Month: January 2021

Keep up-to-date with what’s happening in the supply chain diversity space both nationally, regionally, and locally as well as get the latest NYNJMSDC news.

Corporate Spotlight: Joy Wong

2020 NY & NJ MSDC Advocate of the Year: Joy Wong

Joy Wong, Corporate Vice President, Head of Supplier Diversity, New York Life

New York Life won The Council’s 2020 National Corporation of the Year Award in no small part due to Joy Wong’s leadership as head of Supplier Diversity. Joy leads the program with a clear focus on adding value and opportunities for MBEs. She promotes supplier diversity both internally and externally, and organizes the program to facilitate connections with diverse suppliers. Her advocacy for the inclusion of qualified, diverse-owned businesses in all competitively sourced projects brought sizeable results; New York Life’s diverse suppliers grew from a 22% to an 85%+ inclusion rate.

Joy attributes her success to partnerships with other New York Life departments, including non-traditional supplier diversity partners such as investments, legal, and government affairs. New York Life’s successful Supplier Diversity Program would not be the same without Joy Wong’s visionary leadership and ability to collaborate with other teams. We applaud Joy’s groundbreaking strategies to reach, support, and include diverse suppliers in New York Life’s supply chain.

Corporate Spotlight: New York Life

2020 NY & NJ MSDC National Corporation of the Year: New York Life

Annually, The Council recognizes exemplary achievement in the area of minority supplier development. The National Corporation of the Year award is regarded as the most significant honor a national corporate member can achieve for the utilization of Asian, Black, Hispanic and Native American certified businesses. The national corporate member must demonstrate exceptional strength in all areas critical to maintaining a solid, minority supplier development process – policies; procurement, particularly growth in dollars and percent; MBE development; and leadership and engagement. We are proud to bestow 2020’s honor to New York Life.

The New York Life Supplier Diversity Program is designed to ensure that diverse businesses have equal access to our procurement process. Currently, their diverse suppliers include these groups: Minority-owned Business Enterprises (MBEs); Women-owned Business Enterprises (WBEs); Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender-owned Business Enterprises (LGBTBEs); Disabled-owned Business Enterprises (DBEs); Veteran-owned Business Enterprises (VBEs); and Service-Disabled Veteran-owned Business Enterprises (SDVBEs).

Some of their current initiatives involve exploring innovative approaches to facilitate diverse business inclusion in non-traditional areas, such as management consultants and investment firms. New York Life intends to continue and expand their customer base for diverse businesses and participate in activities that will introduce the company to new diverse suppliers. They also encourage their prime suppliers to subcontract with diverse businesses in the performance of our contracts.

Well done New York Life!

Corporate Spotlight: NY Power Authority

2020 NY & NJ MSDC Local Corporation of the Year: New York Power Authority

Annually, The Council recognizes exemplary achievement in the area of minority supplier development. The Local Corporation of the Year award is regarded as the most significant honor a local corporate member can achieve for the utilization of Asian, Black, Hispanic and Native American certified businesses. The local corporate member must demonstrate exceptional strength in all areas critical to maintaining a solid, minority supplier development process – policies; procurement, particularly growth in dollars and percent; MBE development; and leadership and engagement. We are proud to bestow 2020’s honor to New York Power Authority.

The New York Power authority (NYPA) and Canal Corporation believe that the economic viability and strength of NYS MBEs is integral to the economic growth and development of the State. NYPA and Canal Corporation support MBEs through adhering to NYS laws and regulations regarding MBEs, Executive Law 15-A and assessing eligible procurements for MBE goals, as well as direct awards and utilizing other methods of procurements such as single, sole source and discretionary spend. Outreach and education are also crucial.

NYPA and the Canal Corporation believe that an investment in its suppliers is an investment in the communities in which they reside, an investment in NYPA and the Canal Corporation, but most importantly an investment in New York State.

Congratulations New York Power Authority!

MBE Spotlight: AGM Tech Solutions

Mirtes Lobaito is a successful business owner and entrepreneur with over 12 years of experience in the IT Staffing Industry. She founded woman-owned AGM Tech Solutions – an IT staffing company, less than 2 years ago and recorded 2020 sales revenues of $20 million.

At the age of 20, she left her family and friends behind in Brazil and moved to the United States to pursue her American dream with just $1,000 in her pocket. Although she was not completely fluent in English, she was driven by her earnest desire to build a brand-new life.

Mirtes’ breakthrough occurred in 2005 when she landed her first job in corporate America selling software. She quickly became the top salesperson in that organization, and in 2008 she started working in the IT staffing industry. After much counsel, she took her next step in 2018 and founded AGM Tech Solutions.

She started as the company’s sole employee, and quickly grew AGM into a team of nine employees. “I am very proud of the work my team and I have accomplished together,” comments Mirtes Lobaito. “I firmly believe that through hard work and not submitting to the fear of failure, you can accomplish huge things in your life. You need to have a lot of faith, endless persistence, and tenacity each day. The greatest thing about being an entrepreneur is that you are the only one that determines how far you will go!”

MBE Input Committee

Calling all MBEs! We need your help.

Want to support minority businesses while advancing the network? Join The Council’s Minority Business Enterprise Input Committee (MBEIC). The MBEIC – part of the National MBEIC, encourages you to control your destiny and help us identify and address our MBEs’ business needs.

Under the leadership of our new chairperson, Cheryl McCants, president and CEO of Impact Consulting Enterprises, we invite you 1) guide the Council’s initiatives, 2) provide insight to advance the roles of Class I, II, III and IV MBEs in our economy’s success, and 3) develop innovative business development opportunities for MBEs and corporate members alike.

Join as a member, subcommittee lead or subcommittee member. The MBEIC is accepting membership nominations today.  So, nominate yourself or another MBE CEO to leverage your/their leadership expertise. Help fellow presidents and CEOs while forging new connections with fellow committee members, certified MBEs, and corporate members.

Be on the lookout for an email from Chairperson McCants detailing the committee’s work and the requirements for membership. Can’t want for the email? Contact Cheryl today at cmccants@eimpactconsulting.com. The MBEIC needs your voice and support in representing the interests of The Council’s many minority business enterprises.

2021 MLK Day

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” – Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day presents the perfect opportunity to reflect, commemorate, and celebrate this leader’s immense impact on the equality and well-being of all Americans. While we continue to strive for a perfect and equitable society, we should also recognize how far we’ve come since the merciless days of legal racial segregation. We should also identify the actions we can take to positively impact our communities, especially during the continued pandemic and the insurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Dr. King, a selfless, peace-promoting, resilient leader, strove to create a better environment for not just himself, but for everyone who looked like him. And, despite the challenges he constantly faced, Dr. King relentlessly stepped forward, speaking up and fighting for justice. His activism led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and subsequent Executive Orders that paved the way for minority business as we know it today. Dr. King encouraged Black Americans to embrace entrepreneurship and economic strategy as a means to uplift the Black community. Here at the Council, our mission of supporting minority business enterprises and promoting diverse suppliers directly reflects Dr. King’s vision.

He fought for a world where all Americans, regardless of the color of their skin, are equally capable of achieving the American dream. While he may be dismayed to see some of the inequities that persist in our world today, I can confidently affirm that he would be proud of our robust minority business community. The Council pledges to continue advancing minority business through informative webinars, unique networking opportunities, and transformative connections between corporate members and diverse suppliers. Review our calendar for upcoming activities.

Take pride in your success today while you reflect on Dr. King and the many activists who made our work possible. In commemoration of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday and in honor of the movement he inspired, let us work together to make 2021 a successful and prosperous year for all minority businesses.

Sincerely,

Terrence Clark