As another year comes to a close, we are eagerly looking forward to what 2023 has in store for The Council! Next year marks our 50th anniversary year and we’re excited to announce that we will be able to provide some new and exciting opportunities to our constituents in the new year. However, this is the time of year for us to look back on all the connections we made and the growth that happened in 2022 — because there was a lot of it! 

In March 2022, we had the pleasure of launching a new, easy-to-use website with the help of our friends at Accelerate Media. We look forward to growing this site in the next year to make it a tool that all our MBE’s can use to get the latest updates and information. 

We also restructured our own communication strategy to help us deliver news and need-to-know information to our members by launching three new email newsletters. The Wire relays information to all audiences who are interested in what’s happening at The Council. The MBE Insider delivers information to our certified MBE’s that will help expand and grow their business connections – whether that be through promoting MBE-only events or by giving information on new grants or financing opportunities, this exclusive newsletter is sent every week on Thursdays. And finally, we launched the Corporate Connections newsletter, which is sent once a month to give updates and keep our corporate members in-the-loop on what’s happening.  

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In 2022, we were also able to expand many of our MBE opportunities. For example, the MatchMaking Sessions that were held this year began as sessions in our Business Opportunity Exchange. But due to their success, and several requests from our members for more events like this, we remade them into their own event—successfully launching a new event series that connected many of our certified-MBE members and corporate partners. We are eager to continue this quarterly event series in 2023 with new matches and opportunities.  

Speaking of the Business Opportunity Exchange, we were able to host this event virtually in April of this year, where we watched as our members worked to expand their businesses and network with other professionals. We listened to inspiring talks and gained insights from leading diversity officers and minority suppliers that enhanced our understanding of what diversity in business looks like in 2022. 

In September, we kicked off our Networking for Scholarships Golf Tournament at the Crystal Springs Resort in Hamburg, NJ. This world-class golf destination provided the backdrop for a memorable day full of fun in which our members made valuable, long-lasting connections with top corporate professionals, minority business owners, and other key influencers in supplier diversity. Through this event, we were able to generate financial support for the Council’s Scholarship Program that benefits qualifying MBE’s. 

In October, we celebrated our corporate partnerships with the Partnership Awards Reception at Pride Global. This event allowed us to recognize and honor the achievements of minority-owned firms and corporate members that stood out this year. Congratulations to all of our 2022 Award Recipients!  

Throughout the fall, we were able to amplify our programming efforts and bring valuable networking opportunities to our certified MBE’s. In fact, we were able to host our first in-person symposium, the Healthcare Symposium, at Mt. Sinai Health System’s  corporate headquarters. It was great to be able to spend the day learning how diverse suppliers can do business with the healthcare industry—in person! 

After all the good things that happened in 2022, we’re excited to jump into the new year and provide even more development and collaboration opportunities to our constituents in 2023. Because something tells us our 50th Anniversary year is going to be the best yet! 

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!