
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Boston MBDA CEO Roundtable Forum, October 30
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The Palladium Room * 2 Copley Place, 4th Floor * Boston, MA 02116
Featuring:
Rita Hardiman, Director, EEO, Diversity & DBE Management, Keolis
Bill Boodry, Manager of Purchasing & Materials, Keolis
Jill Griffin, Director of Workforce, Supplier and Diversity Development,MA Gaming Commission
The CEO Roundtable is designed to provide support for MBEs, by:
*providing topical information and insights
*promoting mutual business relationships
*providing a forum for sharing business intelligence and contacts
*facilitating mutual support and sharing best practices
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RSVP for the 6th Annual Supplier Diversity
Best Practices Forum, November 20 |
 The Boston MBDA Business Center, Center for Women & Enterprise & the Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council invite you to attend the 6th Annual Supplier Diversity Best Practices Forum! This event will feature a discussion of winning Supplier Diversity practices by Corporate and W/MBE Business Leaders. The full list of speakers will be announced shortly.When: Thurs, November 20 (8:00 - 11:30am) Where: State Street Pavilion at Fenway Park (40 Yawkey Way, Boston, MA) RSVP by November 12 at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/6th-annual-supplier-diversity-best-practices-forum-tickets-9906631000 |
Nov 20 Best Practices Forum Sponsorship & Ad Opportunities
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| Sponsorship & advertisement opportunities in the 6th Annual Supplier Diversity Best Practices Forum are available! Don't miss your chance to display your company's name on the main scoreboard at Fenway Park! Please contact Joanne at jwang@bostonmbdacenter.com for more details! |
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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Ambassador Ron Kirk Visits GNEMSDC & MBDA Business Center
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Ambassador Kirk was appointed by President Barack Obama as the U.S. Trade Representative in March 2009 and served until March 2013. The U.S. Trade Representative is a Cabinet level position. Before becoming U.S. Trade Representative, Ambassador Kirk was the Mayor of Dallas, Texas from 1995 to 2002. Ambassador Kirk was the first African American mayor of Dallas. We are honored to have hosted Ambassador Kirk for a meeting in Boston.
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Do you know if your business would survive if a disaster struck today?
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| Please visit www.PrepareCT.com to find out more information or email Andres Lopez atalopez@gnemsdc.org for one on one consultation to develop a Disaster Recovery Plan. |
Corporate Member of the Week:
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 Boston Children's Hospital is one of the largest pediatric medical centers in the United States that offers a complete range of health care services for children from birth through 21 years of age.
Boston Children's Hospital is home to the world's largest research enterprise based at a pediatric hospital. More than 1,100 scientists comprise their research community, including 9 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 11 on-staff members of the Institute of Medicine and 9 members of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
Boston Children's Hospital is dedicated to fostering community, both within the hospital and in the neighborhoods around us. Toward that end, they welcome and treat many children whose families can't afford health care.
Boston Children's is the #1 ranked children's hospital in 8 of the 10 evaluated specialties according to the 2014-15 edition of Best Children's Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report.
Boston Children's Hospital Mission:
For more information about the hospital please visit http://www.childrenshospital.org/ |
Invitations for Bid and Opportunities
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| FYI |
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Massachusetts Diversity Coalition Formed
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| The GNEMSDC, the Boston MBDA Business Center along with the Center for Women Enterprises, the Hispanic American Chamber of Commerce and others have created the Massachusetts Diversity Coalition. These advocacy and business development organizations first came together to promote the utilization of MBEs, WBEs and VBEs in the gaming industry. We have since expanded our focus to include all public and private sector developments. Warren Bacon, the Project Director for the Boston MBDA Center is the Chairman of the Coalition. For more information, visit our new blog, www.madiversitycoalition.wordpress.com. |
GNEMSDC Community Business School is Back
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 The Community Business School (CBS) will start Saturday morning October 11, 2014 but 9:00 AM at the 333 State Street in Bridgeport. Last year was the inaugural year for the CBS. This year, we are looking forward to another excellent program that is providing targeted entrepreneurial education to local small businesses and local entrepreneurs. I want to thank Valerie Cooper of Picture That, LLC and Ted Hsu of Horizon Services for taking a leadership role and organizing the curriculum and the speakers. Last year, Valerie and Ted were presenters, this year they are the "deans' of the CBS.
If you know any early stage entrepreneurs who want to attend this 12 week course in Bridgeport, please have them call Jennifer Little-Greer at 203-288-9744. And if any MBE or corporate member would like to come and share their entrepreneurial experiences with the CBS students, you are welcome to join us. I guarantee you - you will be energized by the experience.
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| And Finally... |
At one time, the only thing I knew about the construction industry was that it was complicated and unlike other industries. Issues of bonding, owners and owner representatives, construction managers, general contractors, sub-contractors, scheduling, payroll, unions, liquidated damages, retainage, design build were all terms that I have become familiar with, although I am by no means an expert. However, I have learned enough about this large, growing and important industry to realize that when it comes to the inclusion of and development minority construction firms, nothing happens unless it is well thought out and planned.
As an economist, I would characterize the industry as oligopolistic, because there really are just a few interdependent firms that compete for the major public and private sector contracts. A short list of those firms in New England are Turner, Gilbane, O&G, Suffolk, Skanska, Clarke, Dimeo, Shawmut, Consigli, Fusco, Standard Builders, Walsh,, Haynes and a few others. (Companies in bold are GNEMSDC members.) These firms sit at the top of a trillion dollar construction food chain. Because there are only a few of these firms, they have great control of all of the other firms below them, the electrical firms, the HVAC suppliers, the concrete firms, the steel firms, the glass firms, the excavators, the carpenters, and every other type of firm that is involved in a construction project. Our non-construction corporate members in the area and the public sector members in the region might ask the question what percentage of their contracts go to the above listed companies.
We cannot change this market structure, but I think we must change how this industry interacts with minority businesses. I say this fully recognizing that not all firms in the industry are the same when it comes to their utilization of minority construction companies. However, even the firms that do a good job are using a method of working with minority construction companies that will consign minority firms to a permanent state of business stress and under-development.
This is a tough industry. I do not blame the major firms listed above for their historic practices. They have developed these approaches of dealing with MBEs out of the way that they generally conduct business with non-MBE firms in the industry. I want to be clear: I am not claiming discrimination as the root cause of the problem. You can argue, that non-minority small construction firms are only in a marginally better situation than MBEs in the industry. The problems are systemic.
I have a solution to the problem of a permanent class of small unsustainable MBEs in construction. This is a solution that will build a significant minority business that will be able to compete with the majors on all public and private work of any size. This is a solution that naturally and understandably will not arise from the natural working of market forces. This is a solution that will require the support and commitment from the owners of these projects to develop one or more MBEs that are billion dollar enterprises. This is more than a dream. We have a blueprint to make this happen. Are you interested in learning more?
In your service,
Dr. Fred
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