May 19, 2014

GNEMSDC Open House in Downtown Hartford May 28
The GNEMSDC is opening a satellite office in downtown Hartford.  To kick off the occasion we are having an open house at 2 Wethersfield Avenue, our new home away from home.  The open house will feature local and state wide political leaders including Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra. There will be light food, drink and entertainment.

There are four reasons for opening the Hartford office: 

1. We are expanding our efforts in the lucrative and growing construction industry.  According to Reed Construction, in just RI, MA and CT there is over $200 billion in post-bid commercial and civil construction taking place.

2. We are moving closer to our Hartford area corporate membership.

3.  Hartford has the greatest concentration of MBEs in CT. And

4.  Being in Hartford puts us closer to the political and economic leadership in the State.

We invite all of our stakeholders to join us on the 28th from 5:30 PM to 10:00 PM..  Our Hartford office will be in the newly renovated Borden Mansion, now owned by one of our MBEs.  For those old enough to remember, Borden Milk, this was their family home.  The building is on the National Historic Registry.  If for no other reason come and see what has been done to this grand old house that will now be our Hartford home.                       
  2014 GNEMSDC Supplier Diversity Golf Classics - Registration Now Available!  
GNEMSDC
The GNEMSDC Massachusetts Supplier Diversity Golf Outing will be Monday, June 2, 2014 at Ferncorft Country Club, Middleton MA.  This year we will have a putting contest at 1:00pm and the tournament will begin at 1:30pm.


The GNEMSDC Connecticut Supplier Diversity Golf Outing will be on Friday, July 11, 2014 Lyman Orchards Golf Club Middlefield, CT.  The tournament begins at 7:30am.

If you are interested in a fun afternoon/morning of golf, networking, food, drinks and relationship building please register at:  WWW.BOOTHLEADS.COM/GNEMSDC/GOLF2014  

Please see the brochure for additional information and new Golf Sponsorship Opportunities.  Enter our Putting Contest and you could win a cash prize! Not a golfer? We have several non-golfer activities or you can learn the game and be taught by a pro in the Golf Clinic.  

Call the GNEMSDC offices with any questions:  203-288-9744 or 617-578-8900
Boston MBDA Business Center Global Opportunity Forum
LET'S MAKE EXPORT OPPORTUNITIES HAPPEN FOR YOU!
Featuring: David Leister, Project Manager
MBDA Global Business Center (San Antonio, TX) Additional speakers announced shortly!

June 11, 2014 * 8:30am -10:30am
The Palladium (2 Copley Place, 4th Floor * Boston, MA 02116)

The National MBDA has a number of Business Centers that provide specialized support to Business Center clients. The San Antonio Business Center focuses on exporting & is already helping a number of Boston Business Center clients with contract opportunities outside of the U.S. Boston Business Center Clients can benefit from the San Antonio Center's established partnerships in numerous countries that reduce risk and increase opportunities.
  
Space is limited!  Please RSVP to jwang@bostonmbdacenter.com by June 4
1st Annual S3 Diverse Vendor Summit
1st Annual S3 Diverse Vendor Summit:  Synergy. Strength. Support. 
June 17th, 2014-6pm-8pm - Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, 93 Worcester St., Wellesley, MA 

An Exclusive Evening Event for New England Diverse Businesses!
Join us for this unprecedented opportunity to connect with other diverse business owners in New England and learn about the special business opportunities available to you.  If are a minority-owned, women-owned, LGBT-owned, disabled-owned, or other diverse-owned business, you should not miss this event! 
This event is being sponsored by Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and a newly-formed diversity coalition comprised of the Center for Women & Enterprise, the Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council, Work Without Limits, and the Greater Boston Business Council.  The four founding member organizations of this coalition are dedicated to working together to promote collaboration among all diverse businesses in New England so as to promote growth, partnership, and opportunity.

 Please see the event flyer for additional information.  Register by June 13th.  Space is limited.
The Walt Disney Company Requests You to Submit a Profile to be Considered to Attend Their Supplier Diversity Summit  

 Please submit your profile by clicking here.
Upcoming Events 
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:  
  • May 19, 2014 - New MBE Orientation, GNEMSDC Office 333 State Street, Bridgeport CT .  Click here to rsvp
  • May 20, 2014 - Bridgeport MBDA Business Center Business After Hours, CafĂ© 1000, 1000 Lafayette Blvd. Bridgeport, CT 06604 5:30 PM -7:00 PM, RSVP by May 16, 2014 click here.
  • May 21, 2014 - NMSDC Leadership Awards Gala, NY Hilton, NYC.  For more information, visitwww.nmsdc.org
  •  May 28, 2014 - GNEMSDC NEW Hartford Office Reception 5:30 PM - 10:00 PM. 2 Wethersfield Avenue, Hartford CT. RSVP here.
  • June 1-5, 2014 - NMSDC Kellogg Advanced Management Education Program. The NMSDC has some scholarships available for interested and eligible MBEs.  Contact Kanita Sandidgeatkanita.sandidge@nmsdc.orgfor more information.
  • June 4, 2014 - Mohegan Sun Informational Vendor Forum North Shore Community College 300 Broad Street, Lynn 12pm - 2pm rsvp here 6pm - 8pm rsvp here
  • June 2, 2014 -  GNEMSDC MA Golf Outing, Ferncroft Country Club, Danvers MA  Additional Info 
  • June 11, 2014 8:30am - 10:30a, MBDA Global Procurement Opportunity Forum  Additional Information. 
  • June 17, 2014  1st Annual S3 Diverse Vendor Summit: Additional Information
  • July 11, 2014- GNEMSDC CT Golf Outing, Lyman Orchards, Middleton, CT  Additional Info
  • September 30-October 1, 2014 - GNEMSDC Expo and Conference, Mohegan Sun Casino and Resort, Uncasville, CT
  • October 10, 2014 - GNEMSDC Advanced Leadership Program, Bridgeport, CT (First Weekly Session)
  • November 20, 2014 - GNEMSDC/MBDA Best Practice Forum, Fenway Park, Boston, MA
Corporate Member of the Week:  Covidien     
Covidien is a global leader that understands the challenges faced by health care providers and their patients and addresses them with innovative solutions that meet their dynamic needs. Inspired by patients and caregivers, Covidien is a global team of more than 38,000 dedicated professionals, privileged to save and improve lives. Offering industry-leading medical technology solutions and patient care products in more than 150 countries, Covidien had 2013 revenue of $10.2 billion.

Covidien's Global Sourcing organization is committed to creating supply base partnerships that are diverse, dynamic and help us to continually deliver value to the healthcare market. The goal of the Covidien Supplier Diversity Program is to develop and maintain a more inclusive supply base through our commitment to the discovery and development of diverse suppliers. The Covidien Supplier Diversity program is designed to connect qualified diverse businesses with Covidien's various sourcing opportunities. This program also provides Covidien employees with more visibility into the dynamic pool of diverse suppliers.

Covidien is committed to creating valuable supply base partnerships with minority-owned, woman-owned, small disadvantaged, HUB Zone, veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses. Our policy is to include diverse suppliers in our sourcing events where there is alignment with our business needs.

Diverse suppliers interested in doing business with Covidien are encouraged to complete Covidien'sSupplier Registration Process
MBE of the Week: Domitek


Domitek is a local company that offers a variety of services, including strategic technical planning and dependable technical support, to medium and small-sized businesses in the medical, financial, non-profit, mortgage and manufacturing industries. We help our clients achieve their business goals by designing, implementing, and supporting secure and reliable networks, servers and hosted solutions, or simple remote solutions that allow businesses to become more responsive, productive, and profitable, as well as maintain regulatory compliance.

Libis R. Bueno is the CEO and Chief Technology Officer of Domitek and it prides it self in offering personal contact and individualized service. We listen; by learning about and understanding our client's business priorities, and helping them understand technology in simple, non-jargon, easy-to-understand terms, we provide the services they want and need, so that they can get back to what they do best; building their business.

Domitek provides solutions that reflect the latest technology, so our clients can concentrate on their business goals, while staying productive and protected. Our menu of services include managed services; Office 365; consultation; setup and integration; desktop migration and support; cloud solutions. integration; disaster prevention and recovery; and virtualization solutions. We work closely with our clients to understand their needs and deliver services that are custom-planned for their specific needs. Domitek is big enough to handle any computer job, and small enough to still provide our clients with the individual attention they deserve.

To find out more information on Domitek's services visit www.domitek.net 
FYI
The Bay State Banner Starts Banner Biz Quarterly
Welcome to Banner Biz, a business magazine that includes print, digital and an online platform.  Our objective is to focus on the issues relevant to the urban business market.  Of particular interest is supplier diversity and how to tap into the opportunities available.  Feel free to post your business events on our free online events  page - click here to view http://baystatebanner.com/news/banner-biz/  The Banner's website has approximate 500,000 page views a month.   
The Affordable Care Act - What it Means to Your Business
The MBEIC Education Subcommittee is presenting a panel discussion to help clarify the Affordable Care Act (ACA), its requirements, and its impact on your business.Learn about the ACA from the perspectives of professionals on the front lines-the benefits broker, the health insurance provider, and the health insurance exchange. 

You'll hear from:
Access Health CT, which built and operates Connecticut's wildly successful health insurance exchange
Fallon Health, the only health plan in Massachusetts that is both health insurer and provider
KJB Associates, a health insurance broker that provides coverage to businesses

Come prepared with questions for our panelists! You'll walk away with a better understanding of the ACA, along with tips on how to make the most of it, and stay clear of compliance pitfalls.
 Date:  June 11, 2014   1:00pm - 4:00pm
Place:  The MATLET Group   60 Delta Drive  Pawtucket, RI  02860
Register here by June 10th:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/affordable-care-act-panel-discussion-tickets-11622594493
 Please contact Arun Sinha at 203-975-2950 asinha@accessc.com if you have any questions. 
Invitations for Bid and Opportunities
  • MBE looking for an experienced sales rep to cover the CT market, selling into the Biotech and Manufacturing industries.  Highest commissions paid in the industry, and working for a company with over 23 years in business.  
  • Experience required, the right person could exceed 100,000 in total compensation.  Needs to grow the region, but will also be given accounts to expand on in the CT area.  All interested applicants can either email you and you can forward their info to me or they can email me directlyatfrankq@qaisupply.com .
  •  State of Connecticut Department of Transportation job opportunity:  Transportation Public Transit Administrator 
  • Department of Revenue job opportunity:  Office Support Specialist I   
  • The Boston Public School Department is seeking bid proposals  "T0 provide hot and cold vended meals for the Boston Public Schools -  Mu;ti Year contract (3 years) - RFP# 866" and for the "Purchase of fall sports equipment and supplies for Boston Public Schools - BID# BPS 867"  If interested please contact Andie Kim for a complete bid proposal packet.
  • One Source Mechanical Solutions is looking for Licensed HVAC Piping Refrigeration Installer for more information contact jlittle-greer@gnemsdc.org
  • CT Lottery Corporation has an opening for a Maintainer position.
  • Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston has an opening for the position of  Enterprise Infrastructure Engineer.
  • SpineFrontier has an opening for the position of Supply Chain Manager
  • Massachusetts Community & Banking Council has an opening for Executive Director.
  • Harvard University is committed to increasing their efforts in hiring a more diverse population at Harvard Medical School.  Please visit their career website for employment opportunities.
 And Finally
This week marks the last class for the Community Business School this semester.  We had a phenomenal program that included visits from some of our corporate representatives and presentations by two certified MBEs, Ted Hsu of Horizon Services and Valerie Cooper of Picture That.  I believe that it was not a coincidence that these two outstanding community conscious MBEs also were selected this year as Suppliers of the Year in Categories one and two.  Their willingness to share their experience with these early-stage urban entrepreneurs is indicative of their commitment to assist other smaller MBEs and the communities we serve.  In fact, in the next Community Business School semester, scheduled to start in the fall,  these two MBEs will serve an important role in recruiting other MBEs and corporate members to join us.  There is no better way to become an excellent business owner and leader than to hear it directly from other business owners and leaders.   This semester I was reminded by the students that every business starts somewhere, and before that first customer writes you that first check, there is a dream and a vision.  I tried to convey to the CBS students that it is their job to design that vision and to point their enterprise in the direction that will accomplish that vision.  That it is their job to articulate and execute the strategy.  It is their job to secure the resources necessary to make that dream a reality.  It is their job to motivate themselves and their team when, invariably the going gets tough.  And it is their job to be the public face of the business and to protect its image. And we also noted that while all of these are their jobs, there are people and organizations like the GNEMSDC dedicated to assist them in their quest for success.  

We covered much this semester, and I believe we provided a strong foundation for what will become the next generation of certified MBEs.  It feels good to see the sparkle in the eyes that make entrepreneurs special.  We are taking the summer off, but I can't wait until we start again. You should plan to join us in the fall. Inspiration, education and hope are contagious.  Give us a call if you want to experience this as well in the GNEMSDC Community Business School.  To paraphrase English philosopher Edmund Burke, it is in the giving that our lives are defined.

 In your service

Dr. Fred