October 27, 2014

2014 GALP Program Schedule
  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, Peter Hurst former President of The Community's Bank, 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.

Peter Hurst,  founder, president and CEO of The Community's Bank of Bridgeport, the only minority owned bank in Connecticut,  will be  our featured speaker this Friday, October 31 in the GALP program.  Mr. Doug Wade, President and CEO of Wade Dairy will be our featured lunchtime CEO speaker.   You do not want to miss this.  

Program Schedule: 
  • October 10 - Dr. Fred McKinney, President and CEO of GNEMSDC
  • October 17 - Jeffrey Fox, President Jeffery Fox
  • October 24 - Steven Rogers, Harvard School of Business
  • October 31 - Peter Hurst, Founder and Former President and CEO, The Community's Bank
  • November 7 - Dr. Olav Sorenson, Yale School of Management
Participants will receive a certificate signed by all professors in the program.  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.   
Segregation in the United States - 2010
My daughter, Dana, is currently a graduate student at the Harvard School of Design, where she is studying architecture and urban planning.  Yesterday she sent me a fascinating article based on the work o f Dustin Cable and Weldon Cooper of the University of Virginia.  The two social scientist have mapped the entire 2010 U.S. population by race and ethnicity and visually produced a map showing where every American lives.  The maps clearly demonstrates that while we have come a long way since the days of Jim Crow segregation,  America is still a very segregated society, where whites live next to whites, and blacks live next to blacks and Hispanics live next to Hispanics.  There are important social as well as business implications associated with this powerful mapping technology.  Check out how your community ranks in terms of ethnic and racial housing segregation.

Thank you Dana for the information. 
People's United Bank and Pullman & Comley, LLC
Boston MBDA CEO Roundtable Forum, October 30
October 30, 2014 * 10:00am -12:00pm
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

            Space is limited        *     Please RSVP by 10/24 
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  (8:00am - 12:00pm)
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
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!   
The Hartford Diversity Awareness Event

Congratulations to The Hartford for hosting their 1st Diversity Awareness Event. This event took place during the course of 3 days and spanned throughout all of their 3 campuses in CT. Not only was it a success because of the connections that were made. It was an excellent platform to engage different employees at The Hartford to talk about the GNEMSDC and help them understand what we do as an organization on their behalf as corporate members. Thank you to Bob Pilney Robert.Pilney@thehartford.com and Telmo Costa for hosting the GNEMSDC and all others that attended.

The purpose of this event was to raise awareness around the importance of supporting and understanding the needs of diverse small businesses, with special attention to:
  • Underscoring the fact that minority-owned businesses and women-owned businesses are some of the fastest growing segments in our economy.
  • Helping Hartford employees see the changing "face" of small businesses today - it's extremely diverse.
  • Encouraging Hartford employees to use local small business services.
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: 
  •  October 28, 2014 6:00pm - 8:00pm "Celebrating Diversity in the Greater Bridgeport Business Community" to be held at People's United Bank Lobby, 850 Main St. Bridgeport click here to rsvp.
  • October 30, 2014 - GNEMSDC/MBDA CEO Roundtable Forum, Boston, MA
  • October 30, 2014 - MBTA and Keolis Commuter Services Business Diversity Outreach, 4:00pm- 7:00pm, State Transportation Building, 10 PArk Plaza, Boston, MA. click here to RSVP.
  • November 4, 2014 - MBE Pre-Certification Webinar at 2:00pm to RVSP click here.
  • November 5, 2014 - Virtual Small Business Forum hosted by Internal Revenue Service, 9:00 am - 10:30 am. For more information and to RSVP please click here.
  • November 6, 2014 - Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance's (DCAMM) First Opportunity Fair, 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm, Reggie Lewis Track & Athletic Center, 1350 Tremont Street, Boston, MA. For more information and to rsvp please click here.
  • November 17, 2014 - MBE Orientation GNEMSDC Bridgeport Office click here to RSVP.
  • November 19, 2014 - Pullman & Comley Legal Seminar on Employment Law Issues for Companies Doing Business with the Federal Government. The seminar will begin at 9:30 amclick here to RSVP.
  • November 20, 2014 - GNEMSDC/MBDA/CWE Best Practices Forum, Fenway Park, Boston, MA
DCAMM Opportunity Fair, 11/6 
  Connecting Businesses Sharing Upcoming Public Projects 
 Team Building & Networking

Thursday, November 6 (4pm-7pm)
Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center
1350 Tremont Street, Roxbury, MA 02120

Workshops:
  • How to Market your business
  • How to do business with DCAMM
  • Responding to Bid Requests/Proposals
Register here!
For more information contact Suzzette Waters at 857.204.1467
Can your business survive a disaster?
According to the Red Cross 40% of businesses do not reopen after a disaster. A Disaster Recovery Plan can increase your chances of survival. Please go to www.PrepareCT.com for more information or email Andres Lopez alopez@gnemsdc.org for one on one consultation. Get ready today to develop a Disaster Recovery Plan.
Corporate Member of the Week:   Sanofi
Sanofi is a global healthcare leader focused on patients' needs
Engaged in the research, development, manufacturing and marketing of innovative therapeutic solutions. Sanofi has core strengths in healthcare, with 7 growth platforms: diabetes solutions, human vaccines, innovative drugs, consumer healthcare, emerging markets, animal health and the new Genzyme.

Our mission: Shaping tomorrow's health
As researchers, we have it in us to be extraordinary bold and hopeful because in research what will happen ten or fifteen years from now is going to be determined by what we do today. We have the power to bring an idea from a scientist's mind directly to patients.
We act with our partners to protect health, enhance life, provide hope and respond to the potential healthcare needs of 7 billion people around the world.
We are creating new approaches to our activities and work sectors, and are mobilized for our priority goal of bringing medicines and vaccines to patients.
Innovating
To make tomorrow's therapeutic solutions real, we seek to innovate with our partners, who, like us, aim for excellence and efficiency. 
Dedicating
In all of our activities, we commit our energy and expertise to patients and address the veritable needs and realities of each market. Our passion is a cornerstone of what we do, because health matters. 
Standing together
We are a company committed to the cause of health. Acting with ethics and responsibility is weaved into the very fabric of who we are.
Helping, be it during emergencies or in daily life, means going beyond our obligations to protect and serve the greatest possible number of people.
Enhancing Diversity
Sanofi is dedicated to ensuring that opportunities are available to small, minority, women, LGBT, veteran, service-disabled veteran-owned businesses, HUBZone and disabled business enterprises, in the procurement of goods and services creating a supplier base which mirrors our customer base.
MBE of the Week:  CDW Consultants, Inc.
CDW Consultants, Inc. principals have over seven decades of combined employment
experience in public agencies, private consulting and design/build firms. This wealth
of expertise translates to leadership with sensitivity towards the regulatory processes and a full understanding of the technical and management challenges of any project. The talents, skills, and expertise of CDW's professionals are multi-disciplinary, which is a prerequisite for success in today's ever changing and diverse environment. CDW's constant strive for excellence results in a high level of client satisfaction and repeat business.

CDW's professional engineers are registered throughout the New England states. The staff are also Licensed Site Professionals, Professional Geologists, Certified Asbestos Inspectors, Planners, and Project Monitors, Registered Professional Planners, Certified Soil Evaluators under Massachusetts Title 5 Regulations, and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) accredited professionals. CDW's staff are active in and appointed leaders of renowned local and national technical organizations, including the American Society of Civil Engineers, Women's Transportation Seminar, Society of Women Environmental Professionals, and Licensed Site Professional Association.

The firm is totally automated using specialized industry specific software programs such as AutoCAD, HydroCAD, ArcView, and other state-of-the-art programs to meet the needs of our clients. Our engineers can readily utilize any specialized software which may be required by the client.
CDW is certified as a Minority and Woman-Owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE), and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE), by the Massachusetts SOMWBA, Supplier Diversity Office.

CDW Consultants, Inc. headquarters is located at40 Speen Street, Suite 301, Framingham, MA 01701. Visit CDW Consultants at www.cdwconsultants.com or via phone at (508)875-2657.
Bridgeport MBDA Business Center
 Doing Business with the U.S. Government: Are You Ready
   
Did you know that the U.S. Government is the largest buyer in the world?
The federal government spends almost $450 billion annually on goods and services purchased from private firms; almost $90 billion each year flows directly into American small businesses. There are government-wide procurement goals for businesses owned by minorities, women, and veterans and the government has resources to help small businesses successfully compete in the federal sector.On 
Wednesday, October 29th the Minority Business Development Agency and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will host a webinar on how to prepare your company to do business with the federal government. Join us to learn more about
SBA's 8(a) Business Development Program
that helps thousands of aspiring socially and economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs gain a foothold in government contracting.

REGISTER TODAY!     
Date: Wednesday, October 29th
Time: 1:00 PM Eastern Time
Register: Click here to RVSP
GNEMSDC Shark Tank Winners
         1st Place Winner                                2nd Place Winner                                      3rd Place Winner
                                                                                  
            Donna Gittens                                             Ray Boa                                                      Ramon Peralta
           MORE Advertising                                       A & J Construction                                                   Peralta Design

Invitations for Bid and Opportunities
FYI
Massachusetts Diversity Coalition Formed
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
The Community Business School (CBS) is every Saturday morning at 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 (203)288-9744 or RSVP Diane Thomas.  And if any MBE or corporate member would like to come and share their entrepreneurial experiences with the CBS students, email Jennifer Little-Greer at jlittle-greer@gnemsdc.org. I guarantee you - you will be energized by the experience.
 And Finally...
Next week, November 1 through 5, the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) will hold its annual conference and Expo.  This is an event that every MBE  should experience.  There will be over 5,000 attendees at the conference, this year held in Orlando, Florida.  The exhibit hall, on Monday, November 3, will be packed with large NMSDC national and local corporate buyers and supplier diversity professionals.  Also exhibiting will be some of the strongest, most capable minority businesses in our network.  On Tuesday and Wednesday, the conference will feature workshops for MBEs and corporate members focusing on how to grow their businesses and improve their supplier diversity programs, respectively.   (AND BY THE WAY, VOTE THIS WEEK BEFORE YOU COME TO ORLANDO.  THERE IS NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN VOTING.)   In between these high powered events, there will speakers during the meal functions and some high-powered networking receptions and meetings.  One such meeting that the GNEMSDC is co-sponsoring is with PCNet.  PCNet is a Connecticut based MBE that has recently opened an office in Orlando.  On Tuesday evening, PCNet will host a reception at their beautiful new data center in Orlando.  We invite you to join us. 

It is going to be a great week.  I am bringing plenty of business cards and will be ready to renew relationships and meet some new members to this band of brothers and sisters from all walks of life.  I am ready to be inspired and reinvigorated!  See you in Orlando.

In your service,

Dr. Fred