On this episode of Breaking Barriers, Building a Higher Ground, I had the pleasure of speaking with Adam Moore and Cloe Guidry Reed about the future of supplier diversity in 2024. In the rapidly evolving world of supplier diversity, Adam and Cloe delved into the emerging trends and challenges that businesses should prepare for in the coming year. Cloe Guidry Reed is a distinguished figure in the supplier diversity sector, known for her strategic leadership and innovative approach at Higher Groun...
Mar 05, 2024•29 min
February 2021 was Black History Month, a movement that is not and should not be confined to one month of the calendar year. Despite the best intentions of many companies to promise change in the workplace for the better, Black History Month’s message can easily get lost regardless of the many corporations pledging to make a positive change in their industries. In the last year, the Black Lives Matter movement has gained worldwide coverage helping to pull focus on Black history and the Black cont...
Feb 20, 2024•33 min
The Supply Chain Advisory Board for the University of Georgia is the primary contact between industry and Supply Chain professors and students. Marty Parker is a UGA alumnus and lecturer who helped launch the UGA Supply Chain Advisory Board and is currently an honor supply chain leader for UGA. He is a partner at TechCXO, providing companies with on-demand executives. Marty is a Strategy Expert in Supply Chain with 25+ years of Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing, Strategic Planning, Internation...
Feb 13, 2024•44 min
Welcome to Hire Ground, where we delve into the strategies that cultivate an inclusive and thriving workplace. Today’s episode, featuring the insightful Vicky Brown, CEO of Idomeneo Enterprises, takes us on a journey through the intricacies of creating an empowering employee experience. With a wealth of knowledge in HR and employee training, Vicky’s approach to shaping a positive corporate culture and improving interdepartmental relationships is both practical and transformative. Vicky Brown is ...
Feb 06, 2024•47 min
Welcome to another enlightening episode of Hire Ground, where we explore the intersecting paths of supply chain inclusion, supplier diversity, and creating a more equitable economy. On today’s episode, we have the pleasure of hosting Takema Robinson, an inspiring leader and catalyst for social justice through corporate change. Takema Robinson, founder and CEO of Converge, is not only at the forefront of advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the corporate world, but she’s also ...
Jan 30, 2024•32 min
In this week’s episode, we dive deep into the critical intersection of law, ESG, and racial equity with our guest, Johnjerica Hodge. As a partner at Katten and co-chair of their ESG risk and investigations practice, Johnjerica plays a vital role in guiding companies through the complexities of maintaining their ESG and DEI commitments while facing legal challenges. We discuss the importance of supply chain inclusion and supplier diversity, as well as the evolving landscape of ESG in corporate pr...
Jan 23, 2024•35 min
In this episode of Breaking Barriers, Building a Higher Ground, we had the pleasure of speaking with Leslie Chang from Caelux a California-based startup at the forefront of solar technology innovation. Leslie, as the director of strategy and policy, shared her journey from studying economic history to consulting for global development organizations, and how her passion for sustainability and climate change led her to Caelux. Caelux is not just pioneering in solar technology with their proprietar...
Jan 16, 2024•46 min
In this special episode we focus on Hire Ground, the innovative minority-woman-led B2B software company that sponsors and produces this podcast. Hire Ground gives enterprise buyers the tools to confidently source and manage suppliers while helping diverse entrepreneurs access new business opportunities. Through tailored configuration, data-driven matchmaking, best-in-class management tools, and unparalleled thought partnership, Hire Ground helps clients meet their supply chain inclusion goals wh...
Jan 09, 2024•51 min
Zuzy Martin-Aly is the host of the Girls in Tech podcast, a nonprofit organization with a mission to eliminate the gender gap in tech one episode at a time. She is an expert in brand strategizing and marketing and works with clients and agencies to promote their products or services in the most creative ways possible. Zuzy is also an award-winning filmmaker whose documentary film, Craving Cuba , was accepted to 13 film festivals. Craving Cuba inspects the Cuban-American experience, paying close ...
Jan 02, 2024•24 min
It goes without saying that 2021 fared leagues better than 2020 did. Many companies will start engaging with their consumers to celebrate the world’s grand reopening, especially now that we’re near the end of the year. However, what does it mean when your business only engages with the market when all is said and done? How do you engage with your diverse suppliers without it feeling artificial or forced? In today’s episode, we describe the wild ride 2021 has been and what we can expect for 2022....
Dec 26, 2023•20 min
Sarah Marske is the Founder and CEO of Saramar Group, a marketing consultancy firm specializing in connecting brands to the U.S. Hispanic market. Saramar Group integrates three core solutions for business growth with social impact: Hispanic Marketing Services, Social Impact Initiatives, and Consulting & Training. Sarah was previously the Multicultural Marketing Brand Manager for Coca-Cola. She led award-winning Hispanic marketing campaigns and social impact initiatives, earning multiple awar...
Dec 19, 2023•36 min
Bruce Katz is the Founder of New Localism Associates, a firm that helps cities finance, deliver, and design innovative initiatives that focus on sustainable growth and inclusion. He received the Heinz Award in Public Policy for his contributions to city planning and influences on the community’s economy and livability. He authored the book The New Localism , which provides a roadmap for change that begins in the local communities. Bruce is also the Director of the Nowak Metro Finance Lab at Drex...
Dec 12, 2023•39 min
Everyone has an experience of being promised something and then discovering the promise cannot be kept. While it may be easier to accept someone’s information without intending to follow up, you never know when that decision could come back to haunt you. It’s important whether you’re on the corporate side or the supplier side to remain transparent and be realistic about what you can actually provide in a partnership. In today’s episode, we talk about what both corporates and suppliers can do to ...
Dec 05, 2023•21 min
As the founder of four companies, Monique Mills is no stranger to blazing the trails of entrepreneurship in technology and digital transformation. She is passionate about helping companies overcome obstacles and innovate new roads to technological development and is intent on solving big problems within the modern world. As the founder and chief strategist of TPM Focus, Monique and her team offer a unique blend of corporate sensibility and startup scrappiness to help their clients align their ma...
Nov 28, 2023•41 min
Christine Rogers is the President and COO of Aspireship, a company helping tomorrow’s leaders by ensuring they perform at optimum level in their current roles with training, interview preparation, leadership development, and career development coaching. Aspireship looks to proactively match such leaders with fast-growing employers in need of talented and ambitious professionals. Christine has previous experience as a Senior Director of Sales for large corporations such as MINDBODY Inc. and Infus...
Nov 21, 2023•32 min
Abraham Xiong is the President of Government Contractors Association, Inc., a national trade association of commercial contractors and government agencies. The organization’s goal is to help small or minority-led businesses get their fair share of opportunities in the government market. Abraham is also the co-founder of Blockchain Chamber of Commerce, a membership-based organization supporting emerging cryptocurrency and blockchain industries. Abraham joins us to discuss how he and his group hel...
Nov 14, 2023
Amanda Hammett is the CEO of Core Elevation, a company dedicated to helping high-performance leaders achieve even greater results and working with Inc. 5,000 corporations to strategize attracting, retaining, and engaging top-level talent. She is also the host of the Next Generation Rockstars Podcast (aka Millennial Rockstars), where she proves her nickname as the ‘Millennial Translator’ by interviewing millennial business prodigies on the secrets of their success and the motivations that focus t...
Nov 07, 2023•41 min
It’s no question that having supplier diversity can elevate a company’s financial growth—especially if more companies actively pursue supplier diversity. In fact, CVS Health reported their supplier diversity program contributed an astounding $5.5 billion to the US economy in 2018. This shows supplier diversity isn’t just a trend or a fad businesses can ride until it loses its luster. Supplier diversity improves your company’s relationships with minority-led and LGBT-led companies and lets you ca...
Oct 31, 2023•31 min
Joy White is a mindset and wellness coach, keynote speaker, and the founder and CEO of Flawed Masterpiece, a health and wellness business that wants Black women to adopt a lifestyle of self-care, healing, and inner peace. She has over 16 years of experience holding executive positions in non-profit boardrooms, international law firms, and small boutiques. Joy founded Flawed Masterpiece to help clients navigate professional roadblocks exclusive to Black women as they work in male-dominated indust...
Oct 24, 2023•34 min
Dr. Janelle Williams is the co-founder and CEO of Atlanta Wealth Building Initiative, a catalytic nonprofit that seeks to build Black wealth through community wealth-building strategies. Committed to advancing investments and policies that increase opportunities for disinvested communities, Janelle has led several strategies for the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and the Annie E. Casey Foundation to advance inclusive and thriving communities. She has also served as a congressional fellow in the...
Oct 17, 2023•50 min
Matthew Sekol is the Global ESG and Sustainability Advisor at Microsoft. Matthew has over 20 years of experience in storytelling, pioneering disruptive strategies, and influencing transformation by unpacking and clarifying organizational risks and opportunities to senior stakeholders. In addition to serving as an advisor at Microsoft, Matthew is an ESG speaker and writer who has co-authored whitepapers on ESG data rating agencies and data aggregation as well as financial services and biodiversit...
Oct 10, 2023•42 min
LaMecia Butler is the Program Manager for Meta’s Supplier Diversity. As Program Manager, LaMecia shapes the engagement between Facebook’s supplier diversity team and key stakeholders, which include internal buyers, management, media, diverse suppliers, and industry partners. LaMecia is also the Principal of GEM Legacy Management LLC, a firm that consults with organizations to identify the best strategies for maximum and lasting impacts on communities and individuals. LaMecia received her MBA fro...
Oct 03, 2023•38 min
Vicky Brown is the President and CEO of Idomeneo Enterprises, a strategic business process outsourcing firm that specializes in Human Resources. Vicky’s HR expertise and leadership experience encompass industries such as technology, entertainment, and advertising. In addition to her role as CEO of Idomeneo, Vicky is an accomplished coach who helps new entrepreneurs on their journey toward establishing and running a successful business. She is a recipient of the Senior Professional in Human Resou...
Sep 26, 2023•48 min
Jon Suber is the Supplier Diversity Manager at Freddie Mac, a government-sponsored private bank providing mortgage capital to lenders to make homeownership possible for millions of families and individuals. Jon has a BSBA in Marketing from the Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh and an MBA in Supply Chain Management from Howard University. Before working in his current role Jon worked for international corporations that include Proctor & Gamble and Unilever. He h...
Sep 19, 2023•40 min
“We know that women are making tremendous strides, but they’re still fighting for opportunities for success in the workplace and as entrepreneurs.” – Cloe Guidry-Reed March has arrived and Spring is in the air! March may be the month of rebirth and regrowth, but it is also the month dedicated to honoring women in business. March 8th was International Women’s Day, a global day celebrating women’s social, economic, and political achievements. March is also Women’s History Month, a month holding so...
Sep 12, 2023•21 min
“Supplier diversity for me from a corporate standpoint isn’t so much a definition or a case study as it is a program where we’re actively helping reduce barrier of entry to small and diverse businesses into corporate America” – Adam Moore Do you think you understand and practice supplier diversity and inclusion? The Harvard Business Review describes a diverse supplier as “a business that is at least 51% owned and operated by an individual or group that is part of a traditionally underrepresented...
Sep 05, 2023•18 min
“We realize that you can be everything to everybody. There is absolutely no way that we can all be good at everything, and we’re looking for specialists to come in.” – Adam Moore Do you know why you did not get that call back? There are many topics and attitudes we believe are good to share during sales meetings, because we think it adds value. However, most corporations know what they specifically want, and if you send the wrong message, they will find someone else who is more aligned with thei...
Aug 29, 2023•9 min
“A succession plan is critical for small, medium, and diverse businesses—it is how your business lives beyond you.” – Adam Moore A business succession plan is something not commonly discussed among small and diverse businesses. After all, it’s especially difficult for any founder—especially those who think of their business as their child—to think of themselves as replaceable. However, in a rapidly changing, post-COVID market, succession planning has become more important than ever—having plans ...
Aug 22, 2023•26 min
“A business continuity plan sounds scary, but it allows you to do much more than just run a business—you have to come out of being the ‘Chief Everything Officer’ and truly become the CEO.” – Adam Moore An emergency is bound to happen in any organization, whether it’s a Fortune 500 company or a small, diverse business. For any business, preparation is better than cure. That’s where the business continuity plan comes in; it’s a wonderful document that helps you and your people navigate times of un...
Aug 15, 2023•29 min
“Through business excellence, we can transform communities that have had historically high rates of poverty into predictable wealth.” – Louis Garcia This week on Breaking Barriers: What inspired Louis’s entrepreneurial desire Louis’s thoughts on inclusive generational wealth Using business excellence to elevate communities from poverty Why many businesses have problems with buying too many CRMs Case studies that have shown the results of their small business projects Louis’s advice to the small ...
Aug 08, 2023•20 min
