“Equity” and “equality” may sound very similar to some. However, there is a clear distinction between the two — one that Maria Prince, Vice President of the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), detailed in a recent interview.
Author: NMSDC

Target pledges to spend $2B on products, services from Black-owned businesses
As part of its racial equity efforts, Target Corp. is pledging to sell products from more than 500 Black-owned brands by the end of 2025.

Open Applications! NMSDC Provides 25 Need-Based Cash Relief Grants
Dear NMSDC Community,
In partnership with Voya Financial®, NMSDC is providing 25 need-based cash relief grants of $5,000 to small businesses (with annual revenue up to $1 million).
To apply, fill out the application by April 23, 2021. Grant awardees will be notified on or before May 7, 2021.
This grant opportunity is for businesses certified as minority-owned, women-owned, LGBTQ-owned, or owned by people with disabilities.
Please email academy@nmsdc.org with any questions.
Thank you,
NMSDC and Voya Financial Team
Maria Prince
Vice President NMSDC Academy

3 Places to Find Funding For Your Business
In the U.S., Black-owned businesses increased 34.5% between 2007 and 2012 totaling 2.6 million firms. Yet, they still typically face greater challenges in securing capital compared to white-owned businesses.
Marketing and Communications Content Coordinator
Interested candidates should submit their resumes to jobs@nmsdc.org
The National Minority Supplier Development Council advances business opportunities for certified minority business enterprises and connects them to corporate members. To achieve our mission, we will work through the NMSDC Network to support and facilitate MBE integration into corporate and public-sector supply chains; build MBE capacity and capabilities through our programs and other education offerings; and facilitate MBE-to-MBE partnerships to meet the needs of our corporate members. The National Minority Supplier Development Council Inc. ® (NMSDC®) is one of the country’s leading corporate membership organizations. Whether you’re a small minority-owned organization or a billion-dollar powerhouse, we’re committed to helping you solve the growing need for supplier diversity.
Job Location: New York
Employment Status: Full-Time
Purpose:
This is an administrative role that supports the Marketing & Communications department in executing and monitoring communications strategies. This role involves creating public relations and marketing materials such as press releases, blog posts, and newsletters. This role involves tracking and reporting analytics on marketing and communications campaigns and coordinating promotional events. This role requires strong writing and editing skills, a high level of creativity and the ability to think analytically. This is a hands-on position and will require assisting and supporting other departments.
Job Responsibilities:
- Write a variety of different content to support communications and marketing efforts, including newsletters, website copy, and brochures and press releases
- Required to assist with President’s presentations and communications
- Responsible for sending email blast communications
- Assist communications team in developing and implementing a communications strategy designed to further company objectives
- Monitor analytics and create reports detailing the successes and failures of communications campaigns and strategies
- Stay up to date on industry trends and make recommendations for adjustments to communications strategies and practices
- Respond to media inquiries and maintain relationships with journalists and other members of the press
- Plan press conferences and other promotional events to help keep the organization top of mind
- Coordinate volunteers, support staff, vendors and more to support promotional events
- Perform outreach to press outlets, magazines, influencers and build strategic partnerships to grow brand notoriety
- Deliver on multiple deadlines, prioritize effectively and comfortable in a fast-paced environment
- Cultivate and extend strategic alliances with sponsors, speakers and media
- Other duties as needed
Qualifications:
- 5 years experience in a communications or marketing
- Superior time management and organizational skills and ability to meet deadlines • An analytical mind and ability to think critically
- Exceptional writing and interpersonal communication skills
- Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
- Familiar with MS Word, Excel and Powerpoint and capable of creating visually compelling presentations
- Knowledge of email marketing software such as Constant Contact or a similar program
- Proven knowledge of communications and marketing ethics and best practices
- Familiarity with content management systems (CMS) and customer relationship management (CRM) tools
- Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, or related field is required
- Demonstrated experience strategic marketing and communications, media relations, and marketing program to advance an organization’s mission and goals
- A minimum of 5 years’ experience in planning, writing, editing, and production of newsletters, press releases, annual reports, marketing literature, and other print publications and directories
- A minimum of 5 years’ experience in social media strategies
- Excellent judgement and creative problem-solving skills
- Exceptional written, oral, interpersonal and presentation skills
- Experienced in speech writing, general business writing and writing for both media and broadcast
- Working experience with creative graphic design, event branding, event production and oversight of ROS
- Proficient in Microsoft Office 365 Suite (Word, Excel, Publisher, Photoshop, PowerPoint)
- Proficient/Competent in WordPress (webpage development), HTML, CSS and Adobe Illustrator and InDesign or similar programs
- Proficient in the following social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Pinterest
- Advanced knowledge in email marketing tools, content management systems and Google Analytics
Essential Functions:
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Competencies:
- Personal Effectiveness
- Collaboration
- Effective Communication
- Flexibility/Agility
- Dealing with Ambiguity
- Project Management
- Customer Focus
- Result Orientation
- Peer Relationships

Tuck Diversity Business Programs and National Minority Supplier Development Council Partner to Help Diverse Business Owners
Tuck Diversity Business Programs and the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) have formed a partnership to support the growth of Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) across the country.

NMSDC Supports the Asian-American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Community
Once again, we find ourselves struggling to comprehend the horror of more lives lost and forever changed because of racially motivated violence. Our hearts are broken for the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, especially those impacted by last week’s shootings in Atlanta as well as the countless others suffering from persecution and targeted attacks in communities across the nation.
Aggression against AAPI people and companies—specifically small and AAPI-owned businesses—while not new, has intensified at a disturbing rate in recent weeks. NMSDC stands in solidarity with our friends, neighbors, and colleagues and the entire AAPI community in denouncing these recent incidents and all instances of violent behavior, specifically when motivated by hatred, intolerance, and prejudice.
NMSDC remains dedicated to advancing conversations, initiatives, and programs which unite us as business leaders and as citizens of the world in our shared fight against intolerance. We choose to be optimistic that through our combined efforts, positive social changes are possible.
Please join NMSDC and our 23 Regional Affiliates in being strong advocates for fairness and equity and to #StopAAPIHate.
Jose Turkienicz
Chairman of the Board of Directors
NMSDC
NMSDC Network
Sharon Pinder
President/CEO
www.crmsdc.org
Dominique Simpson Milton
President/CEO
www.cvmsdc.org
Vincent Williams
President/CEO
www.ChicagoMSDC.org
Margo Posey
President/CEO
www.dfwmsdc.com
Valerie Cofield
CEO
www.emsdc.org
Beatrice Louissaint
President/CEO
www.FSMSDC.org
Stacey Key
President/CEO
www.gmsdc.org
Peter F. Hurst, Jr.
President/CEO
www.gnemsdc.org
Ingrid M. Robinson
President/CEO
www.hmsdc.org
Michelle Sourie Robinson
President/CEO
www.minoritysupplier.org
Carolyn Mosby
President/CEO
www.MidStatesMSDC.org
Stan Sena
President/CEO
www.mpmsdc.org
Terrence Clark
President/CEO
www.nynjmsdc.org
Heather Olson
President/CEO
www.northcentralmsdc.net
Fernando Martinez
President/CEO
www.nwmmsdc.org
Jacqueline D. Neal
President/CEO
www.OhioMSDC.org
Patricia Crenshaw
Board Representative
www.PSWMSDC.org
Mr. Francisco S. Cabrera
Acting President
www.prmsdc.org
Ms. Virginia Gomez
President/CEO
www.scmsdc.org
Mr. Alvin-o Williams
President/CEO
www.srmsdc.org
Ms. Karen Box
President/CEO
www.smsdc.org
Ms. Cheri Henderson
President/CEO
www.tsmsdc.net
Mr. Cecil Plummer
President/CEO
www.wrmsdc.org

NMSDC Communications from Board Chairman, Jose Turkienicz
At the NMSDC we are committed to ending the racial equity wealth gap by connecting Black, Indigenous and People of Color entrepreneurs to opportunity. We advocate for equity. We provide access.

Fifth Third Bank and the National Minority Supplier Development Council Launch Centers of Excellence Certification Program for Small Businesses
The year-long program will train 5 cohorts of NMSDC certified minority businesses whose annual sales are $1 – $10 million and have a minimum of five employees. The program is made possible through FTB’s affiliation with the NMSDC’s Ohio, Georgia, Michigan, Mid-States and Chicago regional councils.

How Minority-Owned Businesses Can Thrive During (And After) Covid-19
If you’re a small business owner struggling to keep your company afloat, here are a few tips, from my team to yours, to help your company emerge from the pandemic stronger and more agile than ever.