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!

Emmett Walker, CEO of Walker SCM, joined the Council in 1989. Since joining, he has built long-standing relationships that have been an integral part of his success. In fact, after more than three decades at the Council—two of which he served as the Chair of the MBE Input Committee (MBEIC) (2013 to 2015)—Emmett Walker is still an avid supporter and made the generous choice to become our VIP Sponsor for our 50th Anniversary year. 

As a long-standing member and supporter of the Council, Walker SCM embodies the mission of growing and developing minority businesses. Through his years of experience in business Emmett has learned many life lessons. One of them is the belief that the measure of one’s success is not just based solely on professional accomplishments, but is a compilation of how you live your life, being a good role model, mentoring and sharing the challenges and obstacles you have faced. 

About your company

Walker SCM was started at the kitchen table by Emmett and Betty Walker in 1989. Throughout the growth of the company, they have continued to embody and cultivate a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion. Walker feels it is paramount to encourage and motivate all of their employees for the betterment of their self-development, the company, and their customers. The family-oriented culture at Walker SCM is who they are and why employees have built a career with them. This has led to strong customer service and relationships that have allowed Walker’s growth to continue to gain momentum. Because of Walker’s vision and values surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion, the company strengthens its access to top talent, increases the quality of decision making by adding diverse perspectives, and enhances employee engagement and satisfaction.

The company thrives on the powerful combination of its people, technology, customer focus, and continuous improvement mindset. Walker feels its people are the heart and soul of their organization, bringing their diverse skills, expertise, and passion together to drive success. They are the driving force behind innovative solutions, ensuring that Walker stays at the forefront of technological supply chain advancements. The company’s cutting-edge technology empowers them to deliver exceptional solutions to their customers, therefore, exceeding customer expectations. With a strong customer focus, Walker listens attentively, anticipates their needs, and tailors solutions accordingly. Moreover, their commitment to a continuous improvement mindset fosters a culture of learning, adaptation, and innovation. By embracing change and striving for excellence, Walker SCM constantly refines its processes, enhances efficiency, and maintains a competitive edge. 

Walker SCM offers a wealth of knowledge in all facets of global transportation, logistics optimization and supply chain integration. They have a global reach, operating directly and through partnerships in over 25 countries worldwide. Today, their customers include a diverse mix of multinational and Fortune 500 companies. 

Together, their people, technology, customer focus, and continuous improvement mindset has allowed them to form the foundation of their company’s exceptional performance and long-term growth.

Walker specializes in the following services:

• Air & Ocean Freight Forwarding
• Customs Brokerage 
• Warehousing & Distribution
• Procurement
• Order Fulfillment
• Assembly & Contract Packaging
• Kitting & Sequencing

What does being a minority business, or supporting minority businesses, mean to you?

Being a minority business and supporting minority businesses holds significant meaning to me. It signifies a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. As a minority business, it means overcoming obstacles, breaking down barriers, and thriving in an environment that may not always be inclusive. It represents resilience, innovation, and the ability to succeed against all odds. 

Supporting minority businesses means actively leveling the playing field, fostering economic growth, and empowering underrepresented communities. It involves recognizing and valuing the unique perspectives, talents, and contributions of minority entrepreneurs. Ultimately, being a minority business or supporting one means championing equity, fairness, and creating a society where everyone has a fair chance to succeed and prosper.

How has being certified with the NMSDC helped your business?

The NYNJMSDC and NMSDC were where I met and built supplier and corporate relationships. The local and national levels of the organization forge a pathway for minority suppliers and corporations to not only work together but to hear each other thus laying the foundation for partnerships to grow over the years. Many of Walker’s top customers, which are Fortune 500 companies, are part of NMSDC and those relationships were grown through the organization.

What is one thing you wish you had known when you were starting out in your career?

One thing I wish I knew before starting my career is the importance of building a strong professional network. While academic achievements and technical skills are crucial, establishing meaningful connections with colleagues, mentors, and industry professionals can significantly impact one’s career trajectory and business opportunities. Networking opens doors to new opportunities, provides valuable insights, and allows for personal growth through shared experiences and knowledge exchange. By investing time and effort into fostering relationships within my field, I could have gained valuable guidance, access to opportunities, and a supportive community that could have helped propel my business forward.

For more information on Walker SCM, please visit: walkerscm.com or follow them on LinkedIn.

Alpha Business Solution’s CEO, Gene Waddy, has been a long-standing member of the New York & New Jersey Minority Supplier Development Council (NYNJMSDC). In fact, Gene joined the Council in 2005 when he co-founded his first enterprise, DIVERSANT.  Since then, Gene started and grew Alpha Business Solutions into the largest African American, male-owned payroll/employer-of-record firm in the industry and has seen explosive growth since its founding in 2017. 

As the Council celebrates its 50th anniversary, we are thrilled to announce the participation of Alpha Business Solutions as a VIP sponsor for this year’s anniversary activities and events. With Alpha Business Solutions joining as a VIP Sponsor, we look forward to furthering our shared mission and fostering meaningful connections between registered minority-owned businesses and corporate partners, propelling economic growth and opportunity for all. 

About Alpha Business Solutions

Alpha Business Solutions is a vision-driven company that is built for client service and community advancement. Their focus on diversity and inclusion is less to do with hitting quotas and more to do with making their company stronger and providing a competitive advantage for their clients. Gene Waddy started this company to create a different approach to staffing and employer-of-record services that combines professional solutions and diversity in a natural and authentic way. They are a payroll, staffing, and risk mitigation service provider for contingent labor, flexible workforces, interns, misclassified 1099 employees, pre-identified talent, seasonal workers, working retirees, and more. 

What They Provide:

Payroll Solutions

• Payroll & Benefits Administration – Payroll solutions in all 50 states and Canada that feature background checks, multi-lingual employee support, remote onboarding / off-boarding, expense reporting, ACA-compliant medical benefits, voluntary health benefits, state / local tax deduction management, and a 401K offer.
• Employer of Record – U.S. based customer service staff, client indemnification, customizable solutions for maximum MBE spend.
• Compliance & Reporting – state and federal compliance, independent contractor vetting, invoicing, customized reporting, EEOC compliance, ACA affordability regulations

Staffing Solutions

• Contract Staffing – They provide dedicated Account Managers and Recruiters to work with you to identify your talent needs and requirements. They provide top talent for IT and non-IT roles.
• Risk Mitigation – They also provide employee vetting, proper tax classification and absorb cost burden.

What does being a minority business, or supporting minority businesses, mean to you?

Being a successful minority-owned business allows me to simultaneously live the “American Dream” while being “in service” to my employees, customers, community, and other MBEs via my mentoring program UNITY.

How has being certified with the NMSDC helped your business?

I built two great businesses by leveraging the power of minority business certification embodied in the services offered by NMSDC. I am still building on business relationships I first made via the Council almost 20 years ago and I fervently believe that the best is still yet to come!

I tell my MBE mentees that NMSDC means access, NMSDC means a seat at the table, and it means you have an advocate to speak “truth to power” when it comes to the procurement strategies of major corporations.

In short, being certified allowed me to develop and grow both DIVERSANT and now ALPHA into competitive and scalable firms that solved business problems. The NMSDC was a major facet of the blueprint of success for my companies and it will continue to be for many years to come.

What is one thing you wish you had known when you were starting out in your career?

The one thing I wish I had known when I was starting out in my entrepreneurial career is that you don’t have to know everything to be a good CEO or leader – it’s exactly the opposite, the key is to focus on what you do well and then hire great people to fill the gaps. Hire people that believe in your vision and fit the hiring profile, take care of them, be in service to them, and they will in turn take your business into the stratosphere!

For more information on Alpha Business Solutions, please visit: zebrastrategies.com or follow them on social media: Facebook, LinkedIn, & Twitter.

NEW YORK, NY — The New York and New Jersey Minority Supplier Development Council (NYNJMSDC) is thrilled to announce that Alpha Business Solutions and Walker SCM have joined as 50th Anniversary VIP Sponsors for their momentous 50th anniversary year. These partnerships mark a significant milestone for the Council as it aligns with its mission of promoting minority business development, supplier diversity, and economic inclusion. The Council wishes to express its deepest gratitude to our VIP Sponsors for their generous support and commitment to advancing supplier diversity. Their ongoing partnership plays an integral role in driving economic empowerment and creating a level playing field for all MBEs.

The NYNJMSDC has been a pioneer in supplier diversity since its establishment in 1973. Over the past five decades, the Council has dedicated itself to creating opportunities for minority-owned businesses by connecting them with corporations committed to diversity and inclusion. As it embarks on its 50th year, the additional support of these sponsors further enhances its ability to drive transformative change and cultivate mutually beneficial relationships.

“We are thrilled to welcome these two certified-MBE organizations as VIP sponsors for our 50th anniversary year,” said Terrence Clark, President and CEO of the NYNJMSDC. “Their meaningful support is invaluable, especially during this time when we are exploring expanded opportunities for minority-owned businesses locally, and promoting economic equity throughout the network. Together, we will make a lasting impact on the supplier diversity landscape and foster a more inclusive business ecosystem.”

For more information about the NYNJMSDC, its sponsors, or how to get involved, please visit nynjmsdc.org or contact Maria V. Rosa at mrosa@nynjmsdc.org. 

About NYNJMSDC:

The New York & New Jersey Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc. (The Council) is an affiliate of the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC). The Council is dedicated to increasing business opportunities for certified minority business enterprises (MBEs) and connecting them with corporations and government entities that value supplier diversity. Through advocacy, capacity building, and supplier development programs, the NYNJMSDC promotes economic inclusion and fosters mutually beneficial relationships between MBEs and corporations.

The New York and New Jersey Minority Supplier Development Council is proud to announce the celebration of our 50-Year “Golden” Anniversary in 2023. As we reflect on the amazing milestone that is 50 years of serving our local business community, we think about all the progress we have made in empowering minority suppliers and connecting them to corporate members in need of their services. Not only is The Council able to help suppliers get recognized and certified as minority-owned, but we also help build and grow these suppliers through development programs and by offering ample opportunities to network and connect with other suppliers or corporate members. 

We have no plans of slowing our efforts this year —or any of the years to come— and are excited to embrace The Council’s 2023 theme: Amplifying Capabilities, Fostering Growth. 

This year’s theme is both a reflection of the core message The Council has strived to embrace since our inception in 1973 and a poignant reminder of the work still to be done in creating truly diverse, accessible supply chains for all. As we move into the 50th Anniversary year of the NYNJMSDC, we look forward to new ways we can amplify the message of our organization and build a greater connection between MBEs and new business opportunities. We hope that everyone can take time this year to explore new business opportunities, build connections that will enhance your goals, succeed beyond your expectations, and celebrate your successes. 

No matter where life takes your business this year, remember that you always have the support of the NYNJMSDC. We offer a range of networking opportunities and special events, providing the perfect opportunity for all of The Council’s constituents to create long-lasting connections to propel their businesses forward. This year’s Signature Events will take place on the following dates:

• Business Opportunity Exchange: May 18, 2023
• Biz Connect: August 10, 2023
• Networking for Scholarships: September 20, 2023
• Partnership Awards Gala: October 12, 2023

There will be plenty of other development and networking events in the coming months, and we invite you to stay tuned to our regular email newsletters and social media updates to make sure you don’t miss out on some great opportunities for your business. 

As always, we’re looking forward to continuing the advocacy, partnership, and mentorship relationships with our MBE suppliers and corporate members as we work to foster lasting, meaningful connections all year long. We strive to enable everyone involved with the NYNJMSDC to reap the benefits of connection and recognition offered through our past, present, and future efforts. And we look forward to amplifying the capabilities and fostering the growth of our members and community for another 50 years… and many more!