2014 GNEMSDC Supplier Diversity Golf Classics -
Registration Now Available!
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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
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 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
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Bridgeport MBDA Business Center Global Procurement Workshop
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This hands on workshop is Part II of our ongoing series on how exporting helps your business grow faster.
Featuring: David Leister (International Trade Specialist) MBDA Global Business Center Project Manager (San Antonio, TX)
Special Guest Speaker John Xu (District International Trade Officer) SBA Connecticut District Office
June 12, 2014 at 9:00 am- 11:30 am
GNEMSDC Business School, 333 State Street, Bridgeport CT 06604
One on One consulting is available as time permits. Space is limited! Click here to RSVP or call Jade Melvin for questions at (203)212-5835 by June 10, 2014.
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"Business After Hours" Business Card Exchange
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Join the Bridgeport MBDA and GNEMSDC for a premier networking series to connect you with corporate members, MBEs, and other business professionals in a relaxed and informal atmosphere.
Location: Café 1000
Address:1000 Lafayette Blvd., Bridgeport CT 06604
Date: June 18, 2014
Time: 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm
Admission: Complimentary
There will be live entertainment, Hors d'oeuvres and cocktails. Please RSVP by June 18, 2014.
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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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Accelerate with Google
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 Accelerate with Google Academy
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
Video: Last year's Accelerate with Google Partner Summit, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gj3x5Axo4Lg#t=25
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
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1st Annual S3 Diverse Vendor Summit
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 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.
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Corporate Member of the Week: Gorton's Inc.
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 Gorton's was founded in 1849 by a father-son duo under the name John Pew & Sons. Several years later in nearby Rockport, MA, Slade Gorton founded a fishing business and was the first to pack salt-dried codfish. Gorton's became a registered trademark in 1875. In 1906, Slade Gorton, John Pew and two other Gloucester fisheries merged into Gorton-Pew Fisheries. When the merger became effective, the company offices were located in the same building where Gorton's Main Office is located today.At the turn of the 20th century, Gorton's Codfish Cakes were a New England staple. A leader in innovation, Gorton's was the first to develop a frozen convenience food - Gorton's Fried and Frozen Codfish Fillets. Since then, Gorton's has introduced countless seafood innovations, like "Fresh Lock" processing in the late 1950s and now-famous Gorton's Fish Sticks in 1952. More recently, Gorton's Grilled Fillets and Skillet Crisp items have introduced delicious and innovative ways to enjoy seafood. In 1975, the Gorton's Fisherman appeared on TV for the first time. "Trust the Gorton's Fisherman" has since become a famous jingle beloved by Americans.Much has changed at Gorton's since 1849, but a few things will always remain the same. Gorton's is a company proud of its Gloucester history, the Gorton's Fisherman, and the dedicated people that work every day to help people everywhere enjoy the goodness of great seafood. |
MBE of the Week: The Computer Network Services
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 The Computer Support People, LLC (TCSP) has been providing computer services to businesses and end-users under the management of Diego Raigosa since 2005 with services ranging from computer repairs to systems integration.
In 2012, Diego partnered with his oldest son, Jorge Raigoza, as co-owner of the Company. Due to the increased pressure of a mixed and unpredictable customer base, the owners decided to take the company in a new direction. It was decided that the core focus of TCSP would be on small and medium-sized businesses as a continuous source of stable growth. During 2013, TCSP transitioned from providing support to individuals to strictly businesses. With that, reliability and efficiency has grown tremendously due to an ever-changing landscape of technology and a need for professional services for even the smallest teams.
Products & Services
Computer Services - Onsite & Offsite Support, Backup & Disaster Recovery, Managed Services, Systems Integration, Preventive Maintenance & Monitoring, Firewalls / User Limitations, Computer Networking, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), Remote Access Setup, Spyware and Virus Removal
Healthcare IT HIPAA-Compliant Computers & Backup Systems, Medisoft PM Support, McKesson Practice Choice EHR/PM
Resellers
Dell - Technology Solutions
For more information about the Computer Support People, LLC visit their website atwww.thecomputersupportpeople.com.
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Newly Certified MBEs
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| GNEMSDC Trade Expo and Conference is Coming! |
 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.) |
Invitations for Bid and Opportunities
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| And Finally... |
I was on one of my long drives around the region this week when I started thinking about all of the good work we do at the GNEMSDC that may not be known to all of our stakeholders. I am hesitant to call too much attention to our successes, but this falls under the theme of let our little light shine. I need this list because I often get asked what it is that we do. So here is something the staff can use, the board can use, and you can use when someone asks you the question - what does the GNEMSDC do?
1. The GNEMSDC certifies businesses as minority owned, managed and controlled using a thorough process that includes a physical site visit. We do this on behalf of our dues paying corporate members.
2. The GNEMSDC provides opportunities for certified MBEs to develop their businesses and their executive capacity. We do this by utilizing internal resources and external resources like Tuck and Kellogg schools of business. The GNEMSDC offers numerous workshops all designed to improve MBE performance.
3. The GNEMSDC connects certified MBEs to corporate members by organizing events and working one on-one with specific MBEs to match them with corporate buyers.
4. The GNEMSDC advocates on behalf of certified MBEs and supplier diversity in general. The GNEMSDC's weekly e-newsletter has over 10,000 readers. GNEMSDC staff are frequently asked for our opinion on legislation and policy issues that impact MBEs. One recent example is the work Warren Bacon and Dr. Fred do with the Massachusetts Gaming Commission as members of their Vendor Advisory Committee.
5. The GNEMSDC operates two U.S. Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency Centers; one in Boston and one in Bridgeport. These Centers are focused on securing contracts for MBE clients and growing employment in MBE firms. These Centers have produced over $200 million in contracts between MBDA MBE clients and pubic and private buyers since the opening of the Boston Center in 2011.
6. The GNEMSDC operates a minority bonding program in collaboration with Community Capital. The program provides one-on-one consulting and classroom training for minority construction companies who cannot otherwise get a bond. The program has $2,000,000 in bonding guarantee funds. This is a program supported by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development.
7. The GNEMSDC operates. Connecticut Department of Transportation Supportive Services program for CONNDOT certified DBEs. This program's goal is to increase DBE success on CONNDOT contracts and to develop DBE capacity.
8. The GNEMSDC operates the GNEMSDC Advanced Leadership Program (GALP). GALP is a five=day executive training program that has an outstanding faculty including Dr. Olav Sorensen (Yale School of Management), Professor Steven Rogers (Harvard School of Business), David Hinson (Former National Director, MBDA), and Jeffrey Fox (Author and Marketing and Sale Guru). The GALP receives support from the Fairfield County Community Foundation. (This year the program runs from October 10 through November 7. Applications are now being accepted.)
9. The GNEMSDC works one-on-one with corporate members who are interested in developing their supplier diversity programs. This work is designed to provide strategic guidance to senior corporate leaders. GNEMSDC staff serve on several public and private supplier diversity committees as experts in the field.
10. The GNEMSDC provides strategic advice to MBEs regarding everything from marketing and sales, human resource management, finance, and operations.
11. The GNEMSDC operates the Community Business School (CBS) in Bridgeport, CT. The CBS is a free entrepreneurial program that utilizes the talents of MBEs and corporate members interested in providing business information to early stage urban entrepreneurs.
12. The GNEMSDC staff and board are well represented in key committees and activities of the National Minority Supplier Development Council. The GNEMSDC routinely has more people participating n leadership roles than almost any other council.
There are things I am leaving out, but these are the things that occupy our time and your resources. Without your generous support none of this would be possible. And on behalf of our dedicated staff and our strong board of directors, I thank you. We have accomplished much, but there is more work to do.
In your service
Dr. Fred
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