Diversity Summit 2023

9:00 AM	Registration & Networking Breakfast
10:00 AM	Emcee Opening Remarks
10:05 AM	One-on-One with Lisa M. Flores, Director, New York City Mayor's Office of Contract Services and Ralph Ortega, Editor in Chief City & State NY
10:30 AM	Strengthening New York's MWBE Programs New York has focused on breaking barriers by maintaining the most aggressive MWBE programs in the nation. Just last fall, Governor Kathy Hochul signed a legislative package that will strengthen New York's nation-leading program to support MWBEs. NY is committed to providing critical resources for Minority- and Women-Owned businesses to help them succeed. NY government entities and partner businesses are all interested in making our economy the strongest, most diverse, accessible, and inclusive. How can NY provide MWBEs the tools they need to succeed? We hear from leaders in this area. Suzanne Veira, Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer, New York City School Construction Authority (Moderator) Tracey Mitchell, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, MTA Rodneyse Bichotte, Chair, Assembly Subcommittee on Oversight of MWBEs Carlos Bannister, Chief MWBE Officer, New York City Department of Transportation Eric McLendon, Chief Executive Officer & Founder, Clear National Title Nayan Parikh, President, ASHNU International Inc.; NAMC National Board of Directors, President, NAMC, New York Tri-State Chapter; President, New York Tri-State Chapter, NAMC
11:25 AM	New York's Current Opportunities and Projects The opportunities for government contracts in New York are practically limitless. There have been so many successful projects including the MTA Capital Program, the ConnectALL Initiative, NY Forward and more. How can we promote productive capital spending, encourage public/private partnerships and design build and make sure MWBE's and small business can fit into the implementation of major government projects? This panel will break down new projects and opportunities in New York, including transportation, construction, technology, energy, and more. Ethan Geringer-Sameth, Staff Reporter, Gotham Gazette (Moderator) Eric Alemany, Sr. Director, Supplier Relationship Management, New York Power Authority Danielle Barrett, Assistant Commissioner, EEO, Diversity, & Inclusion, NYC Department of Environmental Protection Sondra A. Little, Director, Office of Diversity and Opportunity, New York State Department of Transportation Brian Sanvidge, Principal, Leader of Regulatory Compliance and Investigation, Anchin
12:20 PM	Lunch
1:15 PM	Introduction by Tanya LeMelle, Vice President Government Banking Relationship Manager, TD Bank
1:20 PM	Keynote Remarks by Julissa Gutierrez, Chief Diversity Officer, New York State
1:40 PM	Doing Business in New York New York State and NYC are committed to assisting businesses across all market sectors to increase contracting opportunities with agencies and authorities. This process requires sorting through many opportunities and identifying the ones that are right for each organization. While New York strives to promote equality of economic opportunities for MWBEs it is also working hard to eliminate barriers in respect to participation in state contracts. Major challenges faced by these firms are limited access to networks and information, and a lack of access to capital at affordable rates. How can adopting ESG principles for corporate strategy, certifications, specialized training, grants and other resources assist these companies? What are ways we can provide dedicated involvement and cooperation from membership organizations, unions, companies and government to get to the next level? Zenaida Rodriguez, Executive Director, Regional Alliance for Small Contractors (Moderator) Michael J. Garner, Citywide Chief Business Diversity Officer Dynishal P. Gross, Executive Deputy Commissioner, New York City Department of Small Business Services Adam Akmal-Gonzalez, Manager Business Diversity – East, CDW Mark O. Brazier, Vice President & Managing Director, Contractor Lending, TruFund Financial Services
2:35 PM	Emerging DEI Practices in New York New York is working harder than ever to implement inclusive hiring practices and DEI frameworks to make sure that all environments are diverse. These strategies help promote good outcomes and help organizations remain competitive. What else can the government and all sectors do to increase diversity and inclusion? How can New York’s ensure that the diversity in this city and state is further embraced? What works for a successful organization in terms of their Call to Action strategies? What should a framework look like moving forward? Ken Walker, EVP of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging & Culture, Per Scholas (Moderator) Wendy Garcia, Deputy Commissioner, Equity and Inclusion, New York City Police Department Sadye L. Campoamor, Chief Equity Officer, Office of NYC Comptroller Brad Lander May Boucherak, Principal, KPMG Larry Scott Blackmon, Vice President, Fresh Direct Kwame Cooper, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Fire Department Of New York
3:30 PM	Sessions Conclude

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