chicago minority business news - spring 2012

CHICAGO MINORITY BUSINESS REPORT • APRIL2012

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Shelia Hill MorganPresident & CEO

Phillip BarredaExecutive Vice President

Cynthia L. JordanDirector of Events

Shondra E. Watson-WilsonCertification Manager

Gloria A. BlakeExecutive Assistant

Julia GuanCertification / IT Specialist

Sylene PetersonAdministrative Assistant

Hans BonnerExecutive DirectorMBDA Business Center Chicago

David ThomasSenior Manager, Bus. Development MBDA Business Center Chicago

Joshua GutsteinSenior Financial ConsultantMBDA Business Center Chicago

Megan NakanoBusiness ConsultantMBDA Business Center Chicago

Gwen JonesProcurement ConsultantMBDA Business Center Chicago

ConsultantsMilana L. Walter, J.D.Communications / Writer

Tricia WynnProject Director Northwest Indiana MSDC

www.chicagomsdc.org

ChicagoMSDC StaffChicago Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc. 105 W. Adams Street, Suite 2300Chicago, IL 60603

Building relationships with suppliers asdiverse as our consumers and products

At Kraft Foods, we seek suppliers as diverse as the variety of products we provide and the consumers who purchase them. Our supplier diversity initiative aims to develop strong business relationships with a talented group of minority and women-owned suppliers that offer quality products and services, excellent customer service and innovative business solutions.

Building relationships with suppliers asdiverse as our consumers and products

For more information and to register in our diverse supplier database, please visit: www.kraftsupplierdiversity.com

DiverseProdu_FullColor_8_5X11_Bleed rv1.indd 1 9/26/11 1:40 PM


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ChicagoMSDC is the founding and oldest affiliate council of

the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) 37 affiliates across the country. ChicagoMSDC has a been a trailblazer, a supporter and a strong voice for business diversity and inclusion throughout corporate America and the government; and still today, the council speaks up and speaks out to certify, develop, connect and advocate on behalf it’s body of constituents and members. Many of you might think or ask the question, “What does that matter to me and does the council matter?” My response to you is a resounding, YES! The council and the work it does, matters and the voice of the council is even more relevant today than in years gone by. Today as the “world” continues to change, it is business critical that diverse businesses are included in all supply chains and procurement arenas and that minority businesses have an equitable opportunity to become prime contractors and 1st tier suppliers. As you know small business is the fastest growing sector in our economy and minority businesses are the fastest growing small business sector. This small bit of information is important to each of as we all want to see our economy continue to recover! ALL businesses need access. The council matters and ChicagoMSDC impacts this entire process. In 2011, ChicagoMSDC certified minority businesses added approximately 3500 jobs, more than 200 new businesses were certified through the council and one

ACCESS MATTERS...feature articles

council program alone generated more the 300 million dollars in contract and financial opportunities. ChicagoMSDC corporate members reported more than $3.5 billion in procurement. Aggregately, ChicagoMSDC certified minority businesses employ approximately 90,000 people. Yes, the Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council matters.

ChicagoMSDC:

1) Certifies business ownership, operation and control to validate minority business status; 2) Develops and prepares businesses through education, training and capacity building; 3) Connects buyers and sellers; and 4) Advocates on behalf of both constituent groups.

The Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council belongs to its constituents; ChicagoMSDC is their organization! So again, I say to you forty five (45) years, four and one half decades (4 ½) and still more work to be done. Job creation, access to capital, procurement opportunities, capacity building, mergers and acquisitions, education & training, advocacy, strategic alliances, globalization, legal and financial literacy training & support are but a few of the areas the council continues to impact. Join us! Work with us! Engage us! Help us, as we continue to challenge ourselves and you to build this economy.

SHELIA HILL-MORGANpresident & ceo

45 YEARS AND COUNTING! The Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council (ChicagoMSDC) has been a thought leader and minority business advocate for four and a half decades.

SHELIA HILL MORGANPRESIDENT & CEO

“Access provides the opportunity to contribute to the

economy through job creation and of course

as jobs are created, revenue is generated to support the overall

economy.”

MichAEL gainesGaining Profits with Integrity

Page 12

allstatefrom mayhem to mentoring

Page 10

shahid kahna conversation with shaHid kahn

Page 15

sue gin & ezequiel flores a dynamic duo

Page 19

What’s insidewhere have our leaders gone 6

funding by “crowdsourcing” 7

daring to dream big 8

how can chicago msdc help me? 9

Gleatha Glispie: a walgreens innovator 13

the south african Consulate - chicago 14

MBEIC 2012 Awardees 16

MBEIC’s New chair 17

go big or go home 18

Ujamaa, Powers & Sons and Walmart 20

mbe highlights: beaman & mbeconnect 21

future leaders 22

the sntial, inc. innovation with kraft 23

mccain foods: more than skin deep 24

take advantage of your connections 25

the way we were 28

Milana L. Walter, J.D. Editor –In-Chief


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One community. 7,500+ stores to help share what makes it special. A product like yours should be shared — with every other Walgreens community across the country. Walgreens wants to help make that happen, with programs dedicated to growing minority businesses.

Like our Community Corner initiative which showcases diverse companies’ products in our stores. Plus, our Power of Alignment program encourages our top vendors to do business with diverse service suppliers.

To learn how your community can become part of ours, visit vendor.walgreens.com today.

editor’snote

Through feature stories and profiles we were charged to tell the stories

of what it takes to own a business and lead a Fortune 500-1000 supplier diversity program. Business is about people, hardly about the things of circuits and brick. Thus, our focus was on the tenacity, challenges and dreams of the people who lead in this highly competitive arena after surviving the tumultuous economic storms of the last 3-4 years. The cover story features Allstate and their minority mentoring program. MBEs Michael Gaines speaks candidly of the economy’s impact on his business and MBE Shadid Khan talks about the rocky road to NFL ownership. This issue includes articles from the dynamic leaders and staffs of ChicagoMSDC and MBDA Business Center – Chicago on recent trends and how they can help corporate members and MBE’s gain access to revenue growth and opportunity. Lastly, we would like to applaud our design team from MBEConnect/Evolv led by Eric Harland and assisted by Caress Gonzales for working with us to succinctly translate the vision sought for CMBR. This is just the beginning. In order to be in the next issue contact Cynthia at 312-755-2553. Are you in?

Welcome to the inaugural CBOF 45 edition of CMBR-Chicago Minority Business Report

President & CEO ChicagoMSDCShelia Hill Morgan

MBEIC ChairJoyce Johnson

President & CEOAnchor Staffing, Inc.

Past MBEIC ChairJackie Dyess

PresidentInter-City Supply Company

CMBREditor-In-Chief

Milana L. Walter, J.D.

Director of EventsCynthia L. Jordan

Art & Design DirectorEric Harland

MBEConnect, LLC.

ContributorsLaphate Cunningham

Josh GutsteinDave Thomas

PhotographersJared Kelly

Dwight PhillipsVictor Powell

Cover Photo Victor Powell

www.chicagomsdc.org

chicago minority business reportp u b l i s h i n g t e a m

Cynthia L. Jordan Director of Events

Chicago Minority Business

Report (CMBR) is a publication

of the Minority Business

Enterprise Input

Committee of ChicagoMSDC.

presidentAriel Investments, LLCFeatured Interviewer

mellody hobsonFounder, Monster.comCBOF 45 Sponsor BreakfastKeynote SpeakER & Featured Guest

Jeff Taylor


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Director, Supplier Diversity NielsenChairperson, CBOF 45 Planning Committee

President & CEO - Cano Container Corp.Co-Chairperson, CBOF45 Planning Committee

Juventino CanoPresident & CEO- Pactrans Air & Sea, Inc. Chairperson, CBOF 45MBEIC Awards Luncheon

kitty pon

Motown Legend of“The Supremes”

MARY Wilson

Executive Vice President & President Kraft Foods North AmericaHonorary Chairman, CBOF 45 Planning Committee

W. Anthony Vernon Brinda Bradley

The Chicago Business Opportunity Fair (CBOF) has a distinguished

history as a catalyst for developing partnerships between minority and majority-owned corporations and government Agencies. CBOF is the oldest and largest procurement tradeshow in the nation with a targeted niche of multi-ethnic businesses and was the impetus to the development of the National Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc. (NMSDC) through its founding Council, Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council (ChicagoMSDC). Today the NMSDC network consists of 37 regional councils throughout the U.S. NMSDC Global Link Partners are located in Australia, Canada, China, South Africa and the United Kingdom. CBOF 45 launches on April 11 with dynamic workshops conducted by leading business experts and the MBEIC Welcome Awards Reception at the Hyatt Regency Chicago to pay tribute to honorees and advocates who have supported supplier diversity on the local and national levels. The reception will congratulate the recipients of the Impact Award, Pathfinder Award, Minority Supplier of the Year Award and many others. On Thursday, April 12, the day begins with the Sponsors Breakfast at Navy Pier featuring Jeff Taylor, Founder of Monster.com as the featured speaker. This year the inaugural ChicagoMSDC Media Champion Award goes to long-time

CBOF

media sponsors NBC5 Chicago and Clear Channel. The ribbon-cutting will officially open CBOF 45 in Festival Hall A. The end of the day will conclude with the Topping Out Reception in the tradeshow lobby. CBOF 45 concludes, Friday, April 13 with an all-day Business Speed Dating workshop featuring corporate buyers. The day concludes with the Black Tie Gala at the Hyatt Regency with the Corporation of the Year Award, a C-Suite Power Meal Auction and entertainment by Motown legend Mary Wilson.

45

melody hobson


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National and locally, there is a long history of great leadership in

the minority business community. It is our recent history that leaves something to be desired. Not too long ago, minority business experienced a series of outstanding leaders with vision, character and fortitude. Leaders like Perrin Mitchell fought for affirmative action legislation. As Chairman of the Small Business Committee, Mitchell attached an amendment to a $4 billion public works bill that compelled state and local governments, seeking federal grants, to set aside 10% of the funds to retain minority firms as contractors and subcontractors. Maye Foster-Thompson’s historic leadership forged CMBDC and NMSDC on a path directed towards greatness. This kind of leadership and courage has been much more difficult to find in current days. The problems with today’s leaders fall into three broad categories. The first is the inability to put the needs of the community before individual needs. I am not above individual enrichment and would not begrudge anyone of making a lucrative living. However, if you are making more serving the minority business community than you could anywhere else, you are most likely in the wrong line of business. Minority Business should be a passion. The work is too hard and tasks too formidable to be performed by those that lack the passion and desire to make a difference. Making a

difference is its own reward. Those who are earning more than their market value tend to stay long after they stop making an impact. Aside from salary, there are leaders that are so fixated on their own stature and acknowledgement that they have stop seeking accomplishment and now primarily spend their time searching for recognition. The work that we do is often thankless in nature. That should be understood. Leaders should be on the frontline, taking bullets so that those we support can succeed. It is human nature to desire affirmation

but once that desire exceeds desire for accomplishment, it becomes counterproductive. The second issue that plagues today’s leaders is a lack of personal and professional courage. There are too many cowards in a leadership position in the minority business community. Too many people need their job more than they need to make a difference. We have the most difficult jobs in the U.S. economy.

We are charged with getting the majority of the population to include the minority of the population in our economy, seemingly at the expense of the majority. Much like the civil rights struggle this battle is often difficult and contentious. Too many leaders compromise themselves and refuse to fight for what is right. Let’s be clear, we cannot fight every battle every day but there are leaders who don’t fight for anything. This is not a profession for the weak. Minority

business owners fight, battle and struggle every day, they deserve leadership that does the same. Those leaders who are falling in line with pressure from management or general consensus should seek other employment. There are plenty of jobs that require limited courage and fortitude. Do the minority business community a favor and fill out some applications. Lastly, there is a lack of humility in our business leaders today. If you are going be “for the people,”

eric dobyneChicago Regional Director U.S. Department ofCommerce, MBDA

you have to be “of the people.” Somehow an elitist attitude has emerged among minority business leaders. Too many of those who lead us, think that they are somehow better than us. Leaders who think that they have some superior standing because of an Ivy League education, a Wall Street resume, or upper class background. You cannot lead any group if you don’t respect their culture and accomplishments. Those who are fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to attend

© 2010 BP Products North America Inc.

Creating relationships that energize business.

BP is dedicated to connect with the most innovative

and performance-driven Minority and Women

Business Enterprises that reflect the diversity of BP

communities. That’s why we are working with M/WBE

to create powerful opportunities for diverse suppliers

that are of scale, competitive and operate safely and

efficiently. Find out more at bp.com/supplierdiversity

Client: BP Campaign: BP Energy Security Ad#: BP-10-102 AdTitle: AA Male Lead - Supplier Diversity Version/Revision#: V2 DateModified: February 11, 2010 Operator: AC/RT SchawkDocket#:892397A02

MediaVendor/Publication:CBFO Expo Program

Safety: 7.5” x 10.5” Trim:8” x 11” Bleed: 8.5” x 11.5”

MechanicalScale: 100% Format:Full Page 4/C Printer:

where have all the leaders gone?

continued on page 17


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The web offers opportunities for “crowdsourcing,” in this case

raising small payments from numerous people, or the “crowd,” rather than relying on finding the full desired amount from one source Companies do not sell equity or take on debt and those paying will not ask for financials. Instead people pledge to support you in exchange for perks in your business. If this sounds great to you, you are not alone, and that is the main drawback. There are so many entrepreneurs turning to these sites, it is no wonder that you will need to rely on your innovative business sense to stand out in this non-conventional financing world. The leading websites that help fund a new project generally share two basic rules: (1) Offer some product or service (“perks”) in return for contribution pledges; and (2) if you fail to raise the full amount of your goal, the pledges do not get funded. For examples of typical ventures, you can start by visiting these leading websites:

Kickstarter: www.kickstarter.comFor artists, designers and inventors.

RocketHub www.rockethub.comFor artists, entrepreneurs, musicians, filmmakers, theatre producers, designers, and others.

IndieGoGo (www.indiegogo.com)Open to all ventures (note on this site you get to keep what you raise even if

Funding by “Crowdsourcing”...Raising early-stage money from an on-line crowd of friends and others is a viable alternative funding source and available to the most creative amongst us.

you miss your goal). Each site features three basic elements to a fundraising campaign: a profile page, a video to introduce the project and perks for fundraising goals. You create these elements, so the more creative you are the better chance you have in meeting your goal amidst the numerous other campaigns out there. And there are an incredible amount of

campaigns. Kickstarter, for example, posts over 2000 new projects every day. There are as many as 10,000 projects on IndieGoGo. Shining through the crush of campaigns requires certain keys to success. Assuming your project can appeal to a broad market, the profile

page, video, and perks combine for the first key

to success. These elements are the face of your project. The profile page is the website of your project, with all the required attention to descriptive engaging text. The video establishes credibility, often featuring the inventor and, the successful ones at least, capturing interest. Shoot the video not only for the audience you will invite, but also, with hope, to secondary viewers and beyond. Finally, the perks must be attractive and enhance the campaign. Perks vary widely including a preorder of the funded product, tickets to the proposed show, or coupon on consulting work. Viewers may decide to pledge more if they see a better perk as the funding levels increase. In other words, many people will pledge to support your project just to purchase the perk.

Marketing your campaign beyond your friends and family is the second key to success. The first people to pledge to your campaign will be your friends and family, most likely to click through to your site and support your vision. I supported my friend’s new iPad holder with a $25 pledge because he’s my friend and in spite of the fact that I do not have an iPad. (In full disclosure, though, my friend did not reach his goal, so I never actually paid the $25.) But with pledges as little as $10- $25 per person, you will need your campaign to catch fire beyond your initial crowd. To meet your goal

and even surpass it, you can also reach out to your networks, promote your campaign on related blogs, and even invite your current customers to get in on the new offering. As in your business, the more people see your project, the more likely you will get funding. Note that these websites do not help you sell equity in your business. There are other sites such as Profounder (www.profounder.com) and MicroVentures (www.microventures.com) that bring investor money tothe crowdsourcing world. While these sites have varying degrees of

Josh Gutstein



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Ramon Travieso came to the U.S. from Cuba through Operacion

Pedro Pan (Operation Peter Pan), when panicked Cuban parents fearing the Communist takeover by Fidel Castro would send their children to the safety of the United States via the Catholic Church. He has little to say about those years. However, there’s an intense resiliency and humility about him that seems to keep him focused through the storms and the calms. Ramon had been in the beer business but wanted something more for his life. He started RT Beverage (RTB) over 17 years ago out of the garage of his home as a two-man operation with his son, Patrick. His intentions were to develop a nonalcoholic beverage distributor that would exemplify the highest standards of service, while offering the widest range of quality products at competitive prices. His first fleet consisted of a used mini-van without heat in the windy winter of Chicago. Rolling out as an independent beverage distributor presented an additional challenge to his dream. He had to face the fact that large companies like Coca-Cola, Pepsi and more, gobbled up the majority of the high-producing vendor machine locations. But they

Ramon Travieso

fell short on customer service. For RTB, their service component was their gold standard which provided the competitive edge needed in an industry controlled by Fortune 500 multi-national corporations. In 1995, RTB opened its first hospital account (Christ Hospital) where they serviced all of the beverage needs within its cafeteria. In 1996, Rush St. Luke’s and Lutheran General Hospital came aboard and by 2002, RTB was serving over 50 hospitals. Today, RT Beverage’s largest client is Advocate Healthcare.Even in the age of technology and remote connections, Ramon maintains the personal connection in his business. He is involved with each account assuring that everything that they require is adhered to, allowing him to guarantee that RTB’s prices are the most competitive and their commission structure is the best in the entire vending and coffee industry. RTB offers the widest variety of cold beverages, juices, milk, snacks, coffee, fresh and frozen food items. Because we are a hands-on operation that is nimble and can customize a program to provide customers with the highest quality of office and home coffee, cafeteria or vending beverage operation. But RTB has not been immune to

daring to dream big!

the unforeseen economic pitfalls of late. ShoreBank, Ramon’s lender closed its doors. Chicago-based ShoreBank – once referred to as “the bank with a heart” - for more than three decades made loans to underserved South and West-siders who might not have gotten financing elsewhere to buy homes, apartment buildings and start businesses. It had struggled for months to raise sufficient funds to stay afloat. “The closing of Shore Bank really hurt us,” notes Ramon, “our loans were called in.” He knew he had to do something and it had to be right. He was determined to save his business. He relied on relationships and referrals and presented his case. He had been active in the minority supplier organizations for several years, but had become disillusioned. But this was a unique time, like none other. America’s entrepreneurs – the backbone of job creation & innovation - were being slammed against the wall like in a wrestling match while lending institutions sat on their hands waiting to be bailed-out by American tax dollars. One day, Ramon found himself at the MBDA Business Center – Chicago, where he met with Hans Bonner and Josh Gutstein. They recognized that Ramon had a solid business which was in jeopardy only because of the country’s economic downturn. “Hans and Josh were hands on in helping me stay in business (at a time when lender ShoreBank had folded)…they even tried to get me a micro-loan until the main loan came through.” Ramon was organized and

had all of his paperwork together. Bonner & Gutstein introduced RTB to Ridgestone Bank, the largest SBA lender by total dollars lent in Illinois. “Ridgestone Bank CEO Bruce W. Lammers, states on the bank website, “We help business owners build their dreams.” Mike Adams, Assistant Vice President of Ridgestone, recognized real success in RT Beverage and was impressed by Ramon and his son, Patrick. “What was impressive about Ramon was how he built up the business always watching sales,” says Mike, “while Patrick watched the profits.” Mike recognized that RT Beverage saved their company by taking a hard look at even their largest customers to assess the true cost of doing business. So they reworked some deals and walked away from others to focus on their more profitable jobs. The bank was also impressed by their skillful use of resources. Such as the negotiation to use the storage at sites thus saving on transportation costs, shielding them from the worst of the gas crunch. Ridgestone worked with Ramon to refinance his term loan but also bought some assets, stretched amortization for outstanding leases and wrapped in vendor payables.

Those moves made it possible for RTB to see an immediate significant cash savings. With some of the freed cash, Ramon has purchased much needed equipment without adding new leasing costs.In this time, RTB continues to have a

strong foundation as a beverage distributor and also developed into a full service vending operation,

ramon travieso


started over 13 years ago out of the garage of my home as a 2-man operation, my son and I


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20 national accounting firm, several financial institutions and advisors on several industries, as well as some private equity groups. We had a seminar late last year that discussed some of the issues you need to know if you want to grow via acquisitions or want to sell your business or merge with another company, we have the second seminar that will take place during workshop day at CBOF on April 11th. Finally, we are pleased to introduce the Chicago Financial Investment Services Forum, a group organized by and for minority owned investment managers and broker dealers that will bring in the mix consultants, corporate financial officers and other professionals. This initiative comes as a follow up to The Financial Investment Forum that is organized

every year during MBDA’s MED Week. As you can see, there is a lot more to being a part of ChicagoMSDC than Certification, so we invite you to take advantage of these and other resources we have in house. The MBDA Business Center – Chicago is an integral part of ChicagoMSDC and the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce as a Strategic Partner. If you would like

to know more or would like some assistance please do not hesitate to reach out to the MBDA Business Center – Chicago and see how we can help you. We have a vast network of resources, we do not claim to be able to do everything or work with everybody, but at the very least we can certainly point you in the right direction. Please feel free to call Gwen, Megan, Dave, Josh, Raphael or Hans with any questions, at 312-755-8880. We look forward to hearing from you!! We are hands on!

hans bonner

“In the last year, we have helped MBEs with over $300 Million in procurement and financial

transactions, and worked with over 100 Businesses, as well as helped in the creation and

retention of over 200 jobs.”

We get asked this question every time we meet a newly certified

MBE or an MBE who is considering getting certified, even MBEs who have been certified a long time but have not really taken advantage of the services provided by ChicagoMSDC. Of course everybody knows about CBOF, Procurement Power Luncheons, networking events, speed dating, etc., but those are certainly not the only benefits. There is a plethora of benefits for our MBEs. You, the MBE, have a resource dedicated to your growth called, The MBDA Business Center – Chicago, and we’re ready to assist. Since almost a year ago, ChicagoMSDC has operated the MBDA Business Center – Chicago through a grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) and in partnership with the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. If you have been associated with ChicagoMSDC for a long time, you may remember The Chicago MBOC and MBEC which were the names used before. Under this new and improved concept, ChicagoMSDC was able to add six positions to further enhance the services provided to the MBEs.

The Center is part of a network of over 30 MBDA Business Centers around the country, so no matter where you want to go, most likely we can provide some local resources in that area of the country. The MBDA Business Center – Chicago works with MBEs (certified or not, but we certainly encourage MBE Certification) in assisting them with procurement assistance, MBE/DBE/8(a) Certification assistance, financial packaging, financial analysis, management consulting, strategic planning and advice. We have a very talented group of

consultants with diverse backgrounds that can help your business with almost every need. Our B2B Specialists help connect businesses to contract opportunities, our financial team helps work through financial challenges, and we will work with you to put together an RFP or just review it. If we cannot help you directly, we will tap into our resource network so that we might be able to help you. We also provide discounted fee-based services in the fields of legal

assistance (for contract and lease review) and graphic design (logos, brochures, presentations). In short, we are ready to be a great resource

for your business. The services I mentioned are the basic services that we provide, but we have several new initiatives we are working on that can really help your business. We are working with industry groups where our organization can help facilitate networking and contract opportunities with groups in Healthcare, IT and Construction. In the Construction Industry Group, with its purpose to invite Corporations, Government Agencies and Prime Contractors to create an environment to talk about increasing MBE participation in construction contracts, we have had three (3) meetings and we are working on developing the future of this group, based on the positive feedback we have received. Out of this initiative we will have a “Hard Hat Construction Row” at CBOF which will include several prime contractors, large MBEs and government agencies with opportunities. We are also working on a Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) initiative. The purpose of this initiative is to help MBEs grow via acquisition, mergers and private equity. We have several highly qualified partners on this industry, like Reznick Group, a top

How Can ?hans bonner

chicagomsdchelp me

hans bonnerexecutive Director mbdabusiness center chicago

From MAYHeMTo mentoring

The business of protection is high risk. Navigation through the drama of unprecedented “Act of God” disasters such as hurricanes Katrina and Andrew, tornadoes, and earthquakes are nail-biters that require resiliency and skill beyond measure.

the allstate supplier diversity team


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But in the insurance business, risk is assumed and change is a constant

and Allstate has earned its survivor status that thrives on all fronts. Allstate Insurance Company is a Fortune 100 company with $133 billion in total assets and sells 13 major lines of insurance including auto, property, life and commercial. Based in Northbrook, Illinois, it is the 8th largest public company in Crain’s Chicago Business List of Chicago’s Largest Public Companies. Allstate has 35,700 employees. and has been a member of ChicagoMSDC for over 30 years. Drawn into the inescapable economic gymnastics of the times, Allstate has prevailed as the consumer’s designated protector from mayhem and the company to trust because “you’re in good hands”. In their push back to thrive in future trends, a program with great promise

was realized with the advent of Allstate’s mentoring program for MBEs. Two dynamic executives will oversee the process. Meet Cheryl Harris, Senior Vice President, Sourcing and Procurement Solutions and Margaret Klinsport, Director of Allstate’s Supplier Diversity Program and First Vice Chair of ChicagoMSDC Board of Directors. Harris and her team are responsible for optimizing Allstate’s spend portfolio of $14B through collaboration with internal business partners and driving innovation with external suppliers which includes Allstate’s Supplier Diversity Program. Klinsport leads the company’s initiative to work with minority suppliers and help them earn the opportunity tocompete for Allstate’s business. Over the last few months, business

news has reported on Allstate’s own internal mayhem. A compelling landscape change happened: repositioning Allstate from a business model where customers rely on the services of an agent to one where customers purchase direct online (direct channel). Allstate’s agents had always held a high profile in the company’s “hands-on” customer service advantage. “The providers of that direct channel (such as Progressive and GEICO) are at our back door and are affecting our market share (offering rate reductions to customers who switch to them). Also the weather patterns have changed, greatly increasing the number of natural catastrophes,” states Harris. However, Allstate has made a killer comeback with rapid-fire strategic adjustments and creative solutions. But it can with a bevy of tough decisions to be made. Tough decisions are tough to carry out. But that’s what leaders do, they lead through the fray. To make this

comeback the criteria was clear: if an area did not show profitable growth then it had to be placed on the back-burner. That decision greatly affected suppliers, particularly in the IT area. Allstate had to stick to strategy and take a hard stance: if it didn’t produce revenue then, it had to be dropped. The paradigm has shifted drastically and Allstate’s structured but nimble approach has catapulted them through “the scuffle” with competitors. Growing industries like energy were picked up.

“Even on a dramatic decrease of revenue, our direct diverse spend continued to pick up,” said Klinsport. Enter, the Allstate Diverse Supplier Mentoring Program will launch May 2012. The inaugural 12 month program partners Allstate

with10 minority business owner mentees who met the following criteria:• A certified diverse supplier; • Had annual revenues

of over $150,000;

Allstate has 35,700 employees and has been a member of ChicagoMSDC for

over 30 years.

“Our objective is to be a hometown leader…we are looking for businesses that can go to the next level,”

Margaret Klinsport & Cheryl Harris


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assistance, you will still need to there remain limits on the number of even small investments you can accept and the State of Illinois has its own rules on registration. An effort to liberalize securities rules to allow companies to sell shares like the perks discusses above is working its way through Congress. There is no question that websites such as Kickstarter are successful. There is also no question that success with them rests entirely with a creative approach to marketing your campaign. In the best scenario, the funding

campaign will not only add capital to your new venture, but will introduce your company to an audience outside your customer list. The financial crowdsourcing websites are worth a look, but remember that success will require a real investment of your own in time and effort.

milana l. walter

Website ReferencesKickstarter (www.kickstarter.com)

RocketHub (www.rockethub.com)IndieGoGo (www.indiegogo.com)

needed. (Ex. A company met with them with a great idea but wanted Allstate to do all the work because they were too small to execute their idea.) Many MBEs tend to have a short-term versus a long-term approach, especially in this current economy. Both approaches has its benefits. A company that can be nimble is an asset that maintains a competitive edge for a small business. However, building strategic relationships with billion dollar companies takes time. It takes time to cultivate trust and understanding, with few expectations. Harris would like to emphasize that MBEs think long-term though, in certain areas, “MBEs haven’t thought about succession planning…the business continuity plan has not been considered and I would like to see that aspect prioritized.” In the high risk business of insurance, supplier diversity is simply smart business.

milana L. walter

CROWDSOURCING --- from page 7• Have been in business for

at least 5 years and • can have at least one senior

officer to attend all sessions.

The mentoring program will assist business owners to strengthen their businesses through a series of live and virtual sessions focused on leadership and employee development, financial management, sales and marketing, and technology improvement. “Our objective is to be a hometown leader…we are looking for businesses that can go to the next level,” adds Klinsport. Who better to share notes on how to win through devastating odds? Harris and Klinsport both concur that sometimes, MBEs do not understand the scale of business expected by Allstate. They have witnessed 11th hour reality checks from companies that had to drop out because of their inability to meet the scale of deliverables which was outside of their scope of performance. Needless to say, research and resources are integral to a MBEs due diligent approach to doing business with Fortune 500 companies. Although ChicagoMSDC certification presents the gold standard in certification that links MBEs with corporate America and governmental agencies, it is a tool for access not a guarantee for contracts. Klinsport believes these ingredients with get MBEs an edge in doing business with Allstate:

• Articulation of what differentiates their company from the other suppliers out there.

• Keeping up on trends• Politely persistent relationship

building. (Ex. One company attended every exchange meeting and landed a lucrative contract after 4 years of perseverance.)

• A professional website• Using all the resources that

ChicagoMSDC has to offer.

Know your breaking point and be open to partnering and collaboration when an additional expertise is

michael gaines


Cbof 45 12

“Upward Bound gave me an idea as to what to aspire to. When you come from the projects,

you only know what’s around

you.”

business. However, given the insular environment of a world on the downside of advantage, was it possible for him to imagine life as much more? Gaines grew up in the projects of the Bronx, New York. His Mom worked hard and his Dad knew circuit boards and repaired TV’s. In fact, a gift of a toy cardboard candy store from his Mom, sparked the entrepreneurial flame flickering inside a nine year old Gaines. Transforming a cardboard candy

store into a real macro-enterprise was an organic fit for him. The 9 year old

figured how to buy candy in bulk and sell it for a profit to his peers. He even paid back his Mother’s initial “loan”. He seemed destined for upward mobility. He had heard about Upward Bound as he worked his newspaper route and kept good grades. Upward Bound is a federal program that prepares low-income children for college especially in science and math. Gaines entered the program in 7th grade and stayed throughout his high school years. For over 4 years, he would journey to the campus of Fordham University with other Upward Bound students, who were mostly Black, to participate in the demanding college preparatory program. After high school, Gaines was

It has satellite offices in Arizona and Texas. The Chicago headquarters has

30+ employees and retains upward of 400 consultants on an annual basis. The firm provides IT services with a battalion of consultants with cross-functional expertise to deliver IT consulting, specialized niche services, professional staffing services and MSP services. The client roster reads like a Forbes List of Fortune 100 & 500 U.S. Corporations: Allstate, Discover, U.S. Cellular, Motorola and Sears. Michael Gaines is the founder of CRS Group as well as its’ President & CEO. Given his propensity for independence, in a perfect world it was not a stretch to imagine young Gaines as the owner of his own

accepted into Fordham. He failed his first semester due partly to the personal toll of being the only Black for the first time in his life. It took some getting use to. However, he knew he had to regroup if he was to achieve his college degree. When he graduated from Fordham University with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Management and Business, he began his career working for Sears Roebuck & Co. as a programmer. In 1988, he married Yolanda, who still today he calls “his true partner”. After working for Sears and Cap Gemini, Gaines decided to strike out on his own and self-financed his start-up of Computer Resource Solutions (CRS) out of his basement in 1994. The same year he established his first and current client, Allstate Insurance. As business grew, he took out a $50k loan to expand and establish more credit. A small suburban lending institution would require him to take out a life insurance policy and name the bank as a sole beneficiary even though the loan was already guaranteed by the SBA. CRS Inc. was yesterday. The CRS Group is today. At its core, The CRS Group is a company of integrity.

We would never lie to a customer. I have let people go who have.

We all make mistakes. We learn from them and move on. Just tell the truth. When you tell a lie, the

truth will eventually be known. So why do it because it destroys your

integrity.

The economic downturn shook his world. He kept operating with a half-full versus half-empty mentality even when some customers asked them to reduce their rates and others simply cut them. In some cases, Gaines thought there were customers who were taking advantage of the

economic situation. “It really hurt us. I don’t think we’re out of the woods yet,” said Gaines, “But during the good years we did not splurge.” Last year was a year of assessment and implementing change. Yolanda kept leading the accounts payable and human resources departments. Other key team members focused on their responsibilities and possibilities. But some employees were being challenged and the money was not flowing as before although the quality of their work was never compromised. His team had signed commitments to CRS Group’s Mission Statement and Values. Each person promised to function highly in their professional work with integrity, passion, accountability, agility, teamwork,

relationships and health. The company strived through economic twists and turns due in part to his partner, Yolanda and long-term staffers, Scott (11 years) and Debbie (10 years) who provided passion, expertise and continuity.

As Gaines puts it, “Are the right people on the bus? And if the right people are on the bus, are they sitting in the right seats?” Gaines is proud of the longevity of some client relationships such as: Allstate – 17 years; AT&T – 12 years and Sears – 15 years. “Many companies have metrics we have to meet every quarter to stay on their list. Allstate has 6 suppliers in their IT space and we’re ranked #2. At Discover we’re ranked #1 in last 2 years. We out-perform multi-million companies,” adds Gaines. According to Gaines, the CRS Group edge includes: hiring good people, understanding the business, common sense. Gaines stresses that ‘common sense isn’t so common anymore’…


gaining profits with integrityCRS Group is a Chicago-based multi-million dollar company founded in 1994.


cbof 45 13

Schedule of

Celebrity Emcees

Walgreens increased their diversity spend in FY 2011 by

29%, to more than $873 million up from $115 million in 2006. Driven by a newly expanded Supplier Diversity (SD) department led by Gleatha Glispie, Senior Director of Supplier Diversity, the team of three corporate managers and a coordinator has their eyes squarely planted on their $1 billion goal. Glispie’s credentials are undeniable, however; it is her passion that creates an incredible edge.Needless to say, a $1 billion diversity spend is a staggering goal. But given Glispie’s track-record and Walgreens selection of her to champion their supplier diversity initiative, it would indicate that Walgreens means business: diverse business. Before stepping into the role at Walgreens, she had more than 17 years experience of business diversity experience in the chemical, health sector and retail trade industries. At Monsanto Chemical, a top 10 U.S. chemical company based in St. Louis, Missouri, Glispie was given six months to benchmark

a business diversity program: a program which still stands firm today. She is also the founder and board chair of the supplier diversity committee of the Healthcare Group Purchasing Industry Initiative (HGPH). Under her leadership and direction, the first-ever Supplier Diversity White Paper in Healthcare was published. Glispie has gained an impressive reputation of building and leaving legacies in each position she has held. While at Premier, the nation’s largest healthcare group purchasing organization (GPO) comprising a base of over 1,500 health systems, Ms. Glispie developed the business diversity initiative for the $33 Billion operation. It was October 2007 when Glispie came to Walgreens as the key internal liaison and innovation-planning strategist. The onus was to develop programs and processes to directly sustain and increase spend with diverse suppliers for the entire

Walgreen Company of over 8,000 stores. Answering the charge, she created two innovative brand strategy programs, “Power of Alignment” a B2B networking model and “Community Corner” as a B to C integrated marketing strategy both

designed to demonstrate the value proposition and ROI for diversity in the retail industry.

“Diverse brands have to be able to compete

with the broad spectrum.”

Community Corner rolled-out with a presence at several strategic vendor events, including Latino Fashion Week, Women’s Business Enterprise National Council and Black Women’s Expo. Glispie reinforced

her reach with a “show your art” aspect displayed on popular tote bags: Guichard Gallery Bags from an African-American artist; Misericordia Bags from developmental & physically disabled artists and Brindy Bags from women artists which were sold in selected Walgreens stores. Power of Alignment focuses on contracting with diverse-owned businesses in the service area such as construction, facilities and professional services. One of the challenges faced by Glispie is that for some MBEs their business structure is undeveloped in a number of key areas - perhaps in distribution or quality control - and they are not positioned to offer a full range of services or goods. If the MBE is open to performance suggestions, due diligence, flexibility and collaboration possibilities, the opportunities for growth are real through the Walgreens program. The value of economic development is not underestimated at Walgreens. Glispie and her team coach vendors to be the right fit, down to the registration portal and the right I.D. by NAICS Code. Glispie represents Walgreens on ChicagoMSDC’s board of directors. They have been a positive partner to engage with and provide resources for action and fulfillment of purpose. Walgreen has taken a leadership role and will encourage diverse vendors to become certified; advise vendors how to get their products on the shelf; help suppliers with R&D (research & development) and requirements for packaging. The Walgreens brand has been synonymous with health and wellness and now is on the verge of being synonymous with taking business diversity to a stratospheric level.

milana L. walter

“i am connected with the work (of

supplier diversity) as a vehicle for

positive change.”

GleathaGlispie

A Walgreens Innovator

April 11, 2012MBEIC Awards Reception

Art NormanNBC 5 Chicago

April 12, 2012Sponsor Breakfast

Daniella Guzman, NBC 5 ChicagoTsi-tsi-ki Felix, Telemundo Chicago Featured guest Jeff Taylor, Founder, Monster.com - interviewed by Mellody Hobson, President, Ariel investments ChicagoMSDC Media Champion Awards to NBC 5 Chicago

Larry WertPresident & GM

Frank WhittakerVice President of News

Deborah BrownDirector of Station Relations Clear Channel Earl JonesPresident

Angela IngramSenior Vice President of Communication

April 13, 2012CBOF 45 Black-Tie GalaMichelle Relerford, NBC 5 Chicago Featured entertainment: Motown Legend, Mary Wilson of The Supremes

CHICAGO BUSINESSOPPORTUNITY FAIR

cbof


Cbof 45 14

One thing that makes good common sense is his relationship with ChicagoMSDC. He makes no secret of the role ChicagoMSDC has played in his business success. “I’ve gotten business from the Council”, he adds. He was introduced to ChicagoMSDC in 1999 from a contact at Cap Gemini who told him, “(ChicagoMSDC) was one of the biggest “best-kept secrets”. He was impressed by the history of the organization as a game-changing advocate for minority business. In his opinion, the Council operates on a phenomenal level providing the links to corporate America and government agencies to MBEs. In his case, he seeks companies that have $1B in revenue and understands those relationships that take years of patience to build. Gaines tells of the time he was waiting for a CBOF committee meeting to start. He introduced himself to a man who was also waiting. His name was Reuben Hamilton from Caremark. Coincidentally, CRS had just submitted a proposal to Caremark. Gaines had sought to make a face-to-face presentation to them about CRS. So upon meeting Hamilton, Gaines seized the moment and told Hamilton how great it would be if he would give him an opportunity to know more about CRS. Then, maybe he would feel comfortable enough to become an advocate for CRS inside Caremark. The strategy seemed to work. He eventually became their advocate. Another milestone was

reached when they were included on company’s secondary list. Again, CRS came out empty-handed. Hamilton continued to have Gaines “over-prepare…but in the process we covered many scenarios”. Then, CRS put a value proposition on the table. By the time they walked out of the meeting Gaines had landed a multi-million contract. “They are still a customer. That’s what the Council (ChicagoMSDC) can do for you,” states Michael Gaines. Gaines had gained access to a multi-million dollar client through being active with ChicagoMSDC. “Corporate needs to understand the supplier and what they have to offer and help them to navigate through their process. (The hands-on approach as was the experience with Caremark makes all the difference.) In some corporate Supplier Diversity executives, I have seen the hands-off type which is not at all helpful to a MBE,” said Gaines. Rather if the pace is for a sprint or a marathon, relationships in general take time. Especially relationships with multi-billion companies. Gaines chased McDonald’s for 3 years before becoming a supplier. Conversely, at Discover, it took only a few months because there was a prior relationship with the supplier diversity manager who knew their work well from before.

Milana Walter

The US-South African Women’s Business Forum (USSAWBF) is a

groundbreaking initiative to pool the entrepreneurial talent and energy of women business leaders in the Midwest and South Africa to stimulate job-creating trade and investment linkages between our two regions. The initiative is the result of the partnership of the South African Consulate General in Chicago, the Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council, the Chicago’s Women’s Business Development Centre, the National Association of Women Business Owners and WVON. The inaugural meeting of the USSAWBF, took place during the week of October 24-28, 2011 in Chicago. Leading women executives and entrepreneurs from South Africa met with US counterparts and discussed the exciting range of business opportunities generated by Africa’s economic take-off. The conference resulted in partnerships and cooperation agreements across various sectors. In 2012, the South African Consulate General and its partners will continue to work towards women’s economic empowerment in the US and South Africa. The year 2012 will also commemorate the Centennial of the African National Congress (ANC), the oldest liberation movement in South Africa. This is a historic achievement for the people of South Africa and is also a world celebration. The people of the Midwest demonstrated

remarkable solidarity with the people of South Africa by mobilizing through academic institutions, legal bodies, civic organizations and through faith- based communities. The Consul General, Amb. Nomvume P. Magaqa, on 8th January 2012 on the occasion of the 100 year celebrations of the ANC stated: “We owe this milestone achievement to all progressive forces of the world that fought with us against apartheid. Defeating apartheid without international solidarity and generosity was indeed going to be a much more daunting task.” During the month of May a significant celebration of solidarity with the workers of South Africa will take place in Chicago. A range of local celebratory activities will cover the remainder of the year 2012. The Consulate is also preparing for various inward missions across various sectors including an Automotive Investment Mission, the South Africa Handmade Collection, Cape Wine 2012, and the Offshore Technology Conference.

the south african consulate General-chicago

Any company interested in these missions to South Africa or additional information...please contact [email protected] [email protected]

michael gaines at corporate headquaters

NFl’sNew MBEOwnershahidkhan

a chicagoMSDC MBE who has made NFL history. He is the first minority majority owner of an NFL Football team in the league’s 90 year history.


cbof 45 15

For decades he has been intrigued by the business of sports as well as

being an avid NFL fan. The purchase price was $750 million. This was his second attempt. In 2010, his bid to buy the St. Louis Rams was complicated by the last minute kerfuffle triggered by a minority owner. Undaunted, Khan catapulted forward in his desire to accomplish his goal. His experience as a MBE has served him well. He came to the U.S. from Pakistan at age 16. Later, he studied engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana. In his 20s, Khan founded Bumper Works, a firm that developed one-piece bumper designs for trucks, making them more durable and less prone to rusting. He had worked at Flex-N-Gate, a manufacturer of automotive parts. When he bought the company in 1980 its annual revenue was less than

$1 million and had 40 employees. “I was surprised to learn the NFL did not have a supplier diversity program. The Jacksonville Jaguars will have diverse suppliers,” said Khan. Over the years as Khan has built Flex-N-Gate into a $3 billion operation with 14,000 employees at 57 global sites, there have been lessons learned. His key lesson learned? The value of good people. He shares that hiring family and friends is fine if they are the best qualified. However, in order to compete, a MBE needs the best qualified people for the job which means to sustain them, they have to be compensated accordingly. Until early 1990’s, Flex-N-Gate made less than $20 million annual. Still the company experienced substantial growth from his

1980 purchase date. “As a MBE, I kept my head down and I listened more than I spoke. I developed a sense of humility and the realization that I could be disposable.” Khan is certified through ChicagoMSDC and the Michigan Council. Through the Michigan Council he gained access to decision-makers

office coffee service and water cooler distributor. He and his son, Patrick, continue to bring their strengths to the business, although sometimes their opposite styles may seem like oil and water. But it works for them. Unlike other companies in the industry, the majority of their growth has been through referrals and word-of-mouth by directors of hospitals and corporate decision makers realizing what they do will benefit others in similar situations in desperate need of a positive change and forward progress. The only time they actively seek business is when they are confident RTB will be able to successfully service it to their gold standard of excellence. Although, Ramon is a self-proclaimed workaholic, he still finds time to give-back to his community. The complicated experience of being one of over 15,000 children sent by their parents from Cuba to Miami in the 1960’s – catapulted by the fear that those against the revolution would be transported to Soviet work camps – the children were placed with group homes, friends & relatives. The experience has left Ramon with a deep sense of purpose. He admits that ‘he has been through a lot’ but does not speak of it. Instead he uses his energies to aggressively help the homeless community through various churches, food banks and shelters. But he doesn’t want to speak much about that either. It is just what Ramon does: he continues to dare to dream, big.

in the automotive industry. He built relationships. Through research and resources, he found out what their needs were. The auto industry is all about meeting the metrics of quality and delivery. Since he will be keeping the team in Jacksonville, Khan will continue to lead his company and his new NFL team.

milana L. walter

dream big --- from page 8

The minority business enterprise input committee of the chicago minority supplier development council announces and salutes the following outstanding honorees


Cbof 45 16

MBEIC 2012 Awardees

Sharing Success Award (CEO)

W. ANTHONY VernonKarft Foods

Anders C. Rasmussen Jr. Award

Nancy ConnerW.W. GRAINGER INC.

Minority Business Advocate Award

Jackie DyessINTER-CITY SUPPLY CO INC.

Impact Award

James LowryBOSTON CONSULTING GROUP

Public Sector Award

Malcolm WeemsSTATE OF ILLINOIS

MBEIC Special Recognition Award

Berlon HamiltonHOSPIRA, INC.

Daphne JonesHOSPIRA, INC.

Kristen SvatosHSBC

Fernando RonderosNAVISTAR

Sharla RobertsSTATE OF ILLINOIS

William R. Jerpenavistar

Judy KoletAT&T

Georgia BrustPNC

Richard ReyesCOM ED

Klara Jelinkovauniv. of chICAGO

Outstanding Buyer/Contracting Minority Supplier of the Year

class I

Pamela A. McElvaneDIVERSITY MBA

class Ii

Sandeep NainSNTIAL TECHNOLOGIES

class Iii

Michael J. CabreraUBM Facility Services, Inc.

class iV

Ezequiel FloresFLYING FOOD FARE, INC


cbof 45 17

MBEIC’s New chairSince 2002 Joyce Johnson founder of

Anchor Staffing, Inc. has been the President/CEO of one of the largest minority woman owned staffing firms in the Chicago metropolitan area. Joyce has grown Anchor into a multi-million dollar corporation, opened additional offices in the far north and northwest suburbs, while championing diversity initiatives.

“In the role of MBEIC Chair, it is my goal to lead the MBEIC

Committee in the direction that provides real economic/

business development opportunities for MBE’s

within the Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council.

This can be achieved by both utilizing the assets within the Committee and the Council,

strengthening the relationships with our existing Corporate

Partners while developing new Corporate Partners.”

With over 30 years of staffing and recruiting experience and holding prominent positions with two of the largest global staffing providers, Joyce has served as Diversity Council Chairperson for the Midwest Region for one of those global organizations. For the last three years Ms. Johnson has served as the Vice Chair of the Chicago MBEIC Committee where she was actively involved in the push for innovative practices and opportunities for MBE’s in this market. She has attended quarterly meetings at the national level to gain insight on programs developed by committees outside of the Chicago Council. In 2010 Ms. Johnson was recognized as one of “50 Most Powerful Women in

Business” by Minority Enterprise Advocate Magazine and received the award during a luncheon in Washington, DC.

joyce johnson - MBEIC CHAIRGrainger is a proud, active member of the National Minority Supplier Development Council, the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council and a Founding Member of the Diverse Manufacturing Supply Chain Alliance.

We recognize the importance of meeting supplier diversity goals.

As one of North America’s leading suppliers of facilities maintenance supplies, our supplier diversity program provides quality products in every category, from cleaning supplies and casters to tools and fasteners that help our customers get their jobs done.

Today, more and more minority-owned and woman-owned businesses are working as suppliers for our daily operations.

So whether you supply our company with the products and services we need, or supply the products that we distribute to our customers, we’ll partner with you to meet both our goals.

To register for Grainger’s Supplier Diversity Program, visit https://app.suppliergateway.com/grainger

Look for the Supplier Diversity symbol throughout our catalog. For the most current listings of Grainger diverse supplier products, click on the Supplier Diversity logo on the Grainger.com® home page.

Partner with Grainger.

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the finest schools, work at the top companies or associate with the affluent should realize that it has little to do with individual efforts and more with fortunate situating. I’m always amazed at how many leaders seek credit for being born into a prosperous family. We all need to understand that there cannot be equality of accomplishment if there is not equality of opportunity. Leaders have made a point of speaking out about the need for more minority

professional services companies. I agree with that sentiment but I also believe we need more of all types of minority businesses. A lack of humility has led those supporting professional services companies to try to marginalize other businesses. I can remember a business leader saying “They don’t build statues for owners of janitorial companies.” I was overwhelmed by the inherent arrogance of the statement. There is clearly a faction of the minority business community that is now more fixated on having a statue built than feeding families and changing communities.

where are the leadersfrom page 6

We don’t often get to choose those appointed to leadership positions but we do get to choose who we follow. Too many have been quiet too long. The tendency of business owners is to figure out how to do it on their own. But that should not be necessary all the time. It is important that the minority business community show their support for positive and determined leaders. It is equally important that we voice our distain for those weak marginal leaders that occupy positions that are designed to make a difference.

ERIC DOBYNE

Cbof 45 18


The 45th Annual Chicago Business Opportunity

Fair, April 11-13th, marks a milestone for ChicagoMSDC and I am honored and blessed to be a part of this wonderful organization and historic occasion! Each year, as Director of Events, it is my goal to make CBOF bigger and better. Just as the saying goes “go big or go home,” I prefer to provide that “WOW” factor! I’ve been eating, sleeping, and breathing CBOF since the closing of CBOF 44 and although it can get a bit overwhelming, my love and commitment to the mission of ChicagoMSDC and the livelihood of all MBE’s, was the driving force behind producing this fabulous occasion! Forty-five years ago, CBOF was a bona-fide game-changer in minority business tradeshows. This year, my strategy was to change the face of tradeshows. People want to see visuals and illusion. So by being innovative with the look and feel of the event, I believed it would leave guests with a lasting memory, encouraging them to want to come back. Since this is our 45th year, hello! INNOVATION is a must! I’ve included some innovative touches such as the exhibitor THEMES like Hard Hat City (Construction Companies) , featuring construction vehicles and equipment, Healthcare Row, featuring onsite screenings and testing, Food and Beverage Row featuring tasty food demos, and much much more! This year’s

DÉCOR is best described as vibrant! As reflected in ChicagoMSDC’s new logo, the colors are brighter and diverse representing shades of minority. I also chose cream, copper, and bronze to add bits of glitz. Navy Pier has been our venue of choice for over twenty years now. It is centrally located, in “the heart of the city,” there is ample parking, and it’s spacious enough to accommodate over 3,000 attendees as well as our larger exhibits such as the Construction trucks as seen in Hard Hat City. CONVENIENCE is extremely important when planning an event of this caliber. You

absolutely want to minimize any room for complaints or inconveniencing! An incredible amount of preparation and hard work went into planning CBOF 45. The brochure, including a detailed schedule of events and sponsor packages, was designed and sent out in August of 2011. We secured a renown innovator, Monster.com founder, Jeff Taylor as the Keynote Speaker for the Sponsors Breakfast as well as hosts from NBC 5 & Telemundo for our featured events such as the MBEIC AWARDS Welcome Reception and the CBOF 45 Black Tie Gala Dinner. Speed Dating, featuring Corporate Buyers and Global Commissioners is always an awesome hit! Lastly, we were able to provide some fabulous live ENTERTAINMENT including a special performance from Motown Legend, Mary Wilson, and an original Supreme. The Resource Guide’s, Sponsors Breakfast and MBEIC Awards brochures were all created and printed, thanks to Powell Photography. Awards were beautifully designed and crafted, thank you Donna of Bridgeforth Wolf & Associates. We personally mailed invitations to secure the100 Dais guests for the Sponsors Breakfast. Our promotional concepts such as

the BE THERE videos and flyers were brought to life and distributed over the e-blast and can still be viewed on the Councils YouTube channel. The CBOF 45 commercials and radio spots ran successfully, special thanks to long-time sponsors NBC5 Chicago, Telemundo and Clear Channel. This year new media sponsors Crain’s Chicago Business, MBEConnect and Smooth Jazz 87.7 made significant additions to our advertising push There were meals to plan, floor plans to fill. (Sigh!) There are so many layers that go into producing a successful event like CBOF 45. It has definitely been a TEAM effort. The entire Chicago’s office has been very involved in the process. I would like to give a special thank you to our Presenting Sponsors Allstate for their continuous support over the years. We are ever so grateful to have you guys on board once again and we hope to have you for many years to come. Thank you to our Benefactor Sponsors Kraft Foods, Navistar, the Nielson Company, OfficeMax, United Airlines, and Walgreen Company. After tons of Planning Committee Meetings, in which some ideas were good and some were shaky, after thousand of emails, hundreds of phone calls, and countless evenings at the office, it is safe to say that planning CBOF 45 is no walk in the park! You have to be aggressive, loyal, possess a calmness but urgency, be flexible and understand that life gets busy and sometimes people forget to submit their registration forms *hint *hint. GET YOUR REGISTRATION FORMS ON TIME NEXT YEAR PLEEEASE! Try to remember and understand the importance of supporting Supplier Diversity and that is the essence of CBOF! Thank you to all of our participants for being a part of this 45th momentous occasion. Please accept the brand new leather taupe bag as a token of our appreciation. GIFTS are always a nice touch! Thank you for reading Cynthia’s Corner! I hope to see you at CBOF 46!

GOBIG

OR GOhom

ecynthia jordan


cbof 45 19

Gin & Flores: A Dynamic DuoFlying Food, LLC is ranked number two in Crain’s List of Largest Minority-Owned Firms ahead of Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo, Inc. Flying Food Group is ranked number two in Crain’s List of Largest Minority-Owned Firms ahead of Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo, Inc. Flying Food Group is also ranked by Crain’s as one of the Chicago-area’s #00 largest companies – private or public (2011). This listing includes Walgreens, McDonald’s Corporation and Kraft Foods. Sue Ling Gin, the founder and CEO of Flying Food Group (FFG), is a living entrepreneur legend. Founded in 1983, from a single kitchen in Chicago’s Midway Airport, Gin has built Flying Food into a $360 million plus global empire with over 3300 employees worldwide and 490 in Chicago. FFG provides from a network of 18 US kitchens and one in Shanghai, China, over 270,000 meals and snacks daily to 70 + airlines and retail partners. Their retail division provides private label meals and snacks to key retail partners including over 4200 U.S. Starbucks cafes. Ezequiel “Zeke” Flores has an impressive track-record that includes Big Five accounting firms and Sara Lee where he oversaw projects in 14 countries and managed a $4.2 billion spin-off. Then in 2006, Flores founded LeadRock, a real estate development and brokerage company: Sue Gin became a client. LeadRock concentrated on public-private partnerships. By 2010, Flores had joined Gin as a senior

advisor and also mentored by her in airport concession development. Flores and Gin became principals in Flying Food Concessions LLC (FFC) in 2010, focusing on airport concession

development in accord with ACDBE* initiatives and FAA regulations. A joint venture may represent the best opportunity for implementing a workable arrangement. We encourage airports to promote joint venture opportunities…the former ACDBE might serve as a mentor to a less

experienced ACDBE – FAA Guidelines for Joint Ventures Gin mentored and prepared Flores to lead FFC. Since then, their collaboration Flores has overseen the successful operations of Chicago

Treasures, Flying Food’s top-grossing souvenir, apparel and gift concession at Midway Airport, which generated as much as$2.5 million annually and grossing as much as $4000 per square foot. Looking ahead, Flores will lead FFC’s national expansion of airport concessions and its launch of FFC’s food supply services.

* Acronym for Airport Concession Disadvantaged

Business Enterprise

sue gin

ezequiel flores

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Cbof 45 20

For 8 long years a battle ensued between Alderman Howard

Brookins, Jr. of Chatham’s Sixth Ward and the City Council to gain approval for a Walmart in his southside ward, a ward suffocating from the restriction of viable commerce and resulting in high unemployment. However, some issues of Walmart’s union practices and living wages remain fodder for further debate.

However, once approved by the City Council, Walmart for the first time ever, contracted two MBE construction companies as prime contractors. They were: Jimmy Akintonde of Ujamaa Construction Inc. and Claude E. Powers of Powers & Sons Construction Company Inc. Jimmy Akintonde is the President of Ujamaa Construction Inc. It is a general contracting firm specializing in renovations for residential and commercial projects since 2001.

AN MBE COLLABORATION: UJAMAA, POWERS & SONS AND WALMARTIt took a village and the village finally prevailed. The collaboration that built a Wal-Mart in Chicago’s Chatham neighborhood was comprised of the sweat, skill and perseverance of three men: an alderman who made it happen after a long, complicated, politically charged battle and two MBE construction firm owners.

He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) and an MBA from Purdue University. Claude E. Powers is Executive Vice President of Powers & Sons Construction Company Inc. His brother, Mamon Powers, Jr. is President and CEO. Their father, Mamon, Sr. created the company in 1967. Truly a family business, the

Powers team consists of many 2 & 3rd generation family members including 2 sisters, 5 brothers, nephews and his sons. Claude has a Bachelor degree in Building Construction from Purdue University and numerous professional certificates on advanced programs. Among other projects, Powers had built or renovated over 50 McDonald’s Restaurants and two other Wal-Mart’s. Both firms came to the table

with strong track-records and complemented each other’s experience. Together, they built The Chatham Walmart Supercenter, an 150,000 square foot big box store, compared to some suburban Walmart’s of 100,000 square feet. Throughout the process, there were challenges to find qualified minority refrigeration contractors, structural steel and electrical contractors. In order to create more than 300

construction jobs was exhausting. The skills needed were very specific. They could only manage so many first-timers on this project. Out of their subcontractors, 35% were MBE’s and 5% were W/MBE. Simeon High School is right across the street from Chatham’s Super Walmart. Simeon has a construction program. Simeon’s construction program students witnessed the day-to-day building of the structure. They saw first hand what could be possible. What they

Akintonde and Powers experienced several first on this walmart project:

Claude powersPower & Sons

jimmy Akintondeujamaa

also witnessed was a first time for Walmart: two African-American prime contractors. “ChicagoMSDC certification has a reputation and therefore helped because it takes care of those preliminary questions of whether you can do the job and the firms did not have to rely on City of Chicago certification,” says Claude Powers. This collaboration resulted in a win-win situation that will ultimately

create new 400 jobs. For Chatham, this store is a brick and mortar symbol of a positive reality. “I cannot tell you how good it really feels to finally see this store open and filled with customers,” said Alderman Brookins, “this is a story worth telling and a battle I would fight all over again.” It took a village…

Milana Walter

• 2010 was one of the wettest years in Chicago history which frequently delayed and complicated their building schedule • Wal-Mart contracted two MBE firms as prime contractors in the City of Chicago • An African-American mechanical contractor was hired for the job• The store opened in January ahead of the February target date• Walmart changed employment policies and hired two ex-felons


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The award-winning communications and advertising agency has yielded

tremendous dividends and successful wins for major Fortune 500 clients such as Nielsen, Coca-Cola, Allstate and British Petroleum (BP). Beaman Inc. is a full-service communications firm that specializes in media relations, corporate communications, advertising and community outreach on a local and national level. Experience, tangible results and strong media relationships makes Beamon Inc. a stellar front-runner in a very crowded field. Beaman is a veteran of entertainment and corporate public relations with 20 years of experience. In 1992, Oprah beckoned Beaman and Chicago has been home ever since. Beaman had become known as ‘a dynamo’ in her own right when she created the first-ever public relations division at BET (Black Entertainment Television). Beaman has had the unique experience of being in the day-to-day trenches with two dynamic media moguls: Oprah Winfrey and BET founder, John Johnson. At Harpo Productions, she managed national and international publicity, community engagement and special events for “Oprah”, the No.1-rated talk

Beaman Incorporated: A Faith Walk

show in the U.S. and beyond. Working with Oprah, further inspired Beaman to move ahead with her dreams. “Being in business is a faith walk. Or as the Bible tells us, surround yourself with counselors who have

wisdom. Nobody knows everything. Never be afraid to say that you don’t know. Always seek knowledge.”

I have been an entrepreneur since I was 8 years old. I was inspired by my grandfather who ran his own dental practice as one of two Black dentists in Baltimore for many years, as well as, the late Professor Ofield Dukes and Oprah.

In addition to leading an award-winning communications and advertising firm, Beaman is also an award winning theatrical actress and vocalist. She is a member of ChicagoMSDC.

Robin E. Beaman opened Beaman Inc. in the heart of the Magnificent Mile on Michigan Avenue in 1996.

Eric Harland: Connecting the DotsMBEConnect is the premier platform for M/WBEs to come together and form long-lasting relationships.

MBEConnect is the premier platform for M/WBEs to come together

and form long-lasting relationships. The Overland Park, Kansas based social network is the brainchild of Eric Harland. Eric has an MBA and continuing executive education programs from University of Chicago and has served as senior business analyst for Sprint PCS Technology. His background includes experience directing, developing and implementing both custom made a pre-packaged solutions for IFS, Stein Roe Mutual Funds, Funai Corporation, Gehl Industries and Waterhouse Solutions. MBEConnect is a division of Evolv Solutions, LLC, a document management and equipment leasing firm launched by Ron Harland Sr., and Ron Harland Jr., Eric’s father and brother, respectively.

Witnessing the problems and frustrations that many MBEs face

firsthand led Eric to take action and apply his skills to the creation of

MBEConnect.

Under Eric’s guidance, MBEConnect has flourished and evolved into much more than a social network. The site has added thousands of active

members and received over 5 million hits in 2011 alone. Early in 2011, the company expanded to include MBEConnect Profiles magazine, an interactive digital publication, to bring attention to the best and

brightest M/WBEs in the country. MBEConnect Profiles magazine offers M/WBEs a digital profile which illustrates a firm’s capabilities through text, audio, video and web links. “MBEConnect gives MBEs unprecedented access to other MBEs and corporations across the country,” says Eric. “The relationships made through MBEConnect

lead to long-term, mutually beneficial business relationships.” MBEConnect have grown to offer media services such as video, event photography, and podcast recordings to give M/WBEs even more exposure. Providing these value-added services makes MBEConnect a vibrant hub for the entire supplier diversity community. “We’re very proud of our growth. It’s very rewarding to work with such talented M/WBEs and help them get the attention they deserve.”

Eric w. Harlandrobin beaman

m b e h i g h l i g h t s

www.beamaninc.com

www.mbeconnect.com


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OUR FUTURE!The 2012 Dolores Saxton Walker Scholarship Recipients

Kenwood Academy

Raven Johnson

The Minority Business Enterprise Input Committee of the Chicago Minoirty Supplier Development Council is honored to introduce the next generation of leaders who are the 2012 recipients of the Dolores Saxton Walker Scholarship. (Not Pictured: Yuwei Lei & Zobia Chunara.)

LAKE VIEW HIGH SCHOOL

Jianlin Feng

Gage Park High School

Santa Torrijo

John F. Kennedyhigh school

Xue Jun Feng

Donate to:THE DOLORES SAXTON & MBE SCHOLARSHIP FUND

Phillip Barreda, Executive Vice President of ChicagoMSDC oversees the partnership of The Academy for Future Leaders in Science and Technology/IIT Entrepreneurship Academy. The Academy endeavors to help students from under-served populations, including women and minorities, build a foundation to lifelong achievement through mentoring support, increased access to inspiring educational experiences and a developed awareness of “real

world” opportunities in science and technology. At CBOF, students are provided with a booth, workshop tickets and event access for real world exposure to the global business world. The partnership works in tandem with ChicagoMSDC’s education and training initiatives as it prepares young business students with the tools needed to be effective and successful.

The Future Leaders of American Business

phillip barreda, executive vice president chicagomsdc

Text2Pledge InstructionsTEXT : 95495 in the message windowTYPE: ChicagoMSDCSPACETYPE: PLEDGE AMOUNTSPACETYPE YOUR FIRST NAMESEND(you will receive an automatic thank you reply from our call center)

Msg & data rates may apply


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However, the lesson from his parents ‘that hard work will always

pay off’ was a consistent concept in his life. Nain admits he was not always the A-student, but was always focused and curious. He learned the value of diversification early by having a balance of academics and sports in his daily repertoire. In sports, he played everything he could. He was the kid who could be counted on to play. In academics, he was the kid who always wanted to know why and why not. Soft-spoken, respectful and serious, Nain emits an air of quiet brilliantthat is compatible with synergy. He is easy to be around. Undeterred by the 2012 predictions of the Mayan Calendar, political pundits and economic downturns, Nain has his own vision for 2012: innovation that is game-changing and positively impacts the greater good. Examples of Nain’s 2012 innovations include: • Kraft model for efficient MBE registration• a system to maximize order in the massive document flow of the foreclosure process• a non-profit organization to train autistic teens on a complete spectrum for jobs

Coming to Chicago Eager and ready with an engineering degree in hand, Sandeep Nain landed a job as a programmer for Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in New Dehli in 1986. For 8 years, his work included several off-shore projects in the United Kingdom. It was while he was working in the U.K., that he began to take note of the enormous

opportunities available in the United States. In 1992, he married his sweetheart, Reena. In 1994, Nain relocated to Chicago as a consultant at BeggsHeidt, a global consulting company. It was in Chicago, where Nain began to further see the light of opportunity and relate it to becoming a business owner in the United States. Today, Nain is an American citizen.

SNtial is bornSNtial Technologies, Inc. was launched in August 2001: only one month prior to the tragedy of September 11th! When many companies were spiraling downward or caught marching in place, Nain believed strongly in the core team he had built. It was, however, his greatest challenge. Looking beyond required technical skills, he insisted on face-to-face meetings whenever possible. Making the human touch a priority was not a concept typically embraced by the technology industry, especially since so much work is performed off-site. But Nain believed in sitting in the same room with someone before he hired them. For Nain, the quality of trustworthiness was the deal-maker in a world were micro-management was not an option. “I trust my gut feeling. It’s not a technical criterion, just my personal one. However this is not in lieu of due diligence,” Nain states.

Innovation with Kraft FoodsLast year, Kraft Foods was the recipient of ChicagoMSDC’s, “Transformational Leader Award” at CBOF. Kraft had exceeded expectations as a dynamic leader in Supplier Diversity for over 25 years. In Kraft Foods’ ongoing commitment to Supplier Diversity, Kraft has partnered with SNtial Technologies, a certified MBE systems integration and custom application development company, to launch Kraft Foods’ new Diverse Supplier Portal. “Once the Kraft model is up others will probably want to experience the same efficiency. It’s like the white pages for suppliers.”

Vickie Hsi is the Supplier Diversity Leader for Kraft Foods. In speaking about the Kraft/SNtial collaboration, Hsi says, “Our primary goal was to

create a transparent portal that certified minority and women owned suppliers can register their companies, upload certifications, view, edit and update their profiles at any time. What makes this portal unique is that not only will the supplier’s profiles

be visible by our supplier diversity team, but also to buyers and internal

stakeholders across the entire Kraft organization. This portal will allow our team to search for certified diverse suppliers at any given time for RFI/RFQ’s (Request For Information/Request For Quotes) and other projects.” “Sandeep Nain (President) and his dedicated team of consultants at SNtial, through their innovative solutions have created a dynamic system that will help deliver Kraft Foods’ objectives. I am very pleased with SNtials commitment to excellence and helping us achieve our strategic goal with this innovative system,” Hsi adds. The creation of a central portal for MBE data will increase efficiency in many ways: the key aspect is having one registration for MBE’s. “Ask any MBE about how it was done before and he/she will tell you that they had to put in sometimes up to 2 hours to register per corporation site,” states Nain, “We want to make a Chicago initiative and then take it national.We have not developed this in a vacuum. We have reached out.”

Innovation with Technology and AutismOne of Nain’s son is a high functioning autistic teen. He created, Special Ed Teaching, a non-profit organization, on his son’s birthday. Special Ed Teaching will launch later in 2012. SNtial’s client roster of schools (three of the top ten institutions of higher learning) and his personal experience of being a parent of an autistic child, inspired Nain to bridge a gap. The mission is to provide “tailored and focused learning’ for autistic teens and young adults so they are better prepared for more meaningful employment and lifestyle. Additionally, Special Ed Teaching will work with corporations to train the children for employment. His vision is to have centers all over the globe. Sandeep Nain appears to be able “to see” beyond the obvious in many ways. Maybe there is something to be said regarding the meaning of Sandeep, which means “eternal light” in Hindi.

“We don’t have a sales person per se…We don’t compete with other companies instead we compete with what the busi-ness demands are and become the best at that.”

The SNtial, Inc. Innovation with Kraft FoodsNain is President of SNtial Technologies, Inc. He is the first one in his family to own a business even though the notion of business ownership was not imagined in his early years.

sandeep nain at nasdAQ


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Before being hired by McCain to grow their diversity spend and increase their exposure to diverse suppliers, Calvin worked in supplier development and diversity at ConAgra Foods in Omaha NE and was board chairmen of the Great Plains MSDC. Currently, minority growers make-up 50% of the company’s its diversity spend. McCain’s goal is to increase its minority supplier spend to 5% over the next two to three years. Eakins has found that there is some resistance among minority growers to become certified, which is part of the criteria McCain uses to evaluate them as suppliers. The growers believe that companies that work with growers, like McCain, ConAgra, and Simplot, will contract the acreage to grow their products without their having to make the disclosures essential for certification. Eakins is hoping that assistance from the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) will help make the growers aware of the benefits and the value of certification. Outside of the grower population, there are many other minority suppliers who have become familiar with McCain Foods and are becoming more interested in doing

business with the firm. Jackie

Dyess, President of Inter-City Supply Co. wanted to know more about McCain Foods and was convinced there had to be an opportunity for an Inter-City-McCain collaboration. “Afterall, toilet paper is an essential supply and Inter-City has the best toilet paper available” said, Jackie Dyess. ‘ I had to demonstrate to McCain how it could save money and gain efficiencies. Although our first approach to Calvin was unsuccessful, we did not get discouraged,” Inter-City went out to McCain’s plants and interviewed their people. When they felt that had enough information about McCain and its needs, they presented the company with a detailed budget. To make sure they fulfill their contract on time and on budget, Inter-City created three distribution centers that gave them valuable proximity to McCain plants. Persistence, coupled with research, knowledge gathering and infrastructure improvements allowed Inter-City to land a contract with McCain Foods and make it a success. “It’s crucial that a company does its homework and studies its potential

McCain Foods Supplier Diversity Program: More than Skin Deep

Following the Spanish conquest of Peru’s Inca Empire, potatoes

came to the U.S via traders, merchants and explorers from Europe. McCain Foods knows about potatoes. It was founded in Florenceville, New Brunswick, Canada in 1957 by Harrison and Wallace McCain, the company is the largest potato processor in the world, and a leader in frozen food production as well. With 50 factories around the world, it’s processing facilities are found on six continents and generates worldwide sales of $6 billion CDN. McCain has been a global supplier to McDonald’s restaurants for over 30 years. Today, the McCain/McDonald’s relationship still runs deep: McCain Foods is the largest worldwide supplier of French fries to McDonald’s. In fact, one in every three French fries consumed around the world are from McCain. McCain has a history of working with minority growers. According to Calvin Eakins, McCain’s Supplier Diversity Manager, the company relies on its Potato Farmers Initiative to locate minority white and sweet potato growers. Calvin Eakins has a lot of experience in supplier diversity.

Potatoes have been a staple in the American diet for centuries.

customer to determine how best to provide what a company needs,” notes Bruce Fleisher of Inter-City Supply. “Calvin opened doors at McCain so we could talk to staff and get the information we needed to create an effective plan.” “That’s the kind of thinking I expect MBE’s to bring to the table,” says Eakins. “Bring ideas; be creative. Do more than just tell me what your goods and prices are. Jackie Dyess was the first MBE to approach me with ideas about working with McCain when I joined the Chicago MSDC Council.” Eakins compared Inter-City’s approach to that of the late-Steve Jobs in the respect that “Apple is not just about the core technology but all the components around it. That’s what the Inter-City approach reminded me of.” As Eakins will admit, timing is everything and he encourages MBE’s to be patient. But rest assured, supplier diversity at McCain Foods has the unequivocal support of senior management.

calvin eakins & jackie dyess


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Nielsen is committed to increasing our spend with minority and women owned business enterprises (MWBEs).

Nielsen recognizes the tremendous purchasing power of MWBEs. Our policy is to build collaborative, mutual alliances and to provide economic development opportunities in our procurement process with certified minority and women owned business enterprises.

To register your company information, visit www.nielsen.com/supplierdiversity and complete an online profile.

Copyright © 2012 The Nielsen Company. All rights reserved.

Questions? Contact us at 877-603-9122

or email us at [email protected]

www.nielsen.com

SD_fullpageAd.indd 1 1/6/12 9:35 AM

shondra E. Watson-wilsonCERTIFICATION manager

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR CONNECTIONS

Did you know that ChicagoMSDC certification is currently one of

the closest validations to Universal certification? Chicago MSDC currently has memorandum of understandings with other certifying agencies and is accepted and/or recognized by City of Chicago Procurement, State of Illinois, Business Enterprise Program (BEP), Metra; DBE and the 36 National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) affiliates. When newly certified MBE Lee Franklin, President of Ameri Environmental, found out about the agreements Chicago MSDC had with other agencies he decided to take advantage of his connections. He worked closely with Gwen Jones, MBDA Business Center-Chicago, Procurement Consultant, a seasoned professional at assembling certification applications and bids. With the help of Mrs. Jones, Ameri Environmental was able to obtain certification from both the City of Chicago and Metra within 60 days. “I am so thankful that I was able to receive assistance from the council. They really helped to get my certification completed quickly,” says Mr. Franklin. “The key to expediting your certification process is to make certain that all the requested documents are submitted. It’s

important to submit a complete application” says Gwen Jones. If you are a certified member of

ChicagoMSDC and would like to take advantage of your connections you may do so by logging onto the following websites:

City of ChicagoYou can link to the City of Chicago’s website by logging onto www.chicagomsdc.org and click on certification tab.State of IllinoisBEP For State of Illinois, BEP

certification log onto www.sell2.illinois.gov (left side of page) Be sure complete a recognition affidavit and not a new application.MetraTo complete an application for Metra’s DBE certification log onto http://metrarail.com/metra/en/home/metra_business/business_diversity.html NMSDC Affiliated CouncilsLog onto www.nmsdc.org and click on the locations link for a list and link into the websites of all 37 local NMSDC affiliates

Prior to submitting the application be sure to contact the ChicagoMSDC certification staff at (312) 755-8880. or via email at [email protected]. We will be more than happy to assist you.

Did you know that Chicago MSDC certification is currently one of the closest validations to Universal certification?

“We are proud to offer an exciting and excellent slate of seminars for CBOF45 on April 11th at Navy Pier! There is something for everyone; a practical discussion of how to increase your business value by Reznic Group; a comprehensive discussion of Strategies for the New Economy by key leaders of the community; a session on Power Prospecting; a State of the Union address by key corporations; and an informative and hands-on session on using LinkedIn. Don’t miss out on this excellent opportunity!”

Tricia Wynn, Consultant

Workshop Development


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By now, your 2012 business plan

is operating in full force. First quarter results are coming in and you are either celebrating your genius or totally rethinking the not-so-good ideas. Either way, you’re enjoying the rewarding experience of running your own business, helping to secure the futures of your employees and creating loyal customers. If you’re like me, there is no such thing as an eight hour day or five day work week and your smart phone is a permanent body part. Suddenly you look at the calendar one day and it says December, again. We have to remind ourselves to carve out time to rejuvenate the mind and spirit. A vacation, whether a two-day junket to New York for a Broadway show or an exotic trip to Hawkes Bay, New Zealand to explore some of the world’s

HAVE YOU CREATEd your vacation PLAN?

Lephate Cunningham, Jr.

For more details on other vacation ideas visit :www.searsvacations.com

best Chardonnay vineyards is an excellent way to refresh. Determining, where to go or what to do can be a daunting task. And task is exactly what you’re trying to get away from. Not to worry, I bring good news! There is a new, vacations service offering that is

being brought to you by an old friend that can help you create the perfect vacation plan. After two years of research and due diligence on how best to

deliver a world class vacations platform, Sears Corporation recently announced the creation of Sears Vacations via a licensed business agreement with International Cruise & Excursions, Inc. (ICE). ICE partnered with my company TravelBlox LLC, which specializes in

customized online vacation solutions, to introduce Sears to the concept.

But sometimes even the act of unwinding can be as troublesome

as trying to get a contract signed. You’d like to watch a movie but there’s really nothing on. You’d love to chill out with some music but who wants to bother with going through stacks of CD’s just to find that copy of Best of DeBarge… C’mon, I know I’m not the only one. Anyway, before he left us all too soon, Steve Jobs and the geniuses over at Apple developed a device that allows you to enjoy TV, movies, music and so much more, from the friendly confines of your Lazy-Boy. It’s simply called Apple TV. This neat little device was primarily designed to integrate your PC (no, you don’t

need a Mac) and television and allow you to stream movies and TV shows, access YouTube, Netflix, and even

hundreds of internet radio stations. But it also allows you to access your iTunes library (you do use iTunes don’t you?) and enjoy your favorite music in glorious digital sound. It has an HDMI and fiber optic audio output for use with most high-rez

digital A/V systems. Apple TV costs only $99.00 and is the size of a hockey puck, so it won’t be a burden on your pocket or shelf space. Leave your troubles in the office and learn to get the most out of your home entertainment system. Check out Apple TV today and chill out tonight! http://www.apple.com/appletv.

AppleLet’s face it, after a long, long day in the office, being able to just unwind has taken on greater importance than ever.

dave thomas

Determining, where to go or what to do can be a daunting task.

Seal the deal with a hole in one!The Nike 20Xl golf balls have a revolutionary new technology in the core and Nike is the first to bring this technology to the golf industry. The core is resin. With this resin core, it is extremely lightweight allowing the ball to be perimeter weighted. This allows the ball to get less spin off the driver for more distance and more spin off the wedges and irons so more spin around the greens. This is an ideal combination for a golfer.

l i F e s t Y l e


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IT’S EASY TO STAND OUTwhen your ideas are as diverse as your employees.

To learn more about our careers, our procurement opportunities, our services, and our company, log on to our Web sites.

www.bcbsil.comwww.bcbsnm.comwww.bcbsok.comwww.bcbstx.com

Divisions of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company, an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. EOE M/F/D/V

The blend of talents, backgrounds, ideas, and approaches unifi es our commitment to serve and promote the health and wellness of our members and communities. It’s our employees who are the heart of our company, and it’s our differences that set us apart. We build a high-performance work culture that is successful and distinct. And we accomplish that by attracting, retaining and developing a diverse community of skilled, engaged and prepared employees.

We hope you’ll join our diverse, inclusive and caring community.

Emcees ofCBOF 45

Tsi-tsi-ki Felix Michelle Relerfordart norman Daniella Guzman

UBM Facility Services, Inc.UBM Facility Services, Inc.is a proud sponsor of the

Chicago Business Opportunity Fairis a proud sponsor of the

Chicago Business Opportunity Fair

l Janitorial Servicesl HVAC Servicesl Landscapingl Snow Plowingl Parking Lot Maintenancel Paintingl Pressure Washingl Stone & Metal Maintenancel Electrical Servicesl Handyman Services

It’s time to experience total client satisfaction.Let UBM be your full service maintenance company.

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CBOF45The way we were


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Cbof 45 30

Creative Services – WHQAL

Comp _____ / Mechanical __x__

Client Maria Soto Disk Due: 1/25/12

Job Number: A12-22439 Issue Date: 1/19/12

File Name: 22439_AD_CBOF.indd Fonts: Clan OT BoldClan OT NewsClan OT News ItalicFile Created On: 1/25/12

Account Number: 530051100000905411000011000000 Ink Colors: 4 Color

Bleed: Production Artist: Diana Fugate/Jeff Meador

Trim: 8.5 x 11” Art Director:

Live: 8 x 10.5” Traffic Manager:

Gutter Allowance: File Folder Saved: Diversity

Media: PDF General Notes:

Publications: 2012 CBOF 45 Resource Guide

Together, we can go places.United is committed to providing a world of opportunity to diverse suppliers.

If you are a certified minority or woman-owned business that has airline or Fortune 500 experience, email us at [email protected].

©2012 United Air Lines, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

live

bleed

CBOF 45 SPONSORS:PresentingAllstate Insurance Company

BenefactorKraft Foods Inc.NavistarThe Nielsen CompanyOfficeMaxUnited Airlines Walgreen Company

DiamondBlue Cross Blue Shield of IllinoisBP AmericaCano Container Corp.GraingerNorthern TrustUBM Facility Services, Inc.

PlatinumAT&TBMO Harris BankCano Container CorporationCDWCrain’s Chicago BusinessExelon/Com EdGoldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses initiativeHarrah’s Joliet CasinoHorseshoe Hammond CasinoIllinois Casino Gaming AssociationMBEConnectPactrans Air & SeaPanther Solutions, LLCPepsiCoSntial Technologies Inc.Staples, Inc.Toyota Motor SalesUniversity of Illinois at ChicagoUS Cellular

goldAbbottAccentureADP- Automatic Data ProcessingAriel InvestmentsCardinal HealthC.N.A. Insurance CompaniesCompass Group, NADDigby’s Detective & SecurityHospiraLaCosta Facility Support ServicesMacy’sMcCain Foods USA, Inc.MZI Group, Inc.National Material L.P.Nicor GasOffice Space, Inc.PNC Financial Services GroupSprint Nextel CorporationThe Coca-Cola CompanyUnion Pacific RailroadUniversity of Chicago/Office of Business DiversityUniversity of Chicago Medical CenterUPSViva USA, Inc.

silverB and B MaintenanceEndow, Inc.

CopperBlue Ocean LogicCreative Printing ServicesDepartment of Homeland Security/OSDBUEdelman

CHICAGO BUSINESSOPPORTUNITY FAIR

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For more information & sponsorship packages contact:

Cynthia Jordan (312) 755-2555

[email protected]

SAVE THE DATE !

Scholarship,Golf,Networking,Celebrities, & Dealmaking!

Scheduled Activities include:

Continental Breakfast

PGA Golf Clinic

Golf Tournament

Buffet Luncheon

Awards Dinner

Tennis/Raffles

and Much More

The Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc.

presents the“2012 ChicagoMSDC

Scholarship Golf Classic”on the beautiful grounds of

White Eagle Golf Club“An Arnold Palmer Signature Golf Course”

Monday, August 20, 2012