Moving forward … faster.
You, your business and the National MBE Input Committee.

Opportunity Accelerator 2023 Program

Sunday, October 22, 2023 - 1 to 4 p.m. Eastern
Pre-registration check-in begins at 12:00 PM

Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor
Key Ballroom 5-8, 2nd Floor
401 West Pratt Street
Baltimore, Maryland

WELCOME

  • Carlton L. Oneal, National MBE Input Committee Chair and President, LightSpeedEdu

  • Ying McGuire, CEO and President, National Minority Supplier Development Council

SESSION 1 | Growth Mindset

Igniting Leadership in the Midst of Change

The pursuit of growth in the midst of unprecedented change is an act of resilience and commitment. A decision to move. To shift. To let go of the comfort and safety of where you are in order to embrace the unknown. We’ll explore the critical role that leadership plays in igniting the change that’s essential to activating a growth mindset, one that lives not only in the organization but also in its people and the possibilities they are capable of co-creating together. Our goal is to have you leave this session with a new awareness and sense of purpose as you head into the rest of the NMSDC conference.

  • John Henderson, Founder, The Pivot Mind;
    Chairman and CEO, AEL Holdings; EVP, Walker Supply Chain Management

SESSION 2 | Growth Strategies

Creating a Sustainable Enterprise

To continue to develop and grow, each certified minority business needs a growth strategy to seize opportunities and overcome barriers in the market. A well-defined strategy enables you to leverage your unique talents and diverse offerings to attract employees, customers, partners, and investors as you contribute to the overall economic empowerment of your community. In this session, you will hear from peers who will share their growth strategy stories, the choices they made, and what they learned along the way. You’ll also hear from experts who will share new perspectives on how to resource and fuel your growth. It’s very likely you will walk away with at least one pearl of wisdom that can change your growth trajectory.

SESSION 3 | Growth Opportunities

HotOpps

At this highly popular session, you’ll experience 50 full minutes of rapid-fire opportunities from 7-9 buying organizations that are looking for MBEs now, including Volvo Group, CDW, International Paper, CVS, The Construction Industry Advisory Group, The Weitz Company, the Panther Group, DuPont, and NMSDC. The goal is simple … and critically important: To activate the power and the value of the NMSDC Network and to have everyone leave the event energized, excited, and ready to grow.

  • Ashley Campbell, Responsible Purchasing and Supplier Diversity Mgr., Volvo Group

  • Sean Cogdell, CEO, The Panther Group

  • Marianne De Aguiar, Head of ESG Procurement, International Paper

  • Hebrew Dixon, Director of Supplier Diversity, ARCO Design/Build Companies,
    Construction Industry Advisory Group

  • Shekinah Fountain, Sr. Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Associate, The Weitz Company

  • Germaine Reece, Business Diversity Market Leader – Central, CDW

  • Kris Oswold, Hybrid Certification Implementation, NMSDC

  • Maria Prince, ESG Leader, Global Procurement, DuPont

  • Nicole Van Valen, Senior Manager, Enterprise Procurement Supplier Diversity, CVS Health