MBE Spotlight
Mirtes Lobaito is a successful business owner and entrepreneur with over 12 years of experience in the IT Staffing Industry. She founded her IT staffing company, AGM Tech Solutions, less than 2 years ago and closed 2020 with revenues of approximately $20 million.
At the age of 20 Mirtes 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. Not completely fluent in English, Mirtes’ earnest desire to build a brand-new life led to her success.
Calling all MBEs! We need your help.
Do you want to support minority businesses while advancing the network? Join The Council’s Minority Business Enterprise Input Committee (MBEIC).
The committee is now under the leadership of our new chairperson, Cheryl McCants, president and CEO of Impact Consulting Enterprises.
We invite you to join us in guiding The Council’s initiatives; providing insight to advance the roles of Class I, II, III, and IV MBEs in our economy’s success; and developing innovative business development opportunities for MBEs and corporate members alike.
The Council Around The Web
The Council continues to provide meaningful webinars and resources for our certified MBEs and corporate members. Although our work remains remote, business opportunities abound, and connections remain to be made. Thank you to all who attended our 2020 sessions.
Be sure to check our calendar for upcoming online events.
Here’s a look back at some of the webinars we hosted in Q4 of 2020.
2020 Business Opportunity Exchange
The Council’s paramount virtual event of 2020 was our November Business Opportunity Exchange. For two days, corporate and MBE sponsors and minority business owners came together for unparalleled business opportunities, educational webinars, and pivotal networking sessions.
We would like to thank our sponsors, participants, and everyone who made this event a massive success. Although we were physically distant, we came together in the virtual convention halls to advance our goals and make lasting connections that uplift our entire economy.
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY EXCHANGE PERFECT PITCH WINNERS!
First Place:
Cheryl McCants – Impact Consulting Enterprises
Second Place:
Tamekia Flowers-Ball – Epiphany Blue
Third Place:
Elly Roman – Brookside Painting
2020 Corporate Awards
Congratulations to this year’s winners!
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. We are proud to bestow 2020’s honor on New York Life.
Advocate of the Year: Joy Wong
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. We applaud Joy’s groundbreaking strategies to reach, support, and include diverse suppliers in New York Life’s supply chain.
Local Corporation of the Year: NY Power Authority
Each year The Council selects a Local Corporate Member of the Year. The winner 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 upon New York Power Authority.
2021 Networking for Scholarships
Mark Your Calendars
Can anything be harder than running a business? YES! Running a business during a pandemic. Luckily, Vistage is here to help. As the world’s largest CEO coaching and peer advisory organization for small and midsize business leaders, Vistage has a winning approach to coaching businesses. Whether you are climbing Mount Everest or looking to grow your business, experts agree that you need a guide, a trusted team of peers, and world-class resources that keep everyone on course despite obstacles.
Vistage has coached more than 100,000 CEOs and business owners since 1957 with excellent results: on average, member businesses grow 2.2 times faster than other small and midsize U.S. businesses, according to a study of Dun & Bradstreet data. Each Vistage member is part of a local group of peers from non-competitive organizations, led by an experienced mentor, who support and challenge each other’s thinking with the goal of everyone’s success.
If you want a glimpse of how and why this works, join Vistage and the Council on February 3, 2021, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET. You will gain insight into what gives some of the world’s top-performing CEOs a tremendous competitive advantage.
Watch your inbox for event registration details.
On The Horizon
Thank You To Our 2020 Annual Sponsors
During these difficult times, The Council would like to acknowledge and thank our corporate and MBE champions. We appreciate your dedication to helping our mission of bringing opportunities to minority suppliers and advocating on their behalf.
Thank You To Our 2020 Supporters & Donors
