| It's Time to Summit Your Nominations! |
It is time for corporate members to provide their nominations for Suppliers of the Year, and for MBEs to provide their nominations for Corporation of the Year (Local and National), Buyer of the Year, and Advocate of the Year. Corporation members can make one nomination for each of the four categories of MBEs. Council staff can provide you information about the eligibility of the MBE and their category. MBEs will submit their nominations to the MBE Input Committee. These awards are very important for both corporations and MBES. MBEs on the MBE Input Committee select the corporate awardees, and any NMSDC certified MBE is eligible to submit a nominee. There are not too many better ways for an MBE to say thank you to a corporate client for a job well done, than by nominating them for one or more of these prestigious awards. Corporate members will submit their nominations to Andie Ryoo, the Director for Corporate Services,Akim@gnemsdc.org. These nominations will then be reviewed by the corporate members of the Nominations Committee. After careful deliberations, the Nominations Committee will select the Suppliers of the Year. Corporate members should also note that these awards are very important to MBEs who use these nominations and awards to demonstrate their value to other corporations. Please take the time to think about those deserving corporations, MBEs, buyers, and supplier diversity advocates. At this point all we need is the names of your nominees. Thank you. |
| Business Beyond Gaming Conference |
SAVE THE DATE!
Business Beyond Gaming is a groundbreaking one day conference aimed at fostering sustainable economic growth in indian Country and increasing opportunities for Minority-owned businesses everywhere.
Attendees will gain in-depth exposure to business experts, innovated ideas, new tools, techniques and resources for establishing successful enterprises.
We look forward to seeing you on March 5, 2015 at Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center. For more information contact Jade Melvin: Jmelvin@bridgeportmbdacenter.com
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| Special Advanced Leadership Program for Construction MBEs/DBEs |
The GNEMSDC in conjunction with Connecticut DOT and the Community Capital/GNEMSDC BondSure Program will offer a special 6-week training session for MBEs/DBEs in the construction and engineering areas. This six week program will begin on Friday, February 20 and run through March 27. Each Friday, we will have experts who will focus on:
Because of the support from Connecticut DOT, the program is free to certified DBEs. Scholarships are available for other MBEs who are not currently certified by Connecticut DOT. Upon the completion of the Special Advance Leadership Program for Construction MBEs/DBEs program and if your company is located in Southern Connecticut you will be eligible to apply for up to $100,000 in guarantee/collateral for a performance bond under our BondSure program. For more details and requirements regarding BondSure please go to BondSure.org or email alopez@gnemsdc.org. We "GUARANTEE" that this class will make your business more profitable and prevent you from making BIG avoidable mistakes. And we say this for any company doing business with state DOTs or other large prime contractors. You really cannot afford not to attend. If you are interested in attending this program, contact Diane Thomas at dthomas@gnemsdc.org. Space is limited. Here is what one DBE said about the GALP program that took place this fall: "I am pleased to report that the GALP program was outstanding. I was particularly impressed by the level of expertise of all the professors. The subject matter was appropriate and will be instrumental in growing our company and improving operating efficiencies. I was also impressed by the luncheon presenters and the advice provided. I highly recommend this course to any entrepreneur that is interested in developing his or her management skills and improve their ability to run a more efficient company." - Ray Boa, A & J Construction, 2nd Place Winner in the GNEMSDC 2014 Shark Tank Competition. |
MBDA January Webinar Series
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January 21, 2015 | 1:00PM
Access to Capital: Denied for a Bank Loan, Now What?
Hear from Hyacinth Vassell, Director of the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC), to learn how to best pursue business capital in urban communities. ICIC is a nonprofit research and strategy organization that aims to strengthen inner city economies by providing businesses, governments and investors with comprehensive and actionable information on urban market opportunities.
January 22, 2015 | 2:00 PM
Access to Market: Connect Americas
Connect Americas, the first social network for business in the Americas, offers a wide variety of services at no cost to entrepreneurs. The site promotes foreign trade and international investment. Come learn how to use this interactive platform to access communities of potential clients, suppliers and investors all over the world.
January 29, 2015 | 1:00PM
Access to Contract: Grow Your Business through Public and Private Sector Subcontracting
This webinar will explore subcontracting in relation to growth opportunities, potential subcontracting issues, and limitations. Join us to gain valuable contracting information to increase your business opportunities.
Register at http://1.usa.gov/1BbG0xG
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January 21 Boston MBDA CEO Roundtable Event
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On Wednesday, January 21 the Boston MBDA Business Center will hold its first Roundtable Event of 2015. This event will be held from 10am - 12pm in the Palladium Room at the Towers in the Copley Place Mall (2 Copley Place, 4th Floor, Boston). For more information or to RSVP, please contact Joanne Wang at jwang@bostonmbdacenter.com
Speakers:
Jonathan DePina, the City of Boston's Assistant Director, Capital Construction in the Property & Construction Management Department will be speaking about opportunities with the city of Boston.
Jennie Peterson, Manager of Development at Wynn Resorts, will discuss the procurement opportunities at Wynn's newest location in Everett. Michael Randazzo, Vice President of Corporate Purchasing for Penn National Gaming, Inc. will discuss procurement opportunities at Plainridge Park Casino in Plainville, MA |
GNEMSDC 1st Quarterly Meeting - January 28th
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We are pleased that the 1st Quarterly Meeting of the year will be hosted by Boston Scientific. This is an excellent opportunity to hear the latest news from the Council and gain new insight into doing business with our host.
The meeting will take place on Wednesday, January 28th from 1:00 pm to 4:30 pm in Marlborough, MA.
It is a great honor to confirm that Mr. Ratanjit Sonhem will be the keynote speaker at this event. Internationally renowned as Mr. Stress-Free, Mr. Sonhem is an inspirational speaker, successful entrepreneur, consultant and well know radio & television personality.
Mr. Sondhe was the founder and 34-year CEO of a material science company recently acquired by The Dow Chemical Company. He credits all of his worldly success and good fortune to realizing his place in the universe and unconditionally adding value to the bigger one ...our society.
Please click here to read more about Mr. Sonhem's Bio and his success story. |
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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GNEMSDC 40th Anniversary Annual Sponsorship
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 We are excited to announce that in 2015, the GNEMSDC will be celebrating 40 years of Minority Business Development and Supplier Diversity. We hope that all of our certified MBEs and Corporate members will consider being an Annual Sponsor this very special year. Attached is the Sponsorship Package for 2015. Your support is greatly needed and appreciated. |
Boston MBDA Business Center Featured MBE
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Vocalink provides a comprehensive, Managed Language Service plan to its Healthcare clients directly improving operational efficiencies through interpreting, translation, workflow systemization, interpreter quality, assessment, and training and compliance control.
Our healthcare mission is to partner with our clients to achieve culturally and linguistically competent healthcare by showing equality in healthcare services and providing exceptional care to ethnically diverse customers. Vocalink is a multilingual managed services company serving the global business community since 1995 and is a certified minority- and woman-owned business. During this time, we have developed partnerships with such clients as the Cleveland Clinic, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Premier Health Partners, Norton Health, KentuckyOne Health and more than 100 medical facilities giving us vast healthcare LEP experience. We provide both interpreting and translation services, we understand the critical nature for your language needs. The process of supporting your LEP population can no longer be done by exclusively using on-site interpreting. Vocalink provides on-site, over-the-phone, and video remote interpreting as well as international patient concierge services. We provide our customers with translation, editing, proofreading of written materials, cultural/interpreter training, localization, as well as Joint Commission and HHS Compliance. With our Central Enterprise Scheduling, your healthcare organization will have always have language service usage/cost reporting available. |
MBE of the Week: Comfort Essentials
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Comfort Essentials has offered a wide selection of hospitality products in the business industry since being established in 2009. Their high quality fabrics and good savings provided have been the foundation behind satisfied customers such as Linen Table Cloth and Cotton Love, LLC. Health clubs, restaurants and conference centers have benefitted from Comfort Essential services.
With various fabric materials and signature products, like luxury wraps and soothing amenities, this leading organization has built a base of trustworthy supplies and loyal clients.
One of the many distinct qualities about Comfort Essentials is the ability to customize products that are tailored to make your guests feel more welcome. By creating unique products, businesses can stay at the top of a prospective client's mind. Providing clientele with therapeutic take-aways are sure to make a long lasting impression.
From office towels and fragrances to elegant banquet linen, using Comfort Essentials will make your business stand out from the others.
For more information about Comfort Essentials services, please email sales@gocomfortessentials.comor call (800) 935-3006.
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| Daniel Penn Associates LLC |
 Daniel Penn Associates, LLC (DPA)'s perspectives on workflow and human behavior have been published in Plant Engineering magazine (PE). DPA consultant Jon Thorne's post, "Key Steps to Workflow Improvement in Maintenance" appears on PE's website at http://tinyurl.com/nvxxx6a. "Key Steps to Workflow Improvement In Maintenance"
Questions or Comments: Contact DPA @ (860)232-8577 or info@danielpenn.com.
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Can your business survive a disaster?
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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.
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Invitations for Bid and Opportunities
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| Bridgeport MBDA Project Director - Job Posting |
The Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council (GNEMSDC) is the program operator of the Bridgeport Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Business Center. The Center is funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency. The purpose of the Center is to assist minority business enterprises with growing their sales and profits, and increasing their access to capital. The Center supports its clients by offering business critical advice and expert consulting services. The Bridgeport MBDA Business Center is one of 44 Business Centers across America. The Bridgeport MBDA Business Center has a particular focus on growing Native American business enterprises.
The Project Director is the professional responsible for the accomplishment of performance goals and metrics. The goals include contracts, client financings, exports, the establishment of maintenance of strategic relationships and job creation and retention. The position is full-time. The Project Director reports to the CEO of the GNEMSDC and works closely with other MBDA Centers across the country and the National Office of the MBDA at the U.S. Department of Commerce in Washington, D.C. The Project Director needs to possess strong senior-level managerial and business development skills along with great oral and written communication skills. The position also requires that the person have experience in corporate and government supply chain management and minority business development. The position is available immediately. If interested, send your resume to Diane Thomas at dthomas@gnemsdc.org. |
| FYI |
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| And Finally... |
It is interesting how history and reality today intertwine in ways that force us to assess our connectedness. Yesterday, we celebrated the Rev. Martin Luther King holiday and this past week, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences selected nominees for their prestigious awards and not one diverse actor or actress was selected for any of the major awards. This is particularly troubling given that this year a major film, Selma, was released and eligible. To the Academy's credit, Selma was nominated for the Best Picture category. However, Selma did not garner any of the major individual award nominations. The question on many peoples' minds and what has been widely reported is: How could this happen?
The answer to this question goes right to the demographic composition of the members of the Academy who vote for the nominees and ultimately the winners. We know that the lack of diversity among decision makers is not a guarantee that there will be a lack of diversity whether we are talking about movie nominations, or contracts with large purchasing organizations. But we know that the lack of diversity among decision makers does not help. In the case of the Academy, it is reported that despite having an African American woman as its president, over 90 percent of voters are White and 76 percent are men and the median age is about 63 years of age. Nothing against old white men, but this is an institution that is crying out for change.
Change is not easy, and it is often not welcome and often vigorously resisted by those in power. For those in power, change is often viewed as a rejection of what they stand for ,and an accusation or at least an assumption of an inability on the part of this regime to be color/ethnic/gender neutral. But it is never necessary to cast aspersions on the motivation or the morality of decision makers. It often simply boils down to a matter of experience which informs cultural points of view. In this case, the Academy made a serious political blunder, and perhaps and artistic error as well. Appearances and perceptions are very important. Now they have the unenviable task of trying to justify, or at least ameliorate the growing perception that something is desperately wrong in Hollywood.
It is an interesting problem that any organization, including this one has when there are awards and the results come out in ways that question the decisions of the decision makers. My personal view is that when this happens, the executive should step in and force or cajole a decision that is more politically acceptable. Because five years after the event, people will forget the winners, but they will never forget the lack of diversity among the nominees. We like to think we should live in a world where merit is the basis of success. However, we also live in a political world where decisions may not always be fair, but need to be made. Supplier diversity is no different from what is going on in Hollywood. Sometimes, corporate leaders need to have a perspective that goes beyond perceptions of short-term profit calculations. In the big picture, diversity matters and sometimes matters even more than profits.
In your service,
Dr. Fred
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