In 2018, NMSDC partnered with Rutgers University, Institute Supply Management, and Covenant Business Concepts to launch a new Centers of Excellence Certificate Program. Designed for NMSDC-certified MBE business owners with revenues of $1 million to less than $10 million in sales, the curriculum is comparable to a graduate school learning experience. To date there have been 5 cohorts with MBE participation driven primarily by the corporate sponsors service area.
Starting in 2024, the identification and recruitment of MBEs to participate in a cohort transitioned away from affiliate councils located within the corporate sponsors services area, to a national offering managed by NMSDC. This change will facilitate the inclusion of a broader number of MBEs to participate in the program who have been unable to do so because of geographic barrier constraints. The MBE demand for the COECP has always exceeded the number of available cohort slots so we are excited to respond with this process improvement.
COECP is designed around three primary components. Over the course of 12-months, participating MBEs are required to actively attend all three components (6/Rutgers Entrepreneurial Sessions, 4/Executive Coaching & Mentorship Meetings (EC&M) led by corporate members and 4/Mastermind Forums led by Sponsor SMEs). Note: Executive Coaches and Mentors are only required to attend the four EC&M meetings.