With a focus on connecting diverse suppliers with corporations, a regional supplier development council recently held its annual procurement conference in Central Indiana. 

The Mid-States Minority Supplier Development Council advocates for the growth of diverse suppliers across the region. Demetrius Glover, the President and CEO of the organization, says they are working hard to bridge the gap between minority-owned suppliers and corporations to improve diversity. The council started almost 50 years ago and wants to achieve true equity in the supplier ecosystem.

The council helps suppliers prepare to meet and pitch to corporations. From training to building elevator speeches and preparing a capability statement, Glover says the development council is all about creating opportunities for minority-owned businesses.  

At its recent conference, the organization held a pitch competition and networking sessions that Glover says connected suppliers with more than 50 corporations. ”I hope next year we have a list of success stories to talk about,” he says. 

In addition, the conference also hosted a reverse pitch competition, where corporations pitched their business, values, and missions to diverse suppliers. Glover says minority-owned suppliers can be difficult to find, so corporations compete to sign them.