Agenda | Workshops | Watch The Replays | Sponsors
Award Winners | Corporation Of The Year | Regional & National Winners | EYE Pitch Competition Winners
The 2020 NMSDC Conference
+ Business Opportunity Exchange (BOE)
October 26 – 29, 2020
October 22, 2020
2:00 PM-3:30 PM ET
- By invitation only
- Separate pre-registration required
3:30 PM-5:00 PM ET
- By invitation only
- Separate pre-registration required
October 23, 2020
1:00 PM-3:00 PM ET
- By invitation only
- Separate pre-registration required
2:00 PM-3:30 PM ET
- By invitation only
- Separate pre-registration required
October 26, 2020
11:00 AM-12:30 PM ET
In This Together: 2020 National Conference Opening Session
The conference kick-off session sets the tone for this week and features an inspiring keynote message from Doug McMillion, President & CEO of Walmart.
Sponsored by IBM and Nissan
Adrienne C. Trimble
Host
President and CEO
National Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc.
Doug McMillon
Keynote Speaker
President and CEO
Walmart, Inc.
Sidd Ahmed
Welcome Remarks
Founder and CEO
VDart Group
Amir Ali
Speaker
Supplier Diversity Lead
Baxter International
Michael Bracey
Speaker
Procurement Diversity Group, Team Manager
Honda of America
Michael A. Byron
Speaker
Senior Director, Supplier Inclusion
Walmart
Ije Nwosu
Speaker
Executive Director Impact Spending
Kaiser Permanente
1:00 PM-4:30 PM ET
Emerging Young Entrepreneurs Cohort Summit | Session 1: ”Family Ties”
This virtual session for current participants in NMSDC’s Emerging Young Entrepreneurs (EYE) Program supports the interactive pre- and post-conference curriculum. Session panelists will discuss the benefits and challenges of leadership and succession in a family-owned business.
Ian Conyers
Moderator
Founder
Ruth Strategies
Eyvon Austin
Speaker
Director Supplier Diversity
Coca Cola
Richeliu Dennis
Speaker
Founder and Chair
Essence Ventures
Sophia Dennis
Speaker
Founder
Phace Media
Dr. Gail Ayala Taylor
Speaker
Professor
Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College
Stephen Hightower II
Speaker
Chief Operating Officer
Hightower Petroleum Co.
Sundari Pai Luts
Speaker – Welcome Remarks
Manager Supplier Diversity
Bristol Myers Squibb
Linzie Venegas
Speaker
VP
Ideal Group
Frank Venegas
CEO and Founder
Ideal Group
1:00 PM-2:30 PM ET
Food and Beverage: Industry Group Session #1
James Hing
Moderator
Global Category Manager Supplier Diversity
Starbucks
Mark W. Baum
Speaker
Senior Vice President, Industry Relations and Chief Collaboration Officer
Food Marketing Institute
Elizabeth Tran-Anderson
Speaker
Elastic Plastics
Denise Woodard
Speaker
CEO & Founder
Partake Foods
1:00 PM-4:30 PM ET
Workshops & On Demand Sessions
1:00 PM-2:30 PM ET
Utilities: Industry Group Session
Johnny Howze
Speaker
Vice President, Supply Chain Management
Southern Gas Company
Christine Neely
Speaker
Vice President, Procurement
Public Service Enterprise Group
Rich Svindand
Speaker
President
California American Water and Hawaii American Water
Anthony Tomczak
Speaker
Vice President of Corporate Services and Chief Procurement Officer
DTE Energy
1:00 PM-2:30 PM ET
CPO & Corporate Plus Joint Session | “Responsive Actions in Today’s Economy”
The economic impacts of Covid-19 and increased focus on economic inclusion of minority business offers new possibilities for doing business. Explore how CPOs and Corporate Plus members are taking action and providing responsive support for MBEs in this dynamic roundtable discussion.
Adrienne C. Trimble
President & CEO
National Minority Supplier Development Council
Stephen Hightower
President & CEO
Hightower Petroleum Co.
Craig Reed
Chief Procurement Officer
Corteva Agriscience
3:00 PM-4:30 PM ET
Healthcare: Industry Group Session #4, Reinventing Healthcare in a New Decade
Focused on the Healthcare Industry, this is one of several industry group sessions being offered during the National Conference. Come and listen to experts and executives as they discuss industry innovations, supply chain opportunities, and the evolving global landscape.
Pedro Arboleda
Managing Director, Strategy + Analytics
Deloitte Consulting
Kendra Burris-Austin
Director of Supplier Diversity
Centene Corporation
Joyce Eggers
Associate Director, Supplier Diversity
Takeda Pharmaceuticals International Co
Martha Holmes
Manager, Supplier Diversity
Cardinal Health
Aron Khoury
Senior Program Manager, Supplier Diversity
Medtronic
George Robinson II
Director, Supplier Diversity + Inclusion
UPMC
Mary Catherine Stychno
Senior Manager, Procurement Governance & Compliance
Quest Diagnostics
Deborah Williams
Senior Director, Supplier Diversity
Premier, Inc.
3:00 PM-4:30 PM ET
Supplier Diversity Series: Best Practices 5 & 6
Energize your strategy for implementing NMSDC’s Best Practices with expert insight and examples from the supplier diversity community.
#5 | Establish a Comprehensive Minority Supplier Development Process
#6 | Establish Tracking, Reporting, & Goal Setting Mechanisms
Helena Hutton
Director, Global Diversity Procurement
Cummins Inc.
Kavy Lenon
Senior Supplier Diversity Manager
Herman Miller
Tanya Nixon
Manager, Supplier Diversity
Kaiser Permanente
Darlene Owens
Global Supplier Diversity Program Manager
Dell
3:00 PM-4:30 PM ET
Government Services: Industry Group Session
Focused on the Government Services Industry, this is one of several industry group sessions being offered during the National Conference. Come and listen to experts and executives as they discuss industry innovations, supply chain opportunities, and the evolving global landscape.
J. Alex Agyemang
Chair
Governmental Contractors Industry Group
Katy Burnau
Executive Director, Supply Chain
Fluor Government Group
Parodio Maith
Acquisition Operations Director
Department of Energy – Savannah River
Debra Sampson
Panelist
Small Business Liaison Officer
Fluor Government Group
5:00 PM-6:30 PM ET
Welcome Reception | Virtual Greetings & Celebration of Being “In This Together”
Enjoy welcome messages, conference updates, and entertainment from the comfort of your home/office! Dress up or dress down…pour yourself a beverage and join this virtual celebration with your friends and colleagues!
Sponsored by IBM, Kellogg Company, and Nissan
October 27, 2020
11:00 AM-12:30 PM ET
Access to Capital and Capacity Building
Access to capital continues to limit the establishment, expansion, and growth of minority-owned businesses. Hear from an esteemed panel of financial leaders who are collaborating to connect minority businesses with the capital they need to recover and thrive – especially in today’s complex economic environment.
Adrienne Trimble
President & CEO
National Minority Supplier Development Council
Chris Hollins
Managing Director, GM Cash Management, Chase Business Banking
JP Morgan Chase & Co.
Dr. Michael Roberts
Chairman
The Roberts Companies
Rick Wade
Senior Vice President, Strategic Alliances and Outreach
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
1:00 PM-4:00 PM ET
Workshops & On Demand NMSDC Sessions
1:00 PM-4:00 PM ET
BizConnect Matchmaker
Registration for Virtual BizConnect Matchmaker is for Full Conference registration attendees only. Link will be sent to attendees in October.
1:00 PM-4:00 PM ET
Workshops & On Demand Sessions
1:00 PM-4:00 PM ET
Business Opportunity Exchange
Instead of visiting booths in a exposition hall, this year you’ll be clicking and scrolling through our virtual business-to-business trade show and networking expo to meet and greet exhibitors.
Sponsored by FCA, Southern Company, Unilever, UPS, and Walmart
1:30 PM-4:30 PM ET
Capital Managers’ Program
Event Objectives
- Unveil the revised Growth Initiative Program and discuss the benefits to drive greater capital to MBEs
- Provide clarity on the goals and Vision for the Capital Manager’s Program
- Create interest and demand for MBE Capital Providers to be attracted to MBE firms that are scalable
- Create an ecosystem of capital management groups and professional services providers to aid MBEs in scaling their business
Highlights of the agenda will include:
- Updates to the Growth Initiate and how this program has been instrumental in MBE growth.
- Announcement of the new Certification Investment Fund
- Program sharing of how corporations are providing direct investments to grow minority business owners.*Invite only
Sponsored by Barclays | Intel
5:00 PM-6:30 PM ET
RMSDC Chairpersons Committee Meeting
- By invitation only
- Separate pre-registration required
October 28, 2020
8:00 AM-4:00 PM ET
Workshops & On Demand NMSDC Sessions
8:00 AM-4:00 PM ET
Business Opportunity Exchange
Instead of visiting booths in a exposition hall, this year you’ll be clicking and scrolling through our virtual business-to-business trade show and networking expo to meet and greet exhibitors.
Sponsored by FCA, Southern Company, Unilever, UPS, and Walmart
October 29, 2020
8:00 AM-4:00 PM ET
Workshops & On Demand NMSDC Sessions
11:00 AM-12:30 PM ET
Celebrating Women of Color
More than ever before, female entrepreneurs of color are blazing new trails and bringing innovative ideas to the marketplace. A lively discussion with pioneering women focuses on the power of community connections and the positive impacts business ownership makes for their families, their neighborhoods, and the global economy.
Adrienne Trimble
President & CEO
National Minority Supplier Development Council
Christie Wong Barrett
CEO
MacArthur Corporation
Janice Bryant Howroyd
Founder and CEO
The Act One Group
Morgan DeBaun
Founder & CEO
Blavity Inc.
Rea Ann Silva
Founder & CEO
Beautyblender
Jonathan Sprinkles
Founder
The Connection Lab
1:00 PM-4:30 PM ET
Emerging Young Entrepreneurs Cohort Program: Session II
The EYE program was created to support a commitment by the NMSDC to adEvance business opportunities for certified minority business enterprises and connect them to corporate members. During today’s program, a pitch competition will take place and the winner will receive a grant to help fund business growth. The EYE program was created to support a commitment by the NMSDC to adEvance business opportunities for certified minority business enterprises and connect them to corporate members. During today’s program, a pitch competition will take place and the winner will receive a grant to help fund business growth.
*By invitation only
EYE Title Sponsorship: BMS | The Coca-Cola Company | RBC – City National Bank | The Walt Disney Company
EYE Innovation: EY | Kohl’s | Office Depot | Verizon | Volkswagen
EYE Visionary: General Motors | Procter & Gamble | Trane Technologies
EYE Champion: Abbott | ADP | American Family Insurance | BASF | Centene Corporation | Citi | DTE | Energy | Kroger | Lear Corporation | Lenovo | Medtronic | Merck | Nexuspharma | Walmart | WestRock | Kelly Services | MetLife | RICOH USA | The Walt Disney Company | USPS
Richeliu Dennis
Founder and Chair
Essence Ventures
Christopher Gray
CEO
Scholly
Natalia Oberti Noguera
Founder and CEO
Pipeline Angels
1:00 PM-2:30 PM ET
Financial Services: Industry Group Session
This session offers an overview of the financial services industry and provides insights on the state of the industry, how the pandemic has impacted it, and how its members have pivoted or changed to deal with the pandemic while advancing MBEs and other diverse businesses. The session will feature industry leaders from member companies of the Financial Services Roundtable for Supplier Diversity (FSRSD©).
Kala Gibson
Executive Vice President, Head of Business Banking
Fifth Third Bank
Tom D. Lutz
Senior Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer
US Bancorp
Lissa Miller
Chief Supplier Diversity Officer & FSRSD Chair
Truist Financial Corporation
Ryan Richards
Director, Investor Relations
Truist Financial Corporation
1:00 PM-2:30 PM ET
Transportation Industry Group: “ReENVISION Challenges & Opportunities in Transportation”
The multi-billion-dollar transportation industry procures billions of dollars in goods and services – from aircraft parts and fuel to professional services, uniforms and more for sectors including airline, rail, and trucking. An industry expert and a corporate panel will discuss the state of the industry and entrepreneurial opportunities. Learn about problems facing the transportation Industry and the types of innovation required to move the industry forward. Do you have the next generation of solutions, commodities, goods or services to make an impact? Find out during this exhilarating exchange.
Greg Brown
President, Retail Sector
UPS
Kimberly Coffman
Manager of Supplier Diversity & Inclusion
Delta
Robert Costello
Chief Economist & Senior Vice President
American Trucking Association
Melody Davidson
Supplier Diversity Manager
UPS
Mike Medeiros
Vice President – Global Cleanliness
Delta Air Lines, Inc.
1:00 PM-2:30 PM ET
Corporate Plus Summit: Next Level Capital and Growth Strategies
Expert Sig Huber will discuss how various capital options can continue to support the stability and growth of Corporate Plus members as they navigate their post-COVID-19 business strategies. He’ll explore how mergers and acquisitions, private equity and SPAC financial products will play a key role to fuel growth.
This session also features a Keynote Address from Raymond McGuire of Citigroup. With more than 30 years’ experience as a Wall Street executive, Ray has been the architect of some of the largest U.S. merger and acquisition deals in history.
Sponsored by The Coca Cola Company | Google
Stephen Hightower
President & CEO
Hightower Petroleum Co.
Michael Hoffman
Vice President of Global Procurement
Pfizer
Sig Huber
Senior Managing Director
Conway MacKenzie
Raymond McGuire
Global Head of Corporate and Investment Banking
Citigroup
Terez Thompson
VP Global Supplier Diversity
The Coca-Cola Company
1:00 PM-2:30 PM ET
CPO Summit
The Covid-19 pandemic continues to disrupt the supply chain and has caused particular devastation within the minority business community. This session takes a deep dive into how minority businesses have been impacted and explore what leaders can do to help stabilize operations for diverse suppliers.
Adrienne Trimble
President & CEO
National Minority Supplier Development Council
Paul Ashley
Director, Strategic Engagement, Global Procurement
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company
Clifford A. Bailey
President & CEO
TechSoft Systems, Inc.
Farryn Melton
SVP, Chief Procurement Officer
Bristol-Meyers Squibb (BMS)
Shelley Stewart, III
Partner
McKinsey & Company
3:00 PM-4:30 PM ET
Supplier Diversity Series: Best Practices 7 & 8
Energize your strategy for implementing NMSDC’s Best Practices with expert insight and examples from the supplier diversity community.
#7 | Establish a Continuous Improvement Plan
#8 | Establish a Second Tier Program
Sherry Diccion
Senior Manager, Global Supplier Diversity
Adient
Jennifer Good
Supplier Diversity Program Manager
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
Kimberly Marcus
Director, Supplier Diversity
AARP
Tanya Nixon
Manager, Supplier Diversity
Kaiser Permanente
Raul Suarez-Rodriguez
Director, Global Economic Inclusion and Supplier Diversity
Merck
5:00 PM-7:30 PM ET
Awards Gala
A virtual – and exciting! – celebration of excellence with our MBEs, Corporate Partners, and our Emcee, top comedian Tommy Myles – aka Nephew Tommy. In addition to announcing award winners and hearing their success stories, you’ll enjoy dazzling entertainment.
Adrienne Trimble
President & CEO
National Minority Supplier Development Council
7:45 PM-9:30 PM ET
Post Conference Celebration
Help bring our 2020 National Conference to a close, as we applaud winners and appreciate the many ways we are “In This Together!” Clear the furniture out of the way and turn up your speakers because our surprise award-winning DJ will be spinning and mixing a diverse track list guaranteed to get you out of your seat and dancing!
October 30, 2020
11:00 AM-12:45 PM ET
National Members Meeting
- By invitation only
- Separate pre-registration required
1:30 PM-3:30 PM ET
Board Of Directors’ Meeting
- By invitation only
- Separate pre-registration required
November 5, 2020
10:00 AM-6:00 PM ET
BizConnect Matchmaker
Registration for Virtual BizConnect Matchmaker is for Full Conference registration attendees only. An email will be sent to announce the launch.
Sponsored by Caesars Entertainment, Capital One, CVS Health, Google, Macy’s, ManpowerGroup, and UPS
November 6, 2020
10:00 AM-6:00 PM ET
BizConnect Matchmaker
Registration for Virtual BizConnect Matchmaker is for Full Conference registration attendees only. An email will be sent to announce the launch.
Sponsored by Caesars Entertainment, Capital One, CVS Health, Google, Macy’s, ManpowerGroup, and UPS
Consent to use photographic images:
Registration for, participation in and/or attendance at NMSDC meetings and other activities constitutes an agreement by the attendee to NMSDC’s use and distribution (both now and in the future) of the registrant or attendee’s name, likeness, image, voice, comments and/or appearance in any and all media, including the Internet, for any purpose consistent with the NMSDC’s mission, without compensation.