As we gather with family and friends this Thanksgiving week, it’s worth pausing to reflect not only on personal gratitude, but on the broader social and business ecosystem in which minority-owned enterprises operate. We’re entering a pivotal moment for supplier diversity, economic equity and entrepreneurial growth — and the signals coming out of both the recent Miami conference and the 2024 NMSDC Impact Report are too important to ignore.

Native American Heritage Month: Centering Indigenous Economic Power

This November also marks Native American Heritage Month, an essential moment to honor the history, culture, and economic contributions of Indigenous communities across the country. Native-owned enterprises remain some of the most resilient and innovative businesses in the MBE ecosystem — particularly in sectors like renewable energy, agriculture, digital services, tourism, professional services, and tribally owned enterprises. Many of these businesses operate within unique governance, land, and financing frameworks, yet they demonstrate how community-rooted business models can drive regional economic development. As we celebrate this month, the Miami conversations and the NMSDC Impact Report remind us that Native American businesses must remain fully integrated in national supplier-diversity strategies. Inclusion must be intentional, capital access must be equitable, and procurement pathways must recognize both the distinctiveness and the strength of Native enterprises. Honoring heritage also means supporting opportunity — and this month offers the perfect moment to do both.

1. A Miami Moment: Where Network, Strategy & Momentum Converge

Earlier this month in Miami, the conversation around business inclusion, supplier diversity and enterprise scale shifted into high gear. The follow-up conversations are already underway.

What stood out:

• The emphasis on “people, purpose and partnership” — reminding us that minority business growth isn’t a side-program, but core strategy.
• A recognition that economic change is coming faster than many anticipate — from AI to global supply-chain realignment, to the expanded role of MBEs (Minority Business Enterprises) in innovation, jobs and growth.
• The selection of a permanent CEO, Don Cravins, with a clear mandate for action: if you’re certified or seeking certification, if you’re a corporate buyer or a supplier, this is a moment to move rather than wait.

For Thanksgiving week: it’s a good time to reflect on who you met, what conversations you started and how you’re going to turn those into real outcomes in the next 90 days.

2. The 2024 NMSDC Impact Report: Data That Demands Attention

The 2024 NMSDC Economic Impact Report provides powerful data points that underscore the momentum in the MBE space:

• MBEs certified by NMSDC generated $599.7 billion in total economic output in 2024. (NMSDC)
• They supported over 2.2 million jobs. (NMSDC)
• Wages paid to American workers through those enterprises reached $168 billion, with year-over-year growth of ~12.3 %. (NMSDC)
• The network is firmly on its “March to $1 Trillion” journey. (NMSDC)

Why this matters:

• These numbers shift supplier diversity from “nice to have” to “must have.” When minority businesses are generating nearly $600 billion in output and supporting millions of jobs, they’re not a niche—they’re a central pillar of US economic growth.
• For MBEs: this is your narrative. When you pitch, when you network, when you position your business—ground your story in the larger ecosystem’s growth.
• For corporate buyers: the data reinforce that supplier-inclusion isn’t a cost centre; it’s a growth economy, a risk-mitigation tool (diversifying supply chains), and a source of innovation.
• For policy and development practitioners: these metrics provide leverage. If we want equity in business, these are measurable benchmarks.

3. Thanksgiving & The Strategic Pause

This week, amid the turkey and the gathering, you have an opportunity. A strategic pause. Here are questions to ask:

• Who am I grateful to? Identify key suppliers, partners, stakeholders who supported growth this year (even if quietly). How will you acknowledge them?
• What did I learn at Miami (or the conference ecosystem) that I’ve not yet acted on? Did I see a buyer I should reconnect with? A program I should join? A capital channel I overlooked?
• How will I deploy the momentum from the Impact Report in my narrative? For suppliers: update your one-pager, your pitch deck, your website copy with the new data. For corporates: update your internal supplier diversity case for investment with this data.
• What commitments will I make for January–March 2026? How many new buyer conversations will I schedule? How many certifications or readiness steps will I accomplish? How many supply-chains will I influence?

4. Looking Ahead: From Gratitude to Growth

Looking beyond this week, three strategic priorities deserve your attention:

1. a) Access to capital & capacity-building
   The data show MBEs are growing—but growth requires access to capital, operational readiness and connection to major contracts. This aligns with conference themes of scaling and readiness.
2. b) Tier-2 and global supply-chain inclusion
   As supply chains shift, large companies are increasingly focusing not just on their direct (tier-1) suppliers, but on tier-2, tier-3 and global participation. For MBEs, this means thinking beyond the local or national moment, and positioning for global or multi-tier opportunity. The conference in Miami emphasized global links and strategic partnerships.
3. c) Storytelling anchored in impact
   With nearly $600 billion in output, you have proof points. Whether you’re an MBE, a corporate buyer, a funder, or a policy-maker, anchored narratives drive attention and investment. Use the data. Use the network. Use the moment.
4. Final Thoughts & Thanksgiving Reflection

As you gather this Thanksgiving, allow the pause to remind you: the business of inclusion is bigger than any one contract, one deal or one event. It’s a commitment to creating shared prosperity, to opening doors and leveling fields. The context is strong: the Miami conference signaled urgency and scale; the NMSDC report provided data and credibility.

And so, this week, give thanks—not only for what you have achieved—but for what you will enable. Be grateful for your team, your network, your clients and your opportunities. But also be ready for the leap, the next stage of growth.

Here’s to a reflective Thanksgiving, and to powering forward in December with intention, strategy and purpose.