The FCC’s Office of Communications Business Opportunities (“OCBO”) hosted a Supplier Diversity Conference and Workshop on Tuesday, July 10, 2012 from 9:00 am until 4:30 pm. The conference focused on government and private sector business opportunities for small, minority, and women-owned businesses.
The event included a panel discussion, followed by small workshops. The goal of the Supplier Diversity Conference is to provide networking opportunities and share business information with suppliers of telecommunications and technology companies. This will further establish a diverse supply base. The panelists discussed how to develop and utilize the many skills and talents that small businesses possess, and address the various contract needs of large companies and how small businesses can distinguish themselves in the race for lucrative opportunities.
The first panel featured procurement officers from the Department of Defense, the Department of Transportation, the Minority Business Development Agency, and the Federal Communications Commission. The second panel featured executives from Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, Comcast, and Microsoft.
The panels were moderated by Thomas Reed, Director of OCBO, and Ronald Johnson, President of Solutions4Change, and a member of the FCC’s Advisory Committee on Diversity in the Digital Age OCBO coordinated one-on-one sessions between the panelists and any small business owner who wished to participate. In these confidential meetings, small business owners received individualized advice on supplier strategies and information on current contracting opportunities.
To be added to our email list for future events please contact Karen Beverly, Assistant for Management, OCBO, via email @ Karen.Beverly@fcc.gov. This event was streamed live
If you need further technical assistance in how to participate online for future events please contact Christian Fiascunari via email.
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