“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.
Category: News

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.

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.

From the Desk of Jose Turkienicz – NMSDC President & CEO Announcement
Dear NMSDC Community,
It is with mixed emotions that I announce that Adrienne Trimble will be stepping down as President & CEO of NMSDC. Adrienne joined the organization in August 2018 with a three-year contract. She has decided to return to the corporate world to continue advancing diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Her last day with NMSDC is February 28, 2021.
During Adrienne’s short tenure, she successfully:
- Developed and executed against the long-term vision for NMSDC to continue its legacy of growing and advancing minority business inclusion
- Re-established the organization as the leading advocacy voice for supplier diversity and
- economic inclusion
- Led the organization through a global pandemic, bringing much needed resources, capital and contracts to MBE and leading the way with virtual programming and events
- In the wake of calls for social justice she created and launched the In This Together (ITT) campaign, which raised over $2M to sustain minority businesses
- Reversed the decline in corporate memberships and MBE certifications, adding 80 new corporate members in 2020, the highest number of new members in a single year in NMSDC history
- Introduced new revenue streams to the organization
- Stood up a committee to assess and recommend NMSDC and RMSDCs operating model
for the future - Increased transparency within the network
- Began addressing skill and infrastructure needs at the National Office
- Strengthen and recruited a solid Executive Leadership team
A search committee has been established consisting of Board Chair, Jose Turkienicz; Vice Chair, Guy Schweppe; Treasurer, Clint Grimes; Secretary, Gabe Castro; Chair of the Affiliate Presidents, Stacey Key; and former National MBE Input Committee Chair, Clifford Bailey. Interviews are currently underway and we hope to have a final selection soon.
The NMSDC Executive Leadership team will remain in place and report directly to the NMSDC Officers while a search is conducted for the next President & CEO.
We thank Adrienne for her tireless efforts of advocacy and support for minority business inclusion and wish her much success in her future endeavors.
Jose Turkienicz
Chairman of the Board of Directors
NMSDC