Читать книгу Supplier Diversity For Dummies - Kathey K. Porter - Страница 39

Up until this time, the government or the public sector was the main force creating opportunities for minority businesses. But as legal challenges abounded, businesses began to shift their focus to look at opportunities in the private sector with corporations. The leading organization that certified minority firms and advocated for minority businesses interested in doing business with corporations was (and still is) the National Minority Supplier Development Council, or NMSDC.

During this time, NMSDC strategically shifted its focus from a publicly funded organization to an organization funded by and focused on corporations. Corporations began to publicize their efforts in their communications, often touting supplier diversity as the right thing to do, and to formalize their programs by hiring personnel, developing processes, and investing in systems that allowed them to track utilization, which then can be reported.

This era was the first time a true business ecosystem was created, and minority businesses benefitted greatly. It also created a model for advocacy and certifying organizations that represent other socioeconomically disadvantaged groups such as women, the LGBTQ community, and veterans.