Michael was nominated for his original initiative that was created to
advance social change. His six year initiative, started in 2005 and still
continues today. This initiative is focused on contributing to the education,
advancement and success of Minority and Women business people.
This initiative started in 2005 when Michael became a Board Member of
the Affirmative Market Program, Business Advisory Board,
Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
This is a voluntary board position.
Michael started this project by first interviewing women and minorities in the
Commonwealth to learn what they needed to succeed in business and what possible
obstacles were in their path to success. These minority and women business people
told Michael that they needed a chance to prove themselves. They also needed more
doors to be opened. Michael also saw that these minority and women business people,
like all business people, needed additional training, education, motivation and inspiration.
Michael named this initiative, “We Found Excellence”, because his goal was to show,
teach, motivate and inspire these women and minority business people that they can
be Excellent. He has created courses, workshops and printed materials including
course papers, a book and other publications
Michael started teaching the course, :Marketing to State Entities", for the Affirmative
Market Program. He continues to teach this course, although this is now under the
Supplier Diversity Office, since the Affirmative Market Program and SOMWBA are
now the Supplier Diversity Office for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Michael is a volunteer board member of the Supplier Diversity Program
Business Advisory Board.
The Goals of this initiative:
The short term goal was to help educate minority and women businesses that were
attending the Affirmative Market Program workshops. These workshops were
attended by 50 to 70 people. Michael then saw, in these people’s eyes, how he was
helping them and this motivated him to grow the initiative. Michael spoke to groups
across the Commonwealth including the Chamber of Commerce, The Urban College,
Action for Boston Community Development along with several others. Sometimes
these would be small groups of one or two people and other times 400 people at
The State House, Great Hall of Flags.
Michael's long term goal is to combine the tagline of the Supplier Diversity Program,
“Opening Doors & Creating Opportunities for Minority and Women-Owned Businesses”
along with a statement that Ron Marlow, Assistant Secretary for Access and Opportunity,
wrote that says, “Equity of opportunity is not the enemy of efficiency, it is the promise
of democratic governance”. Both of these statements are in his book, “We Found Excellence”.
By combining these two statements, Michael's long term goal is that, “All doors will be open
to all people, so that there is a level playing field. Minority and women business people will
have the education, training, motivation and inspiration to make their dreams come true.
And finally, the Equity of Opportunity will create jobs, opportunities and reinforce our
democratic society. The world will be a better place.
To Ensure Growth and Development:
Tools have been developed including the hand outs that have been developed and
given to attendees at Michael's workshops. Michael has also written three publications
during this project. One of these publications is a perfect bound book
"We Found Excellence", This book goes in depth to teach, inspire, motivate and
show how minority and women business people have gone through doors that
were formerly closed, overcame obstacles and succeeded in their dream of having
their own business. This book also has a section, lessons learned that summarizes
the key points needed to succeed.
People: The people that are highlighted in the book, the people that have attended
the workshops and presentations and all of the people that have been touch by this
initiative in some way have become advocates of this initiative. One of the 10 lessons
learned in this book is how the people involved in these companies have given back
to their communities. This lesson of giving continues to grow this initiative every day.
Michael is also committed to continuing this initiative and will continue its growth and
development.
Results:
Minority and women business people were inspired when they attended
Michael's workshops and presentations.
The feedback was tremendous.
This is what led to the growth of this initiative.
Individuals that have read "We Found Excellence" have been encouraged to
start their own businesses.
People have improved their businesses from the lessons learned from this
book and Michael's presentations.
People have learned not to give up in these tough economic times. There are
motivational says at the beginning of each case study. The case studies themselves
are also very motivational.
This project has and will continue to create jobs in
the minority and women business communities.
And finally, in 2005 Statewide spending with minority and women businesses was
$391,672,667.00, as per the Annual Report of The Affirmative Market Program,
fiscal year 2005.
In 2010 Statewide spending with minority and women businesses was
$757,117,964.00 as per the Annual Report of the Supplier Diversity Program,
formerly The Affirmative Market Program, fiscal year 2010.
This is an increase in spending of $365 Million Dollars with minority and women
business entrepreneurs from 2005 to 2010.
This tremendous increase in spending
was the result of many many many initiatives and actions of numerous people.
But we know that this initiative "We Found Excellence" , has contributed to
some degree to the success of the program and this $365 Million Dollar increase
in spending with minority and women businesses.
Michael continues to volunteer his time as a Board Member on the
Supplier Diversity Program, Business Advisory Board,
for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
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