November 3, 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.

Dr. Olav Sorenson, the Frederick Frank and Mary C. Tanner Professor of Business at Yale School of Management  will be  our featured speaker this Friday, November 7 in the GALP program.  Joe Black, the Chief Procurement Officer at Aetna will be our featured lunchtime speaker.  We will also have President and CEO Juanita James from the Fairfield County Community Foundation as a luncheon guest.  The FCCF is a major sponsor of this exciting  program.  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.   
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
RSVP for the 6th Annual Supplier Diversity
Best Practices Forum, November 20
8am - 12pm * State Street Pavilion at Fenway Park (40 Yawkey Way, Boston)

The Boston MBDA Business Center, Center for Women & Enterprise & GNEMSDC  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. Keynote Speaker Marquis Miller of the National Minority Supplier Development Council will talk about the National Perspective of Supplier Diversity Programs and John F. Barros, Chief of Economic Development of the City of Boston will speak about Supplier Diversity in Boston.
The full list of speakers includes:
  • Warren Bacon, Boston MBDA Business Center
  • Joyce E. Eriksen Eggers, Takeda Pharmaceuticals International Co.
  • David Friedman, Boston Red Sox
  • Wanda Hubbard, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
  • Carlton Oneal, LightSpeed
  • Gayle Piraino, GAPS Promotions
  • Aprile Ricardi, United Technologies Corporation
  • Cecil Robinson, Early Morning Software
  • Wesley Stith, Clark Construction
  • Raul Suarez-Rodriguez, CVS Health
  • Paul Surprenant,Mohegan Sun Casino
Please RSVP by November 12 at:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/6th-annual-supplier-diversity-best-practices-forum-tickets-9906631000
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: 
  • 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 18, 2014 - Health Equity 4th Annual Town Hall Meeting on Health Disparities,     6:00 pm, Capitol Region Education Council Theater of Performing Arts, to RSVP click here.  
  • 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
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:  The Hartford  
 
The Hartford is in business to protect what is most valuable to customers-their homes, cars, businesses, income, and employees. We help individuals and businesses prepare for the unforeseen with insurance and income protection so they can prevail through loss, accident, or disability. Known for being ethical and trustworthy, The Hartford has delivered on its promises to customers for more than 200 years-a point of pride for our dedicated, talented teammates. Customers and partners tell us that Hartford people are caring and empathetic, build deep relationships, strive to exceed expectations, and distinguish themselves at times of loss. 

The Hartford also is committed to maintaining diverse business participation in its sourcing environment. The Hartford's supplier diversity program promotes collaboration, fosters strategic partnerships and introduces competitive sourcing opportunities that will enhance our mutual growth. We encourage diverse suppliers to register through The Hartford's 
onboarding portal. After registering, we will notify you by mail that your submission is in our supplier diversity database where our procurement professionals can consider you for future opportunities.

A business is considered a diverse supplier to The Hartford if it's certified by one of these organizations: National Minority Supplier Development Council,  National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce,  U.S. Small Business Administration (including disadvantaged businesses), U.S. Department of Veterans AffairsWomen's Business Enterprise National Council or your state or municipal government.
These organizations provide a direct link between corporate America and diverse suppliers.
For more information on The Hartford Supplier Diversity and Inclusion visit  http://www.thehartford.com/our-company/supplier-diversity 
MBE of the Week:   Orange Cleaning Services
Orange Cleaning Services has been serving the CT community for over 23 years. We offer both Commercial and Residential cleaning services. Our staff members provide high quality and reliable services you can count on. In addition, our friendly and professional staff are here to answer any questions you may have about our company and/or our services.

Whether you need routine office cleaning, post-construction cleanup services, specialized floor care and/or any type of residential cleaning, we have what you need at prices you can afford. At Orange Cleaning Services, our goal is to provide you with courteous, expedient, professional service of the highest caliber.

Browse our website for more information about Orange Cleaning Services or to speak with an Orange Cleaning Services representative regarding the services that we provide, please e-mail us atclean@orangecleaningservices.net or call us at (203)397-3838.
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...
Good companies are expected to do great things.  Great companies are not satisfied with the good.  I experienced this last week when I was invited to Pfizer's headquarters in New York City to participate in an exercise that was designed to significantly improve on an already outstanding supplier diversity program.  I was one of two external guests invited to participate in this process of seriously attempting to understand how supplier diversity can improve corporate performance while increasing diverse participation.  I want to thank Rondu Vincent and his team for offering me this opportunity to peak behind the corporate curtain.

You do not go to these events without learning something that you can share with others.  In addition to getting a better understanding of the opportunities and challenges at Pfizer, which by the way I am absolutely certain exist in most if not all of our corporate members, I was introduced to the work of writer Steven Johnson who has written Where Do Good Ideas Come From.  I strongly encourage you to take a look at this You Tube video story board and share it with your team.

But not only do I want you to think about how you can apply serious thought to improving your company, I believe the GNEMSDC can play a role in the speeding up of that process.   We invested in the MBE training room, where we hold the GALP, the Community Business School, and other training activities in order to facilitate MBE development.  The walls of our MBE Training Room are covered with white boards that you write on so that we can express hunches and turn them into actionable ideas.  In coming weeks, we will be invited you to attend a series of creativity sessions at the MBE Training Room.  (By the way we are looking for a corporate sponsor to name the MBE Training Room!).

So thank you Pfizer for providing me the opportunity to turn my hunch for the MBE Training Room into a program that can make our MBEs great.   

In your service,

Dr. Fred