Tag Archives: National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce

Participating in an Historic Event – First Ever US Federal Government Procurement Fair for LGBT Businesses!

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Part 1 of 2 of a series around LGBT economic development

On November 15, 2012, it was truly an exciting privilege to attend the first ever Federal Government Procurement Fair for LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) owned businesses. The event was organized by the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), the certifying body for LGBT business enterprises. And the NGLCC provides a wide range of support services to LGBT-owned businesses as well as for the corporate partners who now include LGBT in the supplier diversity mix.

The afternoon session was appropriately held at the US Department of Commerce Building in Washington, DC. Before the 50 to 60 LGBT business owners started visiting with the approximately dozen Federal agencies that were represented, we had a dynamic and inspiring 45 minute session with several short addresses.

Dr. Rebecca Blank, the Acting Secretary of Commerce and Deputy Secretary of Commerce delivered a compelling speech on

Dr. Rebecca Blank, Acting Secretary of Commerce and Deputy Secretary of Commerce

the importance of encouraging LGBT owned business as a key to US economic growth. Dr. Blank spoke of the President’s US Export Initiative and how LGBT-owned business can and should contribute to it. Three of her key points:

• That LGBT entrepreneurs can start businesses that help spur economic growth
• That creative LGBT business owners can develop innovative products and deliver more efficient processes that will help our economy
• LGBT entrepreneurs starting business can help grow jobs

Dr. Blank also praised the work being done by the NGLCC with its US government sanctioned trade mission to Colombia, since LGBT business have special products and expertise that international markets want … and this also helps the US balance of trade.

Gautam Raghaven, White House Liaison to the LGBT community

A second speaker, Gautam Raghaven, White House Liaison to the LGBT community, spoke of the need to continue to stimulate and grow the economy, and that is an issue that LGBT business owners should deeply care about…. because what is good for the economy is good for LGBT people.

Later on this week I will write a second blog connecting several aspects of the LGBT community to our country’s economy.

Corporate Procurement: Promoters or Road Blockers of Innovation?

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As an entrepreneur and a certified LGBT-BE (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Business Enterprise) via the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, one of my key sales strategies is connection through corporate supplier diversity programs. During this interesting journey over the past two years, including forming new relationships at the annual NLGCC conference, I have started to ponder more about the role and impact of corporate procurement.

The role can be extremely varied. On the very positive side, the procurement contacts can seek out new and innovative ideas that could have tremendous positive impact within their corporations. Especially as emerging business bring new concepts and new products to the market, the procurement professional can help connect the dots between this innovation and their enterprises. They can then facilitate introductions to line managers and business area owners who can further explore and evaluate the ideas. This could provide a way for the procurement professional to have a profound positive impact on corporate profits!

On the other extreme, procurement professionals can be innovation road blockers. Often, the response can be “Oh, we don’t have an RFP for that.” However, with an idea or a product that is completely new and unknown, how can there be an RFP for it? The procurement person needs to stretch a little and visualize if the new idea or product could have a potentially huge impact in their enterprise, and then facilitate evaluation by line business owners.

For example, I am a consultant (Total Engagement Consulting by Kimer) with an innovative career mapping process that can be used within corporations to add a long-term holistic career framework to their employee development activities. Since this is a novel concept and process which can be tailored to the corporation’s career paths and culture, there would never be an RFP for this. However, if procurement professionals could see how this concept could add great value to their corporate employee development programs and increase employee retention and recruiting, they can facilitate an introductory meeting with the appropriate line management in Human Resources or Organizational Development. (NOTE: link to recent online article featuring my innovative offerings and compelling business rationale)

Stan Kimer, president of Total Engagement Consulting by Kimer (left) and Joe Cote, CEO of CapsulePen LLC.

And I’ll provide another example using a product instead of a service – CapsulePen, which won the annual entrepreneurial competition at the 2012 NGLCC’s sold out Conference in Chicago. CapsulePen is an innovative new product in the “pill case” arena, providing a stylish yet extremely practical new way of storing and carrying daily and weekly medications. Being a totally new patent-pending product, no corporate retail or pharmacy chain, nor any pharmaceutical company looking for a promotional item in which to place drug samples, would have an RFP out for this product. So instead of shutting down discussion, corporate buyers from retailers and pharmaceutical companies should catch the vision of how this innovative product can differentiate them, and then facilitate follow up meetings and calls to pursue evaluation and a possible relationship.

My hope is that corporate procurement professionals, especially those in supplier diversity, can be catalysts in promoting innovative services and products within their enterprises.

DISCLOSURE: Blog author Stan C. Kimer is an investor in CapsulePen