As this year comes to a close, everyone at The New York & New Jersey Minority Supplier Development Council would like to take a moment to reflect back on the moments that made our 50th Anniversary year one of the best yet, because there was a lot to celebrate!
But, before we dig into what made 2023 so memorable, we’d like to thank our 50th Anniversary VIP Sponsors: Alpha Business Solutions and Walker SCM. Your support and guidance this year have allowed us to truly live up to our 2023 theme: Amplifying Capabilities and Fostering Growth.
In fact, we found many ways to engage with our members and supporters, including finally being able to host all of our signature events in person again. This was the first time since the COVID 19 pandemic began that we were able to do this.
We kicked off our signature events in May by hosting our 2023 Business Opportunity Exchange in the offices of one of our esteemed corporate members, BNY Mellon. The event was a sold-out success that brought together Council board members, corporate members and local MBE’s for a day of panels and workshops focused on ways to expand existing business relationships. .
In August, we welcomed members and colleagues aboard the Horizon’s Edge yacht, where we Networked & Navigated our way through Biz Connect. This was our first time hosting an event on a yacht and we enjoyed sailing along the New York harbor and taking in the stunning views of the city. And we’re so grateful it finally stopped raining so we could see Lady Liberty!
In September we swung into success at our 26th annual Networking for Scholarships. Not only was the weather beautiful for those who enjoyed time on two of the best golf courses in the Northeast, but we had more people than ever partake in networking activities off the golf course. We hope that we can bring even more activities to golfers and non-golfers alike in 2024–when we return to the prestigious Crystal Springs Resort in Hamburg, NJ.
Finally, in October we closed out our signature events with our 50th Anniversary Partnership Awards Gala. We rolled out the red carpet and dressed to impress as we celebrated our 2023 awards winners. View a full list of those who were recognized at this year’s Partnership Awards Gala: 2023 Awards Gala Recipients
Check out all the photos from our signature events on our website.
Save the Date for our 2024 Signature Events:
April 17, 2024 — Business Opportunity Exchange
July 25, 2024 — Biz Connect
September 19, 2024 — Partnership Awards Gala
September 26, 2024 — Networking for Scholarships
AMPLIFYING CAPABILITIES AND FOSTERING GROWTH
Perhaps the most important thing about our 50th anniversary year, is that we were able to continue to promote the growth of our MBEs and corporate members. Which is the true mission and spirit of The Council. This year, we hosted many educational programming events to help amplify opportunities and foster growth for our MBE’s.
For example, our “How to Do Business With…” series—a program designed to help our certified-MBEs get more information on the supplier acquisition process—had the honor of partnering with corporate members like Estee Lauder, Pfizer, Tough Leaf, Vizient and Northwell Health.
We also hosted workshops like Taking on Debt with Purpose (and Confidence) with the Business Consortium Fund and Public Sector Contracting: Best Practices and Opportunities with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
These were great opportunities to connect with big, influential businesses in our area, make connections with them, and learn how to better your business.
In our continued effort to do more with our members outside of New York City, we traveled upstate for MWBE summits in Rochester, NY in January—and in June. We’ll be returning this year with an event hosted in collaboration with the University of Rochester. Stay tuned for more information on that event because registration will be open soon!
We also traveled to Long Island for the 2023 Healthcare Symposium, which was hosted by Northwell Health this year at their offices in New Hyde Park, NY. And of course our 2023 Sustainability Symposium was held just a few days ago at Citi headquarters in NYC.
Luckily, we were able to host a majority of these workshops and symposiums in-person and online so that any member who wanted to join could do so—and we will continue this practice into 2024 as we begin to incorporate more programming events throughout the state of New York and northern New Jersey.
LOOKING FORWARD
For us, 2023 was a busy year! And our efforts paid off, because by the end of this year, we will have welcomed 360 new MBE’s and 27 new Corporate Members to The Council. We are excited to continue our partnership with all new and existing members into 2024.
Looking forward to 2024, we have already begun planning our calendar of events and hope to bring more unique opportunities for you and your business in the next year that will enhance your membership experience.
Print our 2024 event roadmap to stay in the loop on Council events:
For more ways to stay up-to-date with The Council and receive notifications about upcoming events, sign up for our newsletter and follow us on our social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, X, Instagram).
We look forward to meeting more of our constituents and creating lasting connections that will create a better future for you, and for the Council.
We wish you all a happy Holiday season and a prosperous New Year!
Sincerely,
Terrence Clark