“When you’re not incorporated, your personal credit and liability get impacted. You become the business and everything you do on the personal side shows up on the business side, too.” – Adam Moore Becoming incorporated is a monumental step for many businesses and their owners. Incorporating a company can open many growth opportunities: it can help protect business owners amid uncertain times like recessions and ensure a business’s survivability years down the road. So, how do you turn incorporat...
Jan 31, 2023•21 min
It’s a brand new year, which means it’s the perfect time to sit down and think about our goals and plans for 2023. Sometimes, it can be difficult to look forward. We can get stuck either not knowing what it is exactly we want to achieve or reaching for grandiose goals without a plan. How exactly does one plan and set goals to reach new business heights in 2023? In this episode, we delve into the process of setting goals, planning and strategizing for a profitable 2023. We discuss how knowing you...
Jan 24, 2023•38 min
Lee Henderson is the Americas EY Private Leader for Ernst & Young, a company he has worked with for the past 27 years. As a private leader and advocate for entrepreneurial access, Lee works with teams across the EY Americas Area to support high-growth entrepreneurs and private middle-market companies. In addition to his role at EY, Lee is a board member of The Big Shoulders Fund and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation. He is also a member of the Forbes Finance Council and The Economic Club of...
Jan 17, 2023•28 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 10, 2023•52 min
“Our hypothesis is that by empowering supplier diversity professionals with the technology and support they need, we’re ensuring that the next generation of diverse entrepreneurs will succeed.”~Chloe Guidry-Reed 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 busine...
Jan 10, 2023•52 min
Mayank Shah is the Founder & CEO of MSDUK, the UK’s leading supplier diversity organization. As an advocate for supplier diversity, MSDUK pushes for minority business inclusion in corporate supply chains. Mayank has championed supplier diversity over the last 20 years and has worked with over 125 international corporations and 1500 ethnic minority companies. They have delivered world-class events and various business development programs to help minority businesses be more competitive in the...
Dec 27, 2022•44 min
Mishaune Sawyer is the Senior Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Manager at JE Dunn Construction, a family and employee-owned commercial building contractor founded in 1924. She has over 20 years of professional experience and is an expert in the diversity, equity, and inclusion space. Theresa Schroeder is the Vice President and Regional Community and Citizenship Director at Turner Construction Company, an international construction services company that’s proud to be a leader in diverse markets. ...
Dec 20, 2022•49 min
Darryl Lesure is the Senior Principal Lead at Chick-Fil-A Corporate, a family-owned and privately held restaurant chain with over 2,500 restaurants across 47 states and Canada. Chick-Fil-A is known for its customer service, being named in Newsweek’s 2019 America’s Best Customer Service report. Darryl’s responsibilities as Senior Principal include providing supply chain leadership in innovation, apparel, and supplier diversity. Darryl has been with Chick-Fil-A for over 22 years. Darryl joins us t...
Dec 13, 2022•40 min
Gary Sutton is the US Firm Business Diversity Leader at Deloitte Consulting. Gary has over 18 years of sourcing and procurement experience, during which he has served more than 40 commercial and public sector clients. In addition to Deloitte, Gary has worked with the Boston Consulting Group and The Hackett Group. He completed his Bachelor’s degree in Economics at Howard University and his Master of Business Administration degree at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. Gary joins us t...
Dec 06, 2022•40 min
Michael Russell is the CEO of HJ Russell & Company, a family-run construction service business founded in 1952. It is one of the country’s most prominent African-American-run businesses specializing in real estate development, program management, construction, and property management. HJ Russell & Company have completed over 500 projects and managed over 20 properties. As CEO, Michael is in charge of strategic planning and connecting with other minority-led businesses. Michael joins us t...
Nov 29, 2022•31 min
“It’s shocking how many small businesses lose out because they don’t follow through with that proposal.” – Reena Bhatia Reena Bhatia is an advisor and the founder and Chief Proposal Architect of ProposalHelper, one of the first companies to offer fixed-price proposal support services. Reena founded ProposalHelper with the intent of helping small businesses—especially minority-owned businesses—have their proposals be on the same playing field as bigger competitors. Charles James is ProposalHelper...
Nov 22, 2022•32 min
Reena Bhatia is an advisor, founder, and Chief Proposal Architect of ProposalHelper, one of the first companies to offer fixed-price proposal support services. Reena founded ProposalHelper with the intent of helping small businesses—especially minority-owned businesses—have their proposals be on the same playing field as bigger competitors. Charles James is ProposalHelper’s Business Solution Manager, and his role is to help clients win more opportunities and maintain a competitive edge. Before w...
Nov 22, 2022•32 min
Victor Brown is a partner at Birmingham Business Alliance, a non-profit organization that helps businesses start and succeed in Birmingham. As a partner, Victor addresses the needs of clients and executives in various industries by supporting job creation and providing customized solutions. He also provides expert consulting services to guide businesses in pursuing more excellent opportunities and boosting their pipeline. Victor joins us today to discuss Birmingham Business Alliance's services f...
Nov 15, 2022•45 min
Leonard “Len” Greenhalgh is a Professor of Management at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. He has taught at Tuck since 1978 and has been a champion for minority business advocacy for longer. He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Rhode Island and a Ph.D. from Cornell University. He is also the author of Minority Business Success: Refocusing on The American Dream, which delves into the contribution of minority-led businesses and how they will eventually...
Nov 08, 2022•40 min
Mark Wilson is the President & CEO of Chime Solutions, a company that prides itself in delivering one of the best contact center solutions in the country by focusing on customer care. Chime is socially driven, unlike other outsourcing companies, giving underserved communities the opportunities they deserve with every transaction. Before it was called Chime Solutions, Mark was the CEO of Ryla Teleservices, a telecommunications company, for over ten years. Mark joins us to share how Chime Solu...
Nov 02, 2022•33 min
Kenneth Kelly is the Chairman and CEO of First Independence Bank, the 7th largest African-American-owned bank in the United States. Founded in 1970, the bank has served the Detroit-Metropolitan area and remains the only African American-owned bank headquartered in the State of Michigan. Kenneth is also behind the book, Prepared Before I Let Go, which outlines preserving professions through proper planning. He also developed My Legacy Items, a service that allows people to prepare their last will...
Nov 01, 2022•29 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 Drexe...
Oct 25, 2022•40 min
Marcelo Bernal is the Head of Business Development at Briteris, a software development company that provides clients in the payments and FinTech sectors with IT services and solutions. Their services range from solution architectures and UX & UI design to Test Automation, DevOps, and API and Microservices. Marcelo has over a decade of experience in leadership roles for various companies in the financial industry, including Goldman Sachs, HSBC, and Citibank. Because of his experience, he spec...
Oct 18, 2022•42 min
Paul Singer is an investigations editor at GBH News, a news agency that delivers local and national news for those in the Boston area and beyond. His passion for investigative journalism started in his childhood, having started his own newspaper when he was just ten years old. He had over 30 years of experience covering politics and government before deciding to move to Boston and put all his energy into local investigative news. One of Paul’s biggest projects involved uncovering the racial disp...
Oct 11, 2022•42 min
Environmental, Social, and Governance or ESG is a set of criteria used to determine if a company has sustainable business practices and actively cultivates a culture around sustainability. The ESG certificate allows investors to know if the company they’re putting money into is also considering Mother Nature in every project or business-related decision they make. Making sure each ESG company is graded according to standards is critical because some companies are only ESG on paper. In this episo...
Oct 04, 2022•25 min
The past 100 episodes flew by, and it feels surreal that we achieved this milestone. We’ve had wonderful guests who gave us unique insights into supplier diversity, equity, and what it means to have a culture that promotes intentionality. We have learned so much from each episode and wouldn’t have done it without you—our dear listeners. In this episode, we share our thoughts on the past 100 episodes and what we learned from our guests. We discuss how the podcast started, the episodes you likely ...
Sep 27, 2022•37 min
Michael Baptise and Margaret Beckley are part of Metro Atlanta Chamber, a 159-year-old organization that serves as a catalyst and represents the 29-county region’s businesses, schools, and nonprofits. Michael is the Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and has over 15 years of experience in talent management and human resources. Margaret is Metro Atlanta Chamber’s Program Manager for Economic Development. She is also the Manager at Atlanta Esports Alliance. Michael and Margaret joi...
Sep 20, 2022•28 min
David Vaughn is the Director of Supplier Diversity & Inclusion at Assurant, an insurance and business services company. They have products that support and protect major consumer purchases, including phones, vehicles, and appliances. David’s responsibilities at Assurant include sourcing suppliers/vendors, staff management and development, and financial and operation processes management. He holds a degree in Accounting from Georgia State University - J. Mack Robinson College of Business as w...
Sep 13, 2022•34 min
Nedra Dickson is the Global Supplier Inclusion and Sustainability Lead at Accenture, one of the world’s largest professional services companies focusing on strategy and consulting, operations, technology, and interactive services. Nedra promotes and leads Accenture’s efforts to maximize procurement opportunities with small and diverse businesses across 17 countries. She also holds several board seats within the supplier diversity community, including board memberships in the Women Business Enter...
Sep 06, 2022•50 min
Nedra Dickson is the Global Supplier Inclusion and Sustainability Lead at Accenture, one of the world’s largest professional services companies focusing on strategy and consulting, operations, technology, and interactive services. Nedra promotes and leads Accenture’s efforts to maximize procurement opportunities with small and diverse businesses across 17 countries. She also holds several board seats within the supplier diversity community, including board memberships in the Women Business Enter...
Aug 30, 2022•44 min
Mishaune Sawyer is the Senior Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Manager at JE Dunn Construction, a family and employee-owned commercial building contractor founded in 1924. She has over 20 years of professional experience and is an expert in the diversity, equity, and inclusion space. Theresa Schroeder is the Vice President and Regional Community and Citizenship Director at Turner Construction Company, an international construction services company that’s proud to be a leader in diverse markets. ...
Aug 23, 2022•49 min
Matt Colaciello is the VP of Communications at Hire Ground. He specializes in creative content strategies for social impact, strategic communications, and communications program development. He is filling in today for Chloe as we put the spotlight on certifications in supplier diversity. What are certifications? What are some of the benefits and drawbacks of certifications? In this episode, we discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly regarding certifications in supplier diversity. We define certi...
Aug 16, 2022•35 min
Getting started in any industry takes enormous effort and tons of paperwork which doesn’t include funding. You can always get by with bootstrapping, but that’s not the fastest or most efficient way. This is where venture capitalists can help. Venture capitalists can give you all the funding you need, but there are always strings attached. How do you ensure your business retains its identity when partnering with venture capitalists? This episode discusses how diverse suppliers can get capital for...
Aug 09, 2022•27 min
Supplier diversity has made leaps in recent years, making us wonder what it will look like in the future. To improve supplier diversity for future generations, we must ask ourselves what we should imp
Aug 02, 2022•40 min
Planning a supplier diversity program is not as easy as it sounds. They require time, the right mindset, and funding. What does it take to make a successful supplier diversity program? How do organiza
Jul 26, 2022•32 min
