New York – September 12, 2018 – The New York & New Jersey Minority Supplier Development Council is proud to announce the Supplier of the Year award winners for 2018.

The winners this year are:

• Zebra Strategies (Class II – annual revenues between $1million and $10 million)
• CQfluency (Class III – annual revenues between $10 million and $50 million)
• Synasha LLC (Class IV – annual revenues over $50 million)

Each year, member corporations nominate Council-certified MBEs that they do business with. Nominees are then considered by a committee made up of corporate members, representatives of business organizations, and Council staff.

The Supplier of the Year winners have distinguished themselves and their businesses by successfully demonstrating growth in sales and employment while overcoming major obstacles; consistently providing high-quality products and services at competitive prices while offering innovative approaches and cost-saving ideas; continuously growing MBE to MBE purchases; and significantly contributing to the growth and development of society and their community.

“Zebra Strategies is beyond honored to receive the Supplier of the Year award. As the founder and CEO of Zebra Strategies, an all-inclusive qualitative and quantitative market research company, I know the value of agencies such as NYNJMSDC, which provides a larger sense of connection to a minority- and woman-owned small business,” said Denene J. Rodney. “Zebra’s presence in the market has grown exponentially over the past 17 years, enabling us to reach beyond my initial goal: to give voice to disenfranchised and ignored segments of the population. Zebra Strategies is now also a premier community liaison, building bridges and increasing understanding and respect for diverse populations.”

“Words cannot express how happy and excited we are for being nominated as Class III Supplier of the Year. We are very grateful to have been a two-time Class II winner, but it is a dream come true to finally be a Class III winner,” said CQ Fluency President & CEO Elisabete Miranda. “We have been blessed to have the support of many corporations and their amazing supplier diversity managers, such as Pauline Gebon of MetLife who nominated us, as well as the support of The Council. The power of this network is unbelievable, and as a certified MBE I believe that it is our responsibility and duty to include other certified MBEs in everything that we procure and really walk the talk. Together, with our amazing clients, our invaluable employees and fellow certified MBEs we can have a bigger economic impact in creating a much more inclusive world!”

“Synasha, a joint venture between Staffing Synergies, Inc. and Menasha Packaging Corporation, is proud and honored to be selected as the 2018 Supplier of the Year. We would like to thank Johnson & Johnson for recommending us and the NY & NJ MSDC for selecting us,” said Doug Crawley, President and CEO. “We are especially indebted to all of the individual members of the NY & NJ MSDC, who have been so cooperative and supportive during our certification process and worked with us at various events throughout the years. Finally, I would like to thank our Synasha team that has worked so hard to put us in a position to receive this prestigious award. Since our inception, our philosophy remains, ‘Don’t wait for opportunities; prepare for them, look for them and act on them.’”

Winners of the Suppliers of the Year award are provided a local, and hopefully, national showcase as they go on to compete regionally and ultimately nationally. They will be formally recognized at The Council’s Annual Partnership Awards Gala on November 1st, 2018 at New York Marriott Marquis, NYC.

Congratulations to all 2018 Supplier of the Year winners!

About the New York and New Jersey MSDC
The New York & New Jersey Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc. (The Council), established in 1973, is a vital link between major corporations and minority business enterprises (MBEs). Each year, member corporations have reported billions of dollars spent with Council-certified Minority Business Enterprises. Serving the New York and New Jersey region, The Council is one of the 23 regional affiliates of the National Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc.

Contact:
LaTisha Green
NY & NJ MSDC
212-502-5663 x1007

Mr. Emilio Mahomar is a visionary and strategist with over 35 years of experience as an executive and entrepreneur. A native of El Salvador and a U.S. citizen, he began his career in the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) in 1983.  There he managed trading operations for major accounts including Cargill International, Smith Barney, Dean Witter, and Prudential Bache.

In 1998, Mr. Mahomar co-founded Soundwriters, an offline captioning company that serviced media companies including Discovery Communications, Scripps Networks, and HBO.  He established the first offshore offline Spanish language closed captioning operation in Colombia.

Eight years ago, Mr. Mahomar launched Resilient Media and Resilient Resources. Resilient Media focuses on post-production, closed captions, and media distribution services, and works with global brands including A&E, Lifetime, truTV, History Español, Cine Sony, and getTV.  Resilient Resources is a consulting firm specializing in business development, marketing and branding, particularly for Minority/Women Business Enterprises (M/WBE) and Service Disabled Veteran Owned Businesses (SDVOB). The firm also represents government and businesses in-country, across the U.S., the Caribbean, Central and South America.

Divorced, Mr. Mahomar is a proud father of three children.