 Okay, good evening. First off would like to bring you greetings from the city of Durham the county of Durham and our other counterparts and colleagues that have come together tonight to welcome you to Connect with you to engage and really discuss how we as a community Can continue to support the effort in terms of building supporting and helping grow the minority business community in Durham and beyond To that end for tonight's event in terms of trying to help further that initiative We pulled together some of our local colleagues that have committed to supporting the growth and development of our my minority business communities As you see here are some of the representatives here that are listed on this slide We will have presentations of approximately two to three minutes from those individuals to kind of talk about Their organization their commitment to the cause and how this collaboration How they see themselves fitting into this collaboration to that greater end of hoping and improve equity and access opportunity for our minority business communities Now in terms of introductions, my name is Eric Miller. I'm with the city of Durham's equity and inclusion department I've been with the city for about five years now. I work in our contracting and compliance division All the other individuals on our panel that will be before you tonight. They'll introduce themselves at the designated time Okay, in terms of bed week the things that we want you to consider for the upcoming week tonight We have to meet the team the event to meet the team event. This is where we're going to talk about the collaboration Tomorrow we have the honor ceremony where we'll recognize the achievements of minority businesses in the community our Advocates and talk about how we as a community can continue to build on this momentum and effort that We're all trying to support in terms of building equity for our minority business communities On Wednesday, we're going to have the engaging and local growth Discussion and this is where we're going to talk about some local partners and initiatives that Within their organizations. They want to do they want to support In efforts that they're committed to to help further the cause as well On thursday, we'll have the minority business fair If that event will provide opportunities for business owners to offer their one to two minute pitch To discuss their products and scope scope of services and talk about how They want to promote and market their business and possibly engage with some of our partners that will be presenting tonight And then on friday, we're going to talk about how we as individuals and organizations can help reduce cyber risk So we want to have a presentation about some of the things that we can do as an organization to protect ourselves to prevent against those threats Okay, so this environment is a little different than what we've been accustomed to For our med week events. We are excited though that it still allows us to connect as a community In ways that we've done in the past Last year we were we didn't have our med week And we didn't want to miss an opportunity for another year to connect engage and show our continued support towards these towards our cause Now in terms of agreements that we need to make beforehand when utilizing these virtual platforms We will try to accommodate everyone with questions We'll a lot enough time throughout the presentations to allow people to ask questions Primarily through the chat box. That's going to be the best mechanism for us since we have a larger group that will be in attendance tonight So we're asking that you type your questions in the chat box And we'll answer those at the appropriate time, which will probably be following the presentations from our respective panelists Now in terms of background noise We're asking everyone to mute themselves because as I mentioned earlier, we do have a larger audience and To limit the number of background the amount of background noise we're requesting that everyone mute themselves And we'll we'll certainly Allow access if you've been recognized to respond and We'll certainly unmute you at that time because we want to make this event as engaging and interactive as possible Now in terms of why we're here 30 years in that we can derm Welcome again to the city's city of derm's minority enterprise development week We're excited about this year because this is a unique opportunity for us to come together in this virtual arena and continue the work that we're all committed to do It's an exciting opportunity because we can highlight some of the achievements of our colleagues and business counterparts as well And continue to educate connect and engage in ways that sustainable Informative and genuine so we want to make sure that these events provide That unique experience that you know gives you something that you can walk away from that's unique to to derm to this year's med week And your operation as well Over the years the city of derm has partnered with many organizations and corporations and individuals In this effort and that's why it's important for us to highlight the collaboration component of Of what we're really trying to drive home during this week of med week Over the past year the pandemic has affected has affected many business owners and us personally in ways that Many of us haven't experienced prior to this time So it's important that we can leverage our partnerships our relationships and lean on each other in times like this to propel us In ways that we need that additional nudge, you know in times that it can be more challenging And so to that end we really want to emphasize the importance of collaboration Which is why this night's event it's really focused on helping build Those internal and external relationships that will be key for all of us to establish sustainable partnerships moving forward Now in terms of the purpose Now med week really is about celebrating the accomplishments and achievements of our minority business communities But it also gives us an opportunity to reflect upon areas where we may need to improve upon Now with derm being a very diverse community As you can see some of the percentages of the demographic breakdown It's important that the diversity reflects in the opportunities and the realization of the economic prosperity that others see within our community So to that end it's important for us to continue to be innovative creative And really challenge, you know one another to do more to continue to support the growth and development of minority business communities And as you can see there's a lot of barriers and challenges that our minority business community is still experiencing And so we really want to make sure that we we highlight where we've been able to succeed And go beyond those barriers but also recognize where those barriers and obstacles obstacles still exist And discuss mechanisms and resources that we as a community and collaborative partners can continue to develop and support to take us beyond those challenges and One thing that I wanted to highlight is that we did have a disparity study that was done Back in 2014 that identified some of the racial disparities that existed within our local marketplace And so it's important like I discussed earlier to recognize where those barriers and challenges exist And so we're going to continue to do the work that's important to continue to move our community beyond Those challenges that we've seen over the last few years so So now in terms of what that means for us and what we're at today as a result of those challenges and what we've highlighted before We all understand that there's a part that we play in this process As someone who works in a local municipality here in the city of derma understand How me and my role fit into the process and how I need to support and continue the work to do the work It's necessary to further our Our purpose alone But to that end it takes all of us it takes the community. It takes the residents It takes the business owners. It takes our advocacy groups It takes the private industry partners It takes all of us as a comprehensive unit Operating cohesively to continue to support the growth that goes beyond not just the walls of derm but nationally and globally And our study results show that derm you know sorry The study results have shown that there's certainly things that derm needs to do And one of those is to continue with our race-based programs that really highlights the need to have project participation certain Opportunities through small business initiatives that support the growth and development of those small business communities Now on to the collaboration a lot of the focus tonight is About how we can work together as a cohesive unit And so I really want to focus now on how we as individuals play those parts in that process and so What you're going to hear tonight is representatives from various organizations and private industry partners that are committed to the work and have partnered with us to help continue to support from a resource standpoint from a informational educational resource as well as provide some technical guidance and those opportunities where the subject matter expertise may be lacking Uh in certain areas internally we can lean on their subject matter Proud us to kind of help us further enhance the work that we want that we're going to continue to do And so some of the partners that are going to be highlighted tonight are The city of derm we have the county as well Derm public schools the hub office the national institute of economic development Institute of economic development the greater derm black chamber of commerce the derm chamber duke health the chase construction Samic corporation sass and stanza to name a few And at the conclusion of the presentation, we really want to open up for the informal discussions We can really talk As a unit about some of the things that we can do uh to help further this effort in cause Okay, and so I've you've heard enough of me already But you're now it's my time to talk about some of the things that are going on with the city of derm And how we as a city want to continue to support the growth and development of minority business communities So a lot of people are familiar that the city of derm does have participation requirements on our project on our project opportunities which are broken down broken down into the four contracting categories We have minority goals set for construction We have goals set also in the professional service arena We have them in the service category and in the procurement of goods So it's an opportunity for us to establish baselines for participation for our minority businesses in that space The challenge oftentimes though is it doesn't create enough first tier participation and real opportunity for growth and In full participation in the contracting process And so some of the things that we really want to focus on moving forward is providing the necessary support to whether that's in the finance the financial support arena or whether that's in the information access space as well oftentimes we found out that information about you know perspective opportunities doesn't necessarily filter down To the respective communities quick enough so that they can be active participants in the process So we really want to focus on being more transparent in information and more direct and immediate And how we connect the firm to real opportunities And part of that really relies on us getting intel from you as a business owner about where you see yourself fitting in the contracting process So that we're not more knowledgeable about the makeup of our local marketplace We also want to focus on technical assistance programs that are more customized and personalized for the specific needs of business owners Oftentimes, there's things that we've done that support a broader need But we really want to focus on what are those things that Certain business owners need and may have been lacking in the past and what resources we have access to to support Them gaining better access to enhance their own personal operations and then in turn, you know, strengthening up our overall business ecosystem Another way that we've accomplished that is through our small local business program as well That's an opportunity for business owners to participate as a prom On opportunities that tend to be smaller in amount and size So it's a way for us to target specific opportunities in certain communities for them to engage directly with the city And so for some of the things that i'm discussing tonight I won't have enough time to go in a lot of detail But I really want you all to think about how you see yourself fitting into the contracting process with the city And maybe some of the needs you need from a resource standpoint for us to support your your business moving forward And I encourage you to reach out to our office and and see what what assistance we can offer to that And i'm going to have my information available later in the chat So now i'm going to transition this portion of the pre-sale presentation over to keisha davis Hi, thank you, eric. Um Like you. I mean, I I I know that I won't be able to share everything that we're doing but I hope to give you all A brief overview of what the mwbe program does. First of all, let me back up a little bit and say that My name is keisha davis and I have been the mwbe program coordinator with Durham county government for about seven years now and When I look at Med week this year, I'm put in mind of our theme for this year, which is thriving through adversity Last year we were not able to have med week Because of cobit and this year we are attempting to pivot And have a virtual med week. So We're working through some of the the nuances with that. So I'm appreciative to everyone that is here Honored to say that I I work for Durham county government and that I work for an organization that is committed to equity and the procurement of our goods and services So much so that we have an mwbe Ordinance which governs the program that I coordinate And I like to think of our approach as a multifaceted one and approach in minority enterprise development And I'll go over a little bit about what that looks like One of the things that we do is we work with minority and women business owners To assist them in being ready and able to contract with us For goods and services and we also work with those who are not ready And may not ever contract with us for good goods and services to make sure that they Have business readiness skills and that They they know how to operate in the business ecosystem that exists out here One of the ways that we help internally is that we have an e-bid system of vendor Registration where we assist companies with registering their business with us so that they are informed about opportunities We also do trainings and workshops on hub certification and also Doing business with the county We go all the way back to the basics for even just establishing a business in north carolina Another thing that we do is we work with our internal departments We work with our county departments to ensure that they are trained and that they know where to find minority businesses Minority or women-owned businesses. We work with the hub office. So I do want to Stress that and we also help them to identify business owners that are in the community that we may not be aware of That they want to work with and perhaps those people need some assistance. Perhaps they need to know about certification we we use our county departments to act as a resource for us as well as we provide resources to them with the Internal website and the trainings that we provide for them Another thing is what we're doing here today. What i'm doing here today is collaborating with external organizations Work very closely with eric and the city And putting on different events. We do trainings. We collaborate on outreaches Some of the other sponsors here. Let's chase and skanska who have served as our seamars Work with them on pre-bid events pre-qualification events The institute is instrumental in helping to provide Specialized training that we need internally and externally so I definitely want to emphasize the importance of collaboration We'll echo what eric said that it it takes a village. It takes collaboration for us to help Encourage minority enterprise development and and that is our goal So i'm very thankful for the collaborate collaborative partners that are that are here this week That we all get to come together like this You know more than once a year One thing that Some other resources that we have as a program is the derm county mwbe website That can be reached and i'm going to share all of this information in the chat at wwdcpurchasinggroup.com We also have a facebook page And a newsletter that i would welcome And invite each of you to subscribe to and i'll be sharing information in the chat function For you all to reach out to me and for any other questions concerns Anything that you would like to know i would just want to convey that i'm here to be of service and I'm just happy to be here among the team On celebrating this med week and thriving through adversity. Thank you, eric Thank you kisha Next you're going to have fredrick davis from derm public schools fred may not be here as of yet, so we're going to move on and Now we're going to hear from tandy hall from the north kilana office will historically under you Utilize businesses Miss hall Hi there This Oops Am I back all right actually i'm sharing that a mac and tire filling in for director tandy hall on today And so i thank you so much again for the opportunity to be able to share some of the things that that we're doing At the hub office and so i am going to share my screen Um, let's see. Okay. It looks like i don't have the option to share so i'll just talk through it so one For folks to just kind of have a high level overview of what it is that we do at the hub office and of course We're responsible for the statewide certification program Um, and that of course feeds then into the local programs, uh, the local mwe programs We have accountability with over 700 agencies that do reporting on a quarterly basis and so that's across goods and services as well as As well as the construction side of the house So the numbers that we achieved for fiscal year 20 21 We're excited about them because they're the highest that those numbers have been in over 15 years and so The state spends about nine billion dollars a year in goods and services And so the hub spending, uh, we were at about 593 million Is where we ended the year we were at 6.04 percent. And so we definitely intend to continue Certainly because we still have that 10 percent Goal that we have to spend with hub firms. And so we are continuing to work that however The needle is in fact continuing to move and so we are continuing with uh, you know the various strategies On the construction side of the house. We achieved a little over 21 And so we've generally done, you know, uh better and had certainly Way more than the 10 percent on the construction side of the house The total dollars that we're spending there and that we're getting though into the pockets of hubs Still is lower than what the opportunity is on the goods and services side. So we certainly continue Again to move in that direction so that we continue to really build The momentum ultimately the opportunity that hub firms have to do business with the state of north carolina There is a disparity study. I know earlier eric mentioned 2014 for durham Well, the state of north carolina completed a disparity study last year. And so those recommendations are in process All of that can be seen there the reports all those things are there on the on our website So we're in process of recommendations at this point So there are a number of committees that are doing work To continue, uh, there's a focus on business development There are things that are looking at the policy Because we certainly know that along with the boots on the ground kind of work that's being done We have got to continue To advance the policies so that there is a foundation upon which to be able to do a lot of the work And really expand the work that is is is being done Along with that we're also You know, hopefully everybody knows about the retool in c program And so that of course is a special effort that director hall and others through the state of north carolina Were able to pull off last year was the first round of it There's a second round that opened up just a few weeks ago or maybe just a week ago seems like more time than that but We just opened up that program again And so that's an opportunity for folks that meet the eligibility For them to be able to get anywhere from 10 to 25 thousand dollars into their business specifically for underutilized firms that include Up firms as well as dbe's through department of transportation the disadvantage business enterprises And so we're excited about that program continuing also There's work that's going on with our nc small business enterprise program And so that's where the focus is on firms that Make less than 1.5 million have less than 50 employees. I'm sorry less than 100 employees for that particular program and so really looking at ways To really open up additional opportunities for that segment of of the population of business owners We also have our minority business development agency business center that we have just Was awarded this year to us and so we're in the process of getting that up and going and so again It's another opportunity to continue to focus on particular segments within our small business community to really ramp up Really help with resources technical assistance And so we are able to do what we do because we have a great staff But we have great great partners And so we really continue to look forward to the opportunity to strengthen our partnerships and our collaborations across the board As we are implementing recommendations based on what has been happening with the disparity study Then we're looking to increase the hub coordinators. We're looking to have more data Transparency in terms of really being able to drill down into the data and better understand You know how the dollars that are being spent ultimately link back to The different types of businesses that we have as it relates to their goods and services or construction line of things that they're doing so We also offer of course on an ongoing basis. There are training programs that we offer There's one called our purchasing 101 Which is offered about monthly and that's a two and a half Our session that allows you really to understand how state government works And so we highly encourage for vendors to attend it and to get a good Understanding because it really does help them to build their plans And so that really rolls into the business development that we do where we work 101 With firms to really understand what their goals are and then really to kind of customize basically a plan looking at You know, where do you fit into this overall picture? What are some potential strategies that are going to work best to help Vendors really get to the place the businesses to get to the place that they're able to add this layer of contracting Within their business model So, uh, those are some of the things that we are doing at the hub office We continue to be excited about the work that we're doing and again, thank you so much If there are any questions, I'm happy to take any questions. All right. Thank you, Sharonetta We will open up for more questions during the q&a. So next we'll have Dan Stafford from the institute Excuse me. Thank you, Eric. I appreciate that. Thanks for everybody for for coming out this evening um The institute Was may sound like a new name to some people it was found of course It is the north what used to be known as the north carolina institute minority economic development Founded back about 35 years ago 1986 Uh, basically at that time, I mean business leaders government leaders Folks in the community were recognizing that things had to change globalization changing demographics were coming into play Replacing a lot of traditional industries and markets. So and with and there was a need now To handle the situation these changes to engage significant segments of the populations racial and ethnic minorities women Folks with disabilities, uh, rural residents other individuals other groups It was becoming the economic imperative So the institute was formed as a way to uh lead and take over that way direct that top of that top of growth And 30 some years later, that's what's being happening. It's still the only organization of its time around the country focusing on these this business economic growth Um, we do a lot of this through four primary And well, I should mention of course now We did this year The name did change the national institute of economic development as we merge with the north carolina center for community initiatives Uh the community development initiatives. Um, so To change our situation change our focus and move some of our additional markets beyond North carolina borders um We do a lot of work through four primary centers Four primary work areas if I can call it that one being the center for entrepreneurship center community investments research policy program centers And center professional services now that means if I break that further down on street boot level Uh, for example, we operate for the with agreements with the small business administration three women business centers One in virginia to the north carolina to provide technical administrative, um services Uh education training opportunities to women on firms as well as ashley provides Businesses to all all related firms Also, we operate for the u.s. Department of transportation the small business transportation resource center if you're interested in looking at transportation opportunities transportation construction Anything related maybe to the disadvantaged business enterprise certification program. It's a good source for that there Um, you'll find a lot of education and training opportunities for minority executive growths through our minority Executive initiative and also high point initiative programs that are out there to help train And build the capacity levels for a lot of smaller minority on and women on businesses um Also with public allies a program to americ or we've worked with not a lot of non-profits and helping them build uh leaderships for a lot of um Putting individuals and interns into positions of those areas for various leadership growth development So it means even further than that I mean we assist with a lot of management technical assistance type programs will help the education training opportunities We'll help with firms to try to figure out ways to build their resources their networking and strengthen their Uh capabilities of trying to run their business or create their businesses. Um working with corporation programs federal programs state or offices or such that may look to trying to bridge their um Their um activities or their communications or their relationships with minority and small businesses well It's kind of a situation That may sound a little vague kind of based on whatever Questions you're trying to find out where I need to go what I've got to do How can I handle this done? Do you know who does these type of things? How can I get this stuff fixed for me? We try to come in and find a way to to help out um And um and and and just a just a brief little thing as as Sharon had to mention for a long long time We also did operate the for uh mbda the minority business center for north carolina But thanks fortunately now that program is back in the plant under the auspices of the of the office of the historical underlined businesses So please please support them in this effort as they get this thing moving. I'd really appreciate that. Um Our roughly as I said before we've kind of worked to see how we can fit in for small businesses To large from the small business scale to the large corporate level The mission of the institute is to strengthen the asset base of diverse populations to policy education and economic opportunities And that's how we try to break it out on the real-time setting. So Um, we're here. We're here for the rest of the week. We're here for the rest of the year In the state. I'm gonna turn that back over to erick. Thanks All right. Thank you dan Next we're going to hear from jeff derm with the greater derm chamber of commerce Thank you, erick Good afternoon everyone. Derek said on jeff derm the president See the greater derm chamber I'm blusa joe from the chamber. They are president of community Engagement and investment angelic stallings welcome angelic Today, it's an honor to join all these organizations and businesses and welcoming you all to derm's med week as a resource and advocate of our community For over 115 years The chamber is proud the derm the research triangle the north carolina are all hubs of diverse people and opportunities And as partners with our local government and others in broad-based economic development, we also know That we are attracting increasingly new interest and prospects from around the country and around the globe It's important that we ensure these opportunities Lead to economic empowerment that they support the quality of life throughout our entire community And that's why we at the chamber reaffirmed our commitment to racial equity diversity inclusivity collaboration and innovation by partnering with north carolina central university The racial equity institute the triangle the ei alliance In diversity and hr solutions and others here who you're going to hear from over the course of the week through the programming So together we plan to present resources and best practices that we could ultimately weave into the fabric of our local and regional business community We will continue to work with public and private and other partners to stay truly inclusive as an organization community and society And we hope that you will all join us for our event on wednesday with the triangle the ei alliance rtp The hub office new university and health systems and sanma corporation to hear more about the growth that is coming And how you all can best participate So with that feel free to reach out to me or anybody on our team anytime and here's to a great week of collaboration. Thank you Thank you. Jeff Okay, next we're going to hear from mary crawford with duke university and duke health Thank you, eric, and thank you everyone for being here and participating We're very happy to be celebrating medwake again this year. We definitely missed missed that last year But my name is mary crawford and i've been with duke university and duke health in supplier diversity role for about 15 years now um We we approach supplier diversity at duke in in a variety of ways We've been committed to strengthen the community and engaging in partnerships with diverse suppliers for over 20 years now And we we're really proud to be partners here again We we we work with the city of derm and the corporate firms On this call to plan sponsor and participate in these events every year And it's it's always a privilege to engage in this group We also work closely with the national institute minority economic development as well as carolina's virginia minority supplier development council to Help us identify and engage certified diverse suppliers in the region We have another component of this as well and that is from a federal government award perspective in the research space We work with various national agencies to identify Diverse and small suppliers and multiple socioeconomic communities. Um, we've also successfully partnered in this manner Consistently evaluating appropriate strategies and continuing to advance and improve on these relationships each year We we collaborate With various schools and departments at duke including the duke derm regional affairs to identify opportunities Where we might have a need in our portfolio to utilize diverse suppliers. Um, so we're analyzing that spend regularly We also participating the implementation of the derm compact and the built to last initiative from both a supplier diversity and an educational perspective We're also in the beginning of stages Of engaging with a variety of corporate nonprofit agencies to develop a working group of Regional supplier diversity practitioners to establish best practices and share opportunities for diverse suppliers Um, several people have mentioned this collaboration really is key and we're excited to move these efforts efforts forward and participate in the community in this manner Due to concerns around The impact of coven 19 on our Durham community Duke has provided support through the duke Durham fund Duke has committed an initial five million dollars to provide assistance to area non-profit small businesses and community-based organizations The city and and county of Durham establish the Durham small business recovery fund As a result of coven as well to assist small businesses And through those efforts, we have contributed over a million dollars Duke to duke by duke to grants to small businesses this past year Some exciting news that is public so I can share this now, but we've recently Made a new partner with vizient a group purchasing organization, which will Only strengthen our supplier diversity efforts in the local community With vizient and the local leaders. It's our plan to implement What we consider a community contracting program, which will help connect local businesses to vizient member hospitals and universities So we're really looking forward to rolling that out over the coming year Um, so thank you again for being here. Thank you for having me here and I look forward to connecting with you all later this week Eric Thank you, mary Next we're going to have denise barns with the chase Thank you, Eric. Good afternoon everyone. My name is denise barns with the chase construction I am the regional diversity manager for the southeast We are located right here in dorm in downtown dorm Our local office We have over 650 construction professionals throughout our organization Delivering over one billion in construction annually We're part of the top 100 contractors in the nations and we have a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion Here locally I really push and strive to ensure that all of our Projects and opportunity projects and opportunities have self-proposed goals So we set goals on all of our work. That's both public and private job so Just to ensure you that there always is an opportunity not just when It's a mandate So again, not only diversity includes workforce development. We say workforce development goals. We partner with the local schools here dorm tech We have a partnership with dorm public schools We offer mentorship programs. I think eric spoke earlier about how can we really increase our first tier subcontractor participation So we have a mentorship program that kind of addresses that With our second tier and we kind of work with them and strategize with them how they can go to that next level Collaboration is big as everyone has stated I'm glad to say that we pretty much have a strong relationship with many of the organizations here today We collaborate collaborate with them very closely about our project opportunities. We share those opportunities I will put my Contact information in the chat along with our LinkedIn. Please click on our link in and follow So you could be up to date about what's going on here locally in the southeast So just want to close out, you know, our culture is simple is about our vision is about building partnerships Our value is always about doing the right thing and our strategy is about delivering excellence And so I just want to show you that on every agenda That I'm sitting at the table direction inclusion is always at the forefront. So thank you and I look forward to hearing from you all Thank you, Denise So the next we're going to hear from Jonathan best with the salmon corporation Thank you, eric Good evening everyone. Yes. I'm glad to be here. I know last year we couldn't have made a week but it's great that we pivoted and Went virtual this year and salmon is glad to be a part Salmon has a long history of diversity and inclusion and it started out in our headquarters in Greensboro And it has matriculated to the Raleigh and charlotte markets. So I handle project diversity for the rdu market also the isle market We have representatives in Greensboro representatives in charlotte also trolling in savannah We are a regional company headquartered in Greensboro. We do about Close to 700 million a year and we really focus on being a regional and we're a family and our subcontract is our family And I'll be a little redundant to like what Denise said. We have a mentor protege program Where most recently we've grown one of our gc mentor protege And we have a project with the city of Durham where she is going to actually serve as the project manager on the project And so that was a great success for us that we were able to do that We also do workforce. We have a students in construction program. We see the need for The growth of our trades and getting them while they're young So we have the students in construction and we'll be running that program with Durham public schools We also do that throughout the state in gilford county and mecklenburg county. We've also done it in wake county I think our biggest thing is that you know, we want to be here. We want to be a partner We have a true quick pay program where we're paying subcontracts within 15 days of invoice once it's approved And you know, we understand and we help people with bonding We have a bonding program where subcontracts are able to get bonded and also an insurance program Because we understand that having those bonding capabilities really is what establishes and Helps you with capacity to really be able to survive as a first tier So what I will do is put my contact information In the chat and if you want to work In our other regions throughout the state, I'll make sure if you shoot me an email I will make sure to get you in contact with the right person Thank you Thank you, jonathan Next we're going to hear from andrea horn from sas Thanks, eric. I'm andrea horn. I'm the supplier diversity manager at sas And sas is a global analytic software company We are based in carry north carolina But we have offices all over the world Our carry campus has about 6000 employees And then we've got about 7 000 other employees We are a privately held company currently But we have announced that by 2024 we are going to go public And that's going to provide a lot of opportunities to new suppliers and in particular diverse suppliers We're in the process of Auditing our internal operations and we do suspect that a lot of things will be consolidated And we'll have to outsource a lot more than we currently do so please Be you know stay in touch with me. I'll put my email in the chat right after this but Like I said, we're in carry. We've got a 26 building campus. So we procure Um Things just like any other corporation would so what we primarily look for Or what we need from diverse suppliers In the it space would be software hardware and telecom equipment And then on our corporate services side, we need anything from construction providers facility maintenance providers safety security HR services marketing printing and promo items you name it Right now, um, I manage the supplier diversity program for primarily in the us, but we are Starting to expand that program globally We're expanding to canada and then latin america and then we'll then when then we'll open up more opportunities worldwide. So if you Have experience in other countries with service Provider with providing services or products. I would love to hear from you We're also looking for diverse suppliers that have multi level multi state certifications. So for example, if you are Certified in the state of north carolina, but also certified in another state. We would love to hear from you as well And I'm going to turn it back over to eric. I'll put my email address in the chat. Please Reach out Thank you, andria Next we're going to hear from johnny ortiz at skanska Good evening everyone. I'm johnny and I am with skanska like eric Mentioned similar to a few of the of our other my other colleagues and counterparts that you've heard from We are in constructions who are large construction management firm So we are primarily looking for trade subcontractors So if you are a trade subcontractor Similar to some other folks here. I'll put my information in our chat box But with that in mind I would I would venture to say that A lot of of the advocates that are on this call and that helped put this event together In order for you to focus on diversity and maximize opportunities for other people It does take a bit of of passion and it does take a bit of a personal story So I would say I've been around small business My entire life my mother cleaned houses and I used to help her clean houses as a young child My sister as well. So a small business. I know how difficult it could be to try to be an entrepreneur It maximizing opportunity a lot of times. That's all people need and small businesses So if even if you're not a trade subcontractor Don't hesitate to let me know because similar to to what Andrea just mentioned. We're looking for all kind of people One of the things we're trying to do internally is sort of review our processes and see where we can Include diverse vendors not just from the subcontractor side So I'd love to have a conversation with you even if you're not a trade subcontractor So please let me know and then secondly, I'd add in terms of diverse workforce One of the biggest ways I think we can make a very positive social impact in the communities we work in Specifically in north Carolina and even drilling down further in the triangle and Durham Is by giving people Opportunities and to create a career construction is a great way for people to build an actual career not just a job So many that are in difficult situations seem to get sort of non scalable jobs And that really doesn't help them look towards something sort of give them a purpose So one of the biggest things I would say again coming back to making it personal myself Some of you may know but I actually dropped out of high school as a young man I received the gv from a community college and then I was able to enter the trades And I got into trade school and I worked in the trades for 10 years So what I'm trying to do now is pay that forward trying to work with some of our local schools Some of our local community college reach out to the community that perhaps some of our younger people that have dropped out of High school and are looking for things to do how can we help them Get a career an actual career in construction because it could take them the entrepreneurial route It could take them Working for a large construction company a small trade company So so many things they can do so those are the two main things I'd like to highlight is subcontracting opportunities from a trade perspective Also from a vendor perspective if you only if you're not only in the trades Feel free to let me know and then diverse If you've got ideas if you know someone who wants to get in construction Please let me know we're making concerted and intentional efforts to work with our trade partners to see where we can open up these opportunities for people in our community Like we said specifically in our state and more specifically in the triangle and in Durham So I'll put my information in here. Thank you so much for being on with us You'll see myself about events This whole week if we encounter each other don't hesitate to let me know or other teammates that I may have From Skanska who will attend the events as well. Feel free to engage with them and see what opportunities we have But thank you for your time. I'll turn it back over to Eric Thank you, Johnny And I'm glad you brought that point up because really what we wanted to accomplish by having this event It's a kickoff is to really, you know familiarize those attendees With who our collaboration partners are and so throughout the week you you kind of Can put a name with the face and hopefully that will you know encourage more interaction? So thank you for that Johnny Now we're going to have cj Broderick with the greater Durham black chamber of commerce cj All right Good afternoon everyone I have 25 so I'll be pretty brief as you probably roll into q&a pretty soon I am cj Broderick president and CEO of the greater Durham black chamber of commerce Our vision is economic freedom, right? And our our mission is to support the growth and development of the black entrepreneur Black business and the black business ecosystem Now, um, I'll be remiss if I didn't mention give a little bit of an explanation as to What our organization how our position does those things and also the reason for our work We do those things in three ways really we work with We provide business development opportunities For our members and the community at large that could be consulted. It could be technical assistance We work with cities and counties and and governments to provide economic development workforce development consulting as well as technical assistance technical assistance and then lastly we provide For large corporations some consultant related to the supply of diversity programs. So those are three areas we work in Just a little background into you know, the reason for our work I think I'll be remiss if I didn't say of this Um, johnny told a really great story. So johnny. Thank you for setting me up to maybe give some context as well Diversity equity inclusion work is pretty important and pretty big right now all of our partners here I'm really working hard to try to figure out how we can really develop minority businesses But it's important for us to understand The why right the why? um We are all familiar with the effects of systemic racism We know that for more than 300 years. There have been systemic advantages to people that identify as white I've been identified as white And systemic disadvantage for those that have not been identified as white We try to figure out what that means right how we've been socializing these systems. We're all trying to figure out how to Make sure that no matter how you identify Um that these disadvantages are not a part of your experience um, but the history the the data has shown that race Is the number one factor in this disadvantage Right race is the number one factor right and so we're unapologetically an organization that focuses on black entrepreneurs black businesses black Business ecosystem because that is the most disadvantaged group Obviously our work impacts and we work with many different organizations across lines of difference, but that is the impact of our work and in this Environment it becomes very very apparent very very, um, you need to understand why So even as we as we do this right, um, I think that many of us probably in social aspect think that There's going to be an equivalence between race and gender or or any other of the other Different identifiers that we also are working on Kind of at the same time concurrently But the the most disadvantaged businesses you can think of because of this 300 plus history of Advantage systemic advantage and disadvantage because of race is This racial Iniquity and so we're very very happy to work on this and I'm very very happy to work with our partners Um, you know here in the city of the county and across the different organizations than doing so And i'm looking forward to uh to this to the q&a and answer any questions you may have for me as well All right, thank you cj So this is a quick reminder. Uh, we'll we'll do this throughout the week I mentioned earlier, uh that this is a week full of events to support The work that we're looking to do in in terms of advancement of opportunities for our minority and Women in small business communities. And so just here are a few of the the events again that are highlighted just for your reference And so now we're going to transition to the q&a um So what we're going to do now Is open it up for any questions that you have i'm going to So what i want to do now is open it up to anyone who may have questions, uh, you can submit them via the chat box or if you want to Use the hand icon for someone to recognize you we can certainly do that as well But we want to make this portion as interactive as possible. Uh, there's a lot of uh information that was disseminated um And we really want to take the opportunity to tap into these resources and individuals that have made themselves available So, uh, certainly if you have questions the floor is open now see there's So I see there is a question about what was found in 2014 disparity study Established targets in the progress of the city and county Now there there's a few layers, uh to this question. I'll try to answer it, you know with the information that I have available Now in terms of specific numbers I would have to look into the reporting in terms of identification of specific categories and the actual percentage disparities, but there was you know identified disparities within you know certain communities hence the Determination that certain goal targets would be assigned for those categories. So that was pretty much the predicate that established The baseline for us setting the minority participation targets on our minority and women participation targets on on our construction projects professional service Goods and services alike um Now in terms of the progress, uh, I can't speak for the county and even in terms of the city that data I would have to look into that to give you more specific accounting of what Uh successes you've seen that we've experienced now I can tell you broadly that clearly there's work that needs to still be done in in terms of our achievement of our targets Uh And which is partly why the importance of this week can't be emphasized enough We really want to be able to leverage Our partnerships within the community to become more innovative in some of the things that we do and be able to engage Better with some of our communities so that we're providing You know real-time genuine access to opportunities that align with their availability of the particular scope or scope of service And so I know it's somewhat of a long, you know broad answer that maybe doesn't specifically address your question But when you're dealing in disparities and specific, you know Numbers it does take a little more research to give you probably a more uh specific response, but you know in in terms of a you know a quick response Um, there are disparities that were identified Work is being done to address those disparities and Thomas approaching will will probably have to conduct another disparity study because they're typically only valid Uh for about five years. And so once you reach a point A lot of changes could happen in the marketplace that justifies the need for more accurate relevant data so that's hopefully Somewhat of a response to your question. Um, I guess there's a follow-up question. Uh, when will this data be available? Uh, that you can submit a request to I guess I can't speak for the county so I would have to let my counterpart with the county Uh, it depends on the data that you're requesting And so like I said, it you know when we report or collect data The categories are very broad in terms of information. Uh, oftentimes it only captures participation in the broader categories of minorities So depending on how specific that request is it may, you know, take additional time to Get a little deeper in the data so that you can more accurately depict, you know, what categories you're trying to determine so, um In terms of giving you a timeline that could be a few weeks because it does take some time to go through, you know A lot of data for all the contracts that the city, you know, is currently administering Any other questions And I don't want to be the only one talking so if anyone has Questions for other members of the panel, uh, certainly take advantage of this time Eric, this is kisha. Um, I wanted to um, I think that you answered the last question For mr. Boarders very well about the data that we do not have specific, you know data that we can share During this event that that that would need to come from a request to our Our respective departments I would like to talk about some of the progress that we've made and since you and I have uh, been working together Extensively for the last few years It kind of leads to the collaboration that we're doing now with our partners I think that one of the things that we look at, you know, obviously we recognize each of our organizations That there are disparities that exist racial Uh, ethnic disparities and also disparities as it relates to women in contracting And one of the things that you know, I'm glad that we've been able to do to address those disparities is to work together um, our organizations and to work with our team Of colleagues that is on the phone that is on the zoom meeting here I think that speaks to progress Uh, certainly it doesn't provide the quantitative data that mr. Boarders may want Or maybe requesting we just don't have those numbers rolling off of the top of our head But I think that it speaks volumes of our organizations to be able to come together and not only to collaborate as municipality partners But also to collaborate with um, you know, some of the private partners that are on the phone On the zoom I keep saying As well, they have they have proved to be valuable resources And helping us to address the disparities that exist And I just wanted to point that out. I mean, we're here for med week And it's a wonderful thing for us to collaborate for an event such as this one But I think it's important for those that are on the the um On the session to to understand is that uh, you know Many of us collaborate with each other all of the time. Uh, we can call each other up We are great resources to uh one another Which in turn, uh provides a great resource for our community our small our underserved minority and women community Women-owned business community. So I think that's something to to bring out that this is a week But for us, it's uh kind of like johnny says, it's our passion. It's what we do And it's what we have been doing for a number of years And I think we've done a better job of collaborating At least over the the seven years that I've been here Probably the last five or so I can say we collaborated very very closely on almost everything As it relates to reaching out to this minority and women-owned business community Thank you for those comments. Keisha, uh, do we have any other questions? I'll keep scanning the chat box. Um, I believe I see See one And certainly I I'd encourage the panelists if you would like to jump in because we have some very uh Season experts in this industry that can certainly offer insight that goes beyond mine So I want to certainly take advantage of the expert experts that we have um, let's see so, um, this is shea mackentire again and uh, I guess just uh Just a note. I mean the reality is that grants are are fairly um tough to come by however There are sometimes um specific things that may be available in a particular industry um as far as trucking industry Department of transportation with their disadvantaged business enterprise program does have some Specific offerings that are available there and then um, I know through the the institute and I imagine Dan would talk about this as well There's a the sbtrc small business transportation resource center now again I don't know of specific funding that is available through, uh, you know through those avenues So you really also want to look at uh, sometimes local organizations So for example earlier today, I heard about a specific grant program That specific in Winston Salem and Forsyth County area So I would also encourage you to check out any kind of business accelerator programs Any of those kinds of things which tend to be a little bit more localized in your area Yeah, if I could uh, thanks for and if I can mention that too, uh Yeah, where I saw your your note there in the chat if you could just my email information is there in in the chat If you just direct that question back to me and I can get in touch with our office We like I said, we have our office division. That's a small business transportation resource center That can go down and do some probably some intimate counseling if you will With you on various activities that may relate to the truck industry When you're talking You have to look at the hard you things are advertised and quoted as what they are not Uh, it will be extremely different. There may be a grant for various situations at various times for various issues But you will very rarely rarely if if if you're thinking along this line You'll rarely find a grant situation that is going to serve the purpose of startup Business expenses or get a business up and running from the beginning Uh, that's what you've got to look at that very very hard. Um But that's that still that's a situation we can sit down with you as well as many of the other organizations here too Um, especially it's a good program. I mean, I know the mba center that that the hub ops will be having can definitely help And along those lines when they get up and moving too To sit down with you to kind of find some various options out kind of see exactly how that could be uh Interpreted how you could be looking at things what's involved in developing financial packaging What what what comes along the place? Well, like I said, you you've got to um, that can be a very dangerous word from time to time Because folks sometimes will throw that out just to attract a client And they're not really what they seem to be. You've got to look at it hard. Um But financing can be done in various situations for folks if they just stay stay committed to it I'm hushing now Thank you both for that insight and I think it's important that we can contextualize that consideration a lot of times Because industry specific assistance It comes up a lot of times in some of our conference stages I know kisha and I've had this discussion about our interactions with business owners and Trying to figure out from a more personalized perspective what kind of support we can offer And then there's leveraged often times when you can be more specific in some of the target categories And so that's a consideration that we're exploring with the city as well Is like, you know, what kind of efforts can be taken, you know In certain industries that it's easier to leverage, you know resources to assist those, you know, business owners certain industries don't have the same operating restrictions or Equipment requirements that make it more restrictive To be supportive in that regard and so thank you for that insight That's certainly something that we can discuss like Dan and Sharonetta mentioned on a more, you know, one on one level To, you know, discuss maybe strategies and resources that are both available locally and beyond to kind of support those efforts Thank you for the questions. Do we have any more? Hi, shemeka ebony with shemeka ebony firm. I have a question in relation to I have been brought in on some municipality partnerships around community engagement And I guess this question is for those that are working with the city and county when collaboration opportunities exist what I've found is There'll be plenty of other Counties or surrounding counties that could benefit from Engagement strategies that maybe this town is tapping into and I'm just wondering is there some Better practices amongst networking. I've done a lot of work in Asheville around reparations And yet, you know, there's so many other Counties and cities in the state of North Carolina that could benefit from this community engagement work And I'm just not necessarily seeing a front door way to sit the municipalities down To say hey, let's look at a larger strategy to to address this more intentionally and collectively Um, but I do hear a lot of banner waving around diversity and inclusion being a priority So I just wanted to lift that up from theory to practice How can myself and those that do work like myself Be put in or be in the beginning a little bit more sooner in the conversations around how Cities and counties can align and look at community engagement In having these hard conversations on what it looks like to show up for the constituents in the community So I just wanted to see if there was a way to address that. Um, I would like to say probably in the kitchen of things Maybe some some moves that can happen or some ways of being that I could be made aware of to better Put myself forth out there as a hub certified business owner Hey, you want to take this one Keisha or anyone else? I'll I'll start it. Um, and I want to make sure that I enter I want want to make sure that I understand Uh, what your what you're asking is how can a business owner such as yourself? um How can you get an audience with people that do what we do? Is that what you're asking? I'm in different municipal in different municipalities Yes, so I know Um, for what I do as far as my nais codes, you know, it's centered around public speaking It's around community engagement. It's around training and facilitation But the core of it is I'm responding to Um RFPs that are, you know, very specific to a municipality looking for community engagement in this area Well, two counties over they're looking for the same thing or will be in two years or three years so what I'm asking is there a network on the back end of Those that are targeting, um, how we look at People that are providing services as far as not necessarily goods but services as far as training and facilitation Are there ways of being or practices? um To align municipality engagement or I guess increase the audience of Getting to several municipality partners and lifting up This is an option or a way to engage hub certified businesses or minority business owners that are providing services and training and consult consulting Okay, I think I understand. Are you familiar at all with the the north carolina minority coordinators network? I have not heard of that. That's a great asset Okay, I'm happy to put you in touch with the organization. Actually, um I'm a member several of my colleagues that are on the the phone are on the the zoom are members And that's a network where you're going to be able to connect with other members of municipalities throughout the state of north carolina and I think More than anything that's about relationships It's about those of us that are in the different municipalities knowing who you are and what you do And so I think that that would probably be a great resource for you. So I'm happy to provide information about the network Johnny who was on the line. I know he is on the the board. I'm a former board member We were very active, but that's how You know that that provides a lot of visibility For someone such as yourself that is providing that type of training. I know for The the training that the county will be doing and the the person that is contracted as a as a hub minority woman black woman I first became aware of her through the the network the north carolina minority coordinators network and So I'm happy to do that. I'll let eric add anything else, but I think it's all about relationship And connecting and being in the spaces where people that are going to appreciate what you do are I agree and just a few quick things. I'll add and so kisha was alluding to a situation with a Business owner that she'd engage with that has been successful in being able to secure opportunities with the county Well, that same individual had approached the you know our office and we kind of developed some strategies to kind of focus in specific areas within both the county and city With hopes that hopefully one of those strategies will connect her to a real opportunity Well, the city didn't really have those existing opportunities at the time Whereas the county did and so that emphasizes the importance of the collaboration and kind of getting your business within that That discussion within the greater, you know community so that they can help leverage you As a provider of that resource now I will talk to you about kind of the challenges that you've alluded to because it's something real that we as an Organization have recognized as well Within being able to leverage opportunities for hub firms that provide services that we as a city are looking to contract Part of that is knowledge about who's in the marketplace that can provide those opportunities So I think the first step is what you're doing today is really educating us about what you can do And how you fit into that equation Now the second part of it is, you know us as an organization being able to be at the front lines as these opportunities are being determined And how we figure out how to position, you know a business owner so that when opportunities hit the street your position To really access those opportunities You have the relationships because what we find out a lot of times that these things happen before You know these relationships happen before these opportunities hit the street And it becomes really difficult for you as a business owner that's new to this arena To leverage experience and expertise in a way that increases your value Over another firm that's been doing the same type of work. And so I'm basically, you know to sum all of it up You know, it's something that requires a specific strategy a lot of times that we at both the city and county can discuss Because there's nuances within all these organizations That you have to really understand to better position yourself to really gain access to opportunities in a way that you can be competitive And I'm gonna add a little bit more to that, um, Eric as well um Shamika the the question you have to think is is pretty important. I think When I think about your question, I think about it in a little bit of different way, right? There is individual work that has to be done, right? And so you can do those things There's also institutional work insist to make work that have to be done, right? You're right that right now everybody's throwing around the words diverse equity inclusion and it's just so And everybody is putting on their own their web pages and but not everybody understands what it really means, right? It should not be up to you as an individual business owner to go around to everybody and work in the system that historically Disadvantages systemically disadvantages you Anyway, right, so I think what we have what you have to what I want you to also think about Is I think about these resources that are on on this call, right? One of the things I'm thinking about is the NC hub office and their work, right? So, you know, what it what it what this looks like in Durham county because in Durham county We do have a really diverse population. We have great partners here on this call This is something we're working on, right? But I can't tell you what it's gonna look like if you're trying to work in cleveland county or in another Of our of our 100 counties in north carolina, right? So the NC hub office is a really really great resource I appreciate sharing that for the transparency and data that that they're sharing And and what this looks like, right all of us together We have to figure out best methods and practices, right? What's working in Durham? How do we lift that up to the NC hub office? How do we lift it up to our other sister counties across the state? But it's really important for us to understand that this is very very difficult work, right? Um, and you know Marginal success is is important, but we have to continue to figure out what's working and and lift that up Think about this on our end here, but think about this, right? in order for in order for the city and county to have a program mwb program, right to to to really intentionally work on um Supply our diversity if you will right there had to be a disparity study, right the north carolina as a state Sure, and then it said just just finish a disparity study probably half a million dollars in combined resources In in studying what you know to be your experience, right? And so it's much more complicated than just you know the individual relationships, right? Because there are a thousand people just like you that are having the same issue And so partnerships like we're working on today is important for our transparency to continue to figure out What works what doesn't work so that this experience that you're having Um, you know, it it changes, you know for for for you in the near future and for generations to come Oh, yeah Thank you, uh cj. Does do we have any more comments or questions? I know we're approaching The end of the program and this is really a good dialogue I don't want us to cut cut this short, but for the sake of time I want to make sure that if there's any lingering questions or comments anyone likes to share that They can add the floor now to do that Yeah, I guess just um one thing. I know that uh as far as the hub office is concerned, of course, there's a There's certain agencies entities that you know, we're hub governs You know that 10 that we have currently as the goal and then there's some You know some leverage at the municipality level because there's a different set of funding in terms of how things flow and so it is I mean, it's uh You know, it's it's a challenging place to be but I I would agree with you we continue to Do the things where we can govern what is in our area of responsibility And we continue to do those things as it relates to best practices So that we are learning from one another and that we are, you know, looking for that opportunity and really kind of putting in Place that those accountability Measures that are going to help us to really continue to move the needle forward Thank you uh I do see a question in the chat, which is something we get a lot of times and it's because of um uh, the unique service or product that a particular vendor provides They see challenges in connecting with certain municipalities and Uh, it it can be a challenge because oftentimes they're not going to be a lot of opportunities for that particular product But we always encourage interaction because we can even discuss from a broader perspective strategy initiatives To kind of help you figure out which target you may better focus your energy Maybe the city isn't a good fit, but there could be a collaboration partner virus It's on this call that may have a need for your product of service. So we always encourage Uh, you know, open it open discussion interaction and use us as a resource as an extension of your marketing So that you can help build your stronger relationships with the broader with the broader community So I hope they give you some insight But yeah, we do see challenges with the unique and specialized nature sometimes of the product of service a particular vendor provides Any more questions I know there was a mention As I was gonna say, I know there's a mention of like best methods and practices. So I think we'd be remiss if we didn't Share at least something that's been a really really great response or really really great story for how some of the work that we're doing across different agencies, whether it's a city county or Or, you know, the nc hub office, maybe someone has a Quick story or two to share about something that's really a best method of practice Or just something great that's happened and as a result of this of this collaboration or your work individually Well, not sure. This is quite what you're looking for. But um, certainly on the the retool program that that was a collaboration that we had with the department of transportation With the dbe program and really just looking to make that opportunity available, you know, really across the board and so Just to be able then to kind of get the information out through the network because again, you know, it's for For any disadvantaged business enterprise. And so just trying to really cover the basis beyond what our area of direct responsibility is for Was certainly a successful strategy that um, that director hall employed Well, do we have anyone else who would like to share a success or Just a lingering question as we approach the close of our kickoff event Hey Eric, this is kisha. Um, I just want to share with everyone. I um, we have put together as a team a survey of the event and I'm just asking that For those of you that have seen it, I'll I'll share it one more time in the comment Please respond and help give us some feedback so that we know What we're doing right what we can improve on also Feel free to reach out email any one of us, but I just wanted to reiterate that If you have not already done so, please do respond to the survey link That is in the comments. Thank you Well, thank you kisha It looks like we don't have any more comments or questions. Um, I would like to thank you all for your attendance and engagement and insightful discussion These events are just as beneficial For us on this side of the panel a lot of times because the feedback that we gain from this discussion is really helpful In helping us frame and better determine the things that we need to do on our end To support the businesses that we serve and so we really appreciate Uh, the the interaction and engagement and the transparency and willingness to engage in dialogue Um in terms of uh reminders I do want to remind everyone that this is the first of five events Uh, we're we're looking forward to seeing you at the remaining events throughout the week Uh, we'll like I said, we have the award ceremony tomorrow. It's a great opportunity for us Even during a time that's been challenging for a number of small businesses to highlight the accomplishment and achievements Of our business communities and and continue to support one another as we move forward in the work that we do I would like to thank the panelists for their time and willingness to share About what's going on within their organization and their commitment to equity And the work that we do as collaborative partners to continue to support supporting one another That's all I have for tonight Or this evening. Thank you all again and look forward to seeing you. Uh, the rest of the week Thank you Thanks so much Good evening