We are WBENC

Thanks to the generous funding from WAPPP and their From Harvard Square to the Oval Office program, I had the opportunity to attend the 2011 WBENC National Conference and Business Fair in Las Vegas, NV this week. 


The Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), founded in 1997, is the largest third-party certifier of businesses owned controlled, and operated by women in the United States. WBENC, is dedicated to advancing the success of certified women's business enterprises (WBEs) and connecting them to contracting opportunities with corporations and government entities. 

Me with Jeannie Maddox, Manager,
Supplier Diversity of Colgate-Palmolive Company

At this power packed conference, I've been educated on the impact the women are having in the market place and how WBEs are supporting some of America's top corporations like Accenture, Colgate-Palmolive, Dell, Ernst & Young, Johnston & Johnston, Pfizer Inc, and UPS. Did you know that women make 85% of the purchasing decisions in our country? Well, we do! It's amazing. Yet, in 2010 only 15 Fortune 500 companies were run by women. This discrepancy is a sad reality, but hopefully because of organizations like WBENC that will change soon. Over 3000 people are in attendance at the conference, many of whom were women small business owners in fields ranging from communications to construction. 

Me with Jeff Walker of
Colgate-Palmolive Company.

The energy at the conference is more than amazing. When it comes to thinking outside of the box on how to get business done, WBENC has sought out unconventional role models for us to learn from. At the kickoff luncheon, we heard from Annie Duke, professional poker player and author, who shared with us the importance of decision making. Today's breakfast speaker, Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com, quoted lines from the movie Notorious, and at lunch we enjoyed a breakdance performance from Supercr3w, season 2 winners of MTV's America's Best Dance Crew. 


So far, the conference has been an awesome networking and learning experience. Im excited to head back to New Orleans next week to being to implement what I have learned about establishing successful supplier diversity programs and supply chains. 

Congrats to the N.O. Small Business Initiative Graduates

Warren Buffett embraces Kendall Washington, 

the valedictorian of Monday's graduating class.

Last week New Orleans saw its first class of graduates from their 10,000 Small Business Initiative.

30 small business owners from New Orleans completed the Goldman Sachs sponsored program that offered training in management, marketing and accounting designed by Wall Street executives. 

Goldman Sachs has pledged $20 million in loans to New Orleans area small businesses as part of a nationwide effort to distribute $500 million to companies struggling because of the recession and housing crisis.

The program targets small firms operating in "economically underserved areas" that are having difficulty gaining access to capital through traditional means and those that need non-monetary assistance, such as business management classes, to grow.

The program included over 100 hours of training, one-on-one mentoring, accounting workshops and pro bono legal advice from Goldman Sachs professionals.

Local graduates represent a wide range of industries, including construction, pest control, retail stores, medical services, event planning, equipment rental, courier services and valet parking businesses and more.

10,000 Small Businesses  is an initiative to unlock the growth and job creation potential of 10,000 small businesses across the United States through greater access to business education, financial capital, and business support services. The program operates through a national network of public and private partner organizations including community colleges, business schools and Community Development Financial Institutions. The initiative is currently active in New Orleans, New York, Long Beach, Los Angeles and Houston, and will continue to expand to communities across the country. Community partners in New Orleans include the City of New Orleans, Delgado Community College, HOPE (Hope Enterprise Corporation and Hope Credit Union) and the Urban League of Greater New Orleans.

Source: http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2011/06/warren_buffett_encourages_grad.html

Getting Caught Up to DBE Speed

Last week I arrived in New Orleans (in the midst of record breaking temperature). Fortunately I was able to beat the heat at my new desk in the Office of Supplier Diversity that houses the city’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program.  My first couple days have been spent getting caught up to speed on all the various laws and city ordinances that govern the DBE program.

State and local DBE programs were chartered under the idea of “leveling the playing field” for socially and economically disadvantaged individuals.  The histories of these programs began under the Nixon Administration in the late 1960’s with the establishment of the Office of Minority Business Enterprise (OMBE).  Since 1981, the City of New Orleans has operated a program for its disadvantaged businesses. The program was first established as a “set aside” for minority suppliers, guaranteeing that 10 percent of all purchases of goods and services by the Sewage & Water Board would go to DBE firms (Times-Picayune. Pushed Aside. 2001).

In 2009, New Orleans City Council codified changes to the DBE program (Sec. 70-432.1), establishing an overall goal of 50 percent utilization of businesses that were locally owned and 35 percent utilization of socially and economically disadvantaged businesses for all public spending or private projects that utilize public funding and/or incentives. Social and economic disadvantage is determined, such that the business’ ability to compete has been restricted due to discriminatory practices beyond its control (industry practices and/or limited capital and/or restricted credit opportunities, etc).

Despite good intentions of the participation goal, the City of New Orleans has encountered consistent difficulty in executing this corrective public policy and hasn’t quite achieved the desired 35 percent level of DBE participation in city contracts.  And this is where I come in. 

A year ago, Mayor Mitch Landrieu, issued Executive Order MJL 10-02 outlining specific reforms to the DBE program. Working with Norman Roussell this summer, some of our top priorities will be developing 1) an internal DBE training curriculum for city departments and agencies, 2) outreach and social media strategy, and 3) a pilot alternative certification along with a whole host of other research projects and operational activities.

In the upcoming weeks I will be working remotely from Cambridge, MA and Las Vegas, NV where I will be attending the Women Business Enterprise Conference before returning back to New Orleans the last week of June.  

Hello World!

Im extremely excited to be returning to New Orleans this summer and its not just because of the weather. Which following this bitter cold New England winter is reason enough. However more important, this summer I will build upon the work I started with my Policy Analysis Exercise (PAE) at the Harvard Kennedy School to assist the City of New Orleans reform their Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program.  

Working directly with Aimee Quirk, Advisor to the Mayor on Economic Development, and Norman Roussell, Director of Supplier Diversity, my summer will be spent developing policies and procedures of the DBE program to increase the number of women and minority owned business awarded city contracts.

My work in New Orleans is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Women in Public Policy Program and their From Harvard Square to the Oval Office Internship. So stay tuned and check back to see what progress I make as a navigate through the city.