May 11 - 13, 2022 | Chicago
The Minority Business
Economic Forum seeks to:
Galvanize a vanguard of chief officers to amplify the impact and influence of MBEs on the American economy.
Generate corporate spend and pledges towards $1 Trillion in MBE revenue.
Spark actionable solutions to the critical challenges minority businesses face, including access to contracts, capital, and information.
Forge pivotal relationships between Corporate Plus MBEs and key C-suite leadership.
We’re not asking you to join
the march to economic equity.
We’re asking you to lead it.
Over the last 50 years, the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) has advocated for, certified, and facilitated the inclusion and development of thousands of Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs). Today, they account for $400 billion of the annual U.S. economy.
But we can’t wait another 50 years to cover the same distance. True progress accelerates. It builds momentum and pushes us farther, faster than anyone has gone before.
That’s why, this May, we’re gathering 400 of the most influential U.S. policymakers, academics, business and community leaders for the inaugural Minority Business Economic Forum in Chicago with the goal of getting MBEs halfway to $1 trillion in annual revenue … in just three days.
This is the audacious, overarching goal that unlocks all the others. Because, before there can be true inclusion, before access can determine opportunity, before we can harness even a fraction of the talents, skills and potential of this untapped collective, there must be economic equity.
We need your voice, your ideas and your presence. Please join us in Chicago to chart a bold, new course for minority businesses and economic equity — from 2022 to 2072 and beyond.
The torch is yours. The time is now.
H O N O R A R Y C H A I R
John W. Rogers, Jr.
Chairman and Co-CEO,
Ariel Investments
John Rogers is the Chairman and Co-CEO of Ariel Investments, the global value-based asset management firm he founded in 1983 and is the first African American-owned asset management firm in American history. John is committed to elevating the conversation around minority businesses and the importance of creating multigenerational wealth for Black and Brown communities.
The 2022 Equity Honors
The Equity Honors are presented to corporate chief officers who have been recognized by their peers as the true leaders at the vanguard of economic equity and minority business integration.
T H E E X P E R I E N C E
The biggest players,
all here to change the game.
Please join us for courageous conversations, pivotal connections, and momentum-building collaborations.
A private, Premier reception at Lighthouse Artspace Chicago "Frida Kahlo Exhibit" from 6:30-8:30 located at 108 W Germania Pl. Chicago, IL 60610
Opening day golf outing with some of the country’s most esteemed chief officers and preeminent minority business leaders
Networking opportunities with key decision-makers
Addressing the challenges faced by MBEs and collaborating with other thought leaders to propose viable solutions
Inspiring and action-oriented keynotes, panels, and main stage talks
The Equity Honors closing night gala recognizing CEO, CFO, CIO, CMO, and CPO of the Year
Speakers include:
Pete Buttigeig
U.S. Secretary of Transportation
Ervin “Magic” Johnson
Chairman & CEO, Magic Johnson Enterprises
James H. Lowry
President, James H. Lowry & Associates
A G E N D A H I G H L I G H T S
Eye-opening,
mind-opening, door-opening.
Inspire and empower yourself with visionary ideas for accelerating economic equity … direct from the visionaries themselves. Highlights include:
Elevating the Position of MBEs in the U.S. Economy
The Impact of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act on MBEs, co-hosted with the National Urban League – Federal, State, and Local Government perspectives on the opportunities presented by the infrastructure bill and how MBEs can leverage them from the national and local levels. Hear from Earvin “Magic” Johnson, an NMSDC-certified MBE, on how his infrastructure projects are creating spend with MBEs and providing jobs to communities of color.
Turning Digital Redlining Green with Marc Morial, President and CEO, National Urban League – hear how the infrastructure bill could create new revenue opportunities for MBEs while also finally closing the digital divide for businesses and communities of color.
Stormy with a Chance of Equitable Access – an economic forecast with discussion on how minority-owned businesses can access opportunities on the horizon
Business Diversity: The Future of Supplier Diversity with McKinsey & Company, matching opportunities with actions to accelerate and scale impact
The Chicago Agenda: Trailblazing Beyond the Supply Chain with John W. Rogers, Jr., Chairman and Co-CEO, Ariel Investments, and James H. Lowry, Senior Advisor, Boston Consulting Group
Discovering Challenges and Exploring Solutions to Scale Certified MBEs to $1 Trillion
Getting Scalable MBEs in the Game – innovative efforts to forge a substantial class of contract-ready Black and Latin entrepreneurs
How CPOs Leverage MBEs to Solve Supply Chain Challenges – MBEs need equitable access; CPOs need strong supply chains. Hear from CPOs on how they are leveraging DEI strategies to redefine supply chain models to create stronger, more resilient business ecosystems
Strategic Discussion on topics such as:
Scaling to a Multi-Billion-Dollar Business – the MBE at the helm of a runaway success shares some of the biggest surprises and lessons learned along the way
How Corporate CEOs are Driving Momentum for Economic Equity – the world’s top CEOs lay out the framework, tools, and strategies they’re using to build a more equitable economy, faster
Public/Private Partnerships Accelerating Latin-owned Businesses (Co-hosted with the Aspen Institute) – private, public, and civic sector chief officers discuss game-changing pathways to advance the economic mobility of Latin entrepreneurs and communities for national resilience
Corporate Line of Business Leaders Fireside Chat: Moving the Needle for MBEs – how C-suite LOB leaders are providing the leverage needed to fast-track sustainable growth for MBEs
Closing the Opportunity Gap for Communities of Color – what one innovative government administrator is doing to dismantle longstanding barriers to success and prosperity
The Equity Honors
Closing Night Gala recognizing the true leaders at the vanguard of economic equity and minority business integration.
R E G I S T R A T I O N
Economic equity, the road
to $1 trillion, the next 50 years …
this is where it all begins.
When you register for the Minority Business Economic Forum, you are not just taking your seat at the table. You are changing the course of history, bending its arc toward equity. We thank you. And so does the future.
Registration for Premier is open
S P O N S O R S H I P
The impact that
blows the doors wide open.
As a sponsor of the inaugural Minority Business Economic Forum, you stand at the flashpoint of an economic equity revolution. One fueled not just by public statements of support, but by an exponential acceleration toward $1 trillion in revenue, wealth, and opportunity. Toward a prosperity that is generative and transformative — for the certified minority businesses and communities gaining contracts, employment, and economic resilience, and for a world that is made far better by their contributions to it.
Thank you for lighting the fuse. Become a Sponsor!
Contact
Pauline Gebon
Vice President of Corporate Relations
O: 212-944-2430 ext. 113
M: 929-505-1132
E: pauline.gebon@nmsdc.org
Sponsorship Package
S P O N S O R S
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