Empowerment Through Partnership: MBDA and NMSDC to Co-host 2016 National MED Week Activities in Chicago

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Department of Commerce's Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) today announced that the Agency will again partner with the National Minority Supplier Development Council to host the 2016 NMSDC Conference and Business Opportunity Exchange in conjunction with the annual Minority Enterprise Development Week (MED Week), October 23-26, in Chicago. This year's conference theme is "Investing in the Future."

The conference and business exchange are designed to provide a venue for attendees to dialogue and exchange information, tools and resources to grow and scale their businesses locally and globally with a specific focus on minority supplier development. 

MED Week is an annual week-long observance led by MBDA that honors the achievements and leadership of minority-owned firms, organizations and individuals from across the nation. This year's MED Week award winners will be recognized at a special ceremony held during the conference.

"This partnership allows us to innovate our efforts to support minority entrepreneurs and firms and provide them with an even greater number of resources and opportunities," said MBDA National Director Alejandra Y. Castillo. "Minority-owned firms are excelling in their respective industries and we want to ensure that growth remains strong in the future."

The annual NMSDC Conference and Business Opportunity Exchange attracts more than 6,000 corporate CEOs, procurement executives, business leaders, and supplier diversity professionals from the top multinational companies, international organizations and minority firms.

"The 2016 Conference and Business Opportunity Exchange will give forward-thinking corporate executives and minority business owners the tools to cope with shifting economic winds, and to take advantage of as-yet unimagined opportunities for commerce presented in the near – and more distant – future. As the U.S. nears the point where minorities comprise greater than 50 percent of the population, the need for strong minority-owned businesses in national and global supply chains will be vital to the health of our economy," said Joset Wright-Lacy, president of NMSDC.

The conference will feature workshops, exhibits, and panel discussions on issues such as federal contracting growth strategies; gaining competitive advantage in global markets; innovation and more.

For additional details on the 2016 NMSDC Conference and Business Opportunity Exchange and a full list of the 2016 MED Week winners, visit www.nmsdc.org and MBDA.gov

About the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) 
MBDA, www.mbda.gov, is the only Federal agency dedicated to the growth and global competitiveness of U.S. minority-owned businesses. Our programs and services better equip minority-owned firms to create jobs, build scale and capacity, increase revenues and expand regionally, nationally and internationally. Services are provided through a network of MBDA Business Centers. After 47 years of service, MBDA continues to be a dedicated strategic partner to all U.S. minority-owned businesses, committed to providing programs and services that build size, scale and capacity through access to capital, contracts and markets. Follow us on Twitter @usmbda.

About the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) 
NMSDC advances business opportunities for certified minority business enterprises and connects them to corporate members. One of the country's leading corporate membership organizations, NMSDC was chartered in 1972 to provide increased procurement and business opportunities for minority businesses of all sizes. The NMSDC Network includes a National Office in New York and 23 affiliate regional councils across the country. The network also includes five international partner organizations located in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, China and South Africa. To meet the growing need for supplier diversity, NMSDC matches its more than 12,000 certified minority-owned businesses to our network of more than 1,750 corporate members who wish to purchase their products, services and solutions. NMSDC, a unique and specialized player in the field of minority business enterprise, is proud of its unwavering commitment to advance Asian, Black, Hispanic and Native American suppliers in a globalized corporate supply chain. For more information, visit www.NMSDC.org.

Website: www.mbda.gov 
Fax: (202) 482-5117   

Contact: Dijon Rolle  
Phone: (202) 482-1375
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA)

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