The Network began in 2002 as a collaborative venture among several MWBEs, now facilitates relationships between MWBEs, corporations and government agencies, assisting organizations in developing their supplier diversity programs and facilitating procurement relationships and opportunities for MWBEs. He’s originally from Chicago, Illinois, and now resides in Las Vegas, NV. Ron spent over 25 years in corporate America in consumer and commercial marketing and sales, and as a sales and marketing executive he developed and managed the corporate supplier diversity initiative for Johnson Wax’s Commercial Products Division.

During his tenure with SC Johnson, and in concert with the company’s purchasing and marketing divisions, he was instrumental in developing several first time innovative partnerships among MWBE chemical companies and Johnson’s Commercial Products Division. The largest of these MBE companies, Mays Chemical Company, Indianapolis IN, became one of SC Johnson’s largest and most successful and profitable partners. His efforts in supplier diversity contributed to increasing Johnson’s bottom line profitability and its commitment to diversity.

Following his corporate tenure, he joined RGMA consultants as a Vice President and Senior Consultant and a partner in the RGMA Growth Fund, a private equity capital fund targeting MWBEs. Within this time period he developed supplier diversity support programs for companies such as IBM, Nike, Shell Oil, Utilicorp, and The City of Chicago just to name a few. While a RGMA consultant, he developed and administered an array of supplier diversity training programs for corporate program managers, buyers and others in the corporate setting. He was a featured speaker and trainer during the July NMSDC January 2005 Program Managers Training in Chicago in 2000 and 2001, facilitating the MBE Workshop at the NMSDC National Conference in 2001 and 2002 and a facilitator of training during many NMSDC Regional Training Sessions. Over the years, he’s conducted training programs for numerous NMSDC and WBENC affiliates including the Houston Women’s Business Council, Houston Minority Business Council, The Northwest Minority Business Council, The Northern California Supplier Development Council, South Regions Minority Business Council, and The Rocky Mountain Minority Supplier Development Council to name a few.

In 2005, he became a pro bono consultant to the National Association of Minority Contractors (NAMC) working with its leadership to develop training programs to build capacity among its 4500 MWBE construction contractors and suppliers. He was instrumental in assisting in the agreement between NAMC and WBENC to get the NAMC membership certified and a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between the two groups during the WBENC National Conference in Las Vegas, June 2005. During the 2005 NMAC National Convention in Las Vegas, June 2005, he facilitated the training session, How To Do Business With Corporate America, which included supplier diversity program managers from Starbucks Coffee Company, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc (TBS, Inc), DFW Airport and the President of the Houston Minority Business Council.

In 2004, he formed a strategic alliance with The Wheeler Group, Strategy and Execution Consultants in Memphis, TN., to develop and administer capacity programs for MWBEs. The resulting workshop, Is Your Business in the Game, is being introduced across the country and being offered to NAMC membership during the 2005-2006 training sessions. He wrote and conducts the ongoing training program, Supplier Diversity 101, for TBS, Inc. and conducted the 2005, 2nd Tier Prime Contractor Training program for The Coca- Cola Company. In 2007, he will continue to conduct training for companies such as TBS Inc., Coca-Cola Enterprises, Tyco, Nike, MGM, Corporate Express, Time Warner, Boyd Gaming and The Coca-Coal Company to name a few.

He is well versed in technology. The technology that runs MWBEnetwork.com, was developed by AECsoft USA, the Houston TX based MBE Technology Company that developed the cutting edge Supplier Diversity Management System (SDMS) that numerous corporations use to manage their supplier diversity tracking and management activities. Ron is thoroughly familiar with this system and the concept behind other similar systems to manage the supplier diversity processes including 2nd tier reporting. He’s been January 2005 instrumental in assisting corporations in implementing supplier diversity related technology.

He’s an advocate of strategic alliances within and among MWBEs and their corporate clients. He’s written about and conducted many workshops on developing strategic alliances for NMSDC, WBENC, NAMC, SBA and other advocacy groups. In early 2006, he was invited as a featured speaker on, Developing Strategic Alliances for the A.G.

Gaston Economic Empowerment Conference in Birmingham, AL. in conjunction with the South Regions Minority Business Council. He’s been a featured speaker and researched and written extensively on the subject.

A glimpse of his thinking on supplier diversity best practices is found in the paper, Supplier Diversity Program Maturity: What Stage Is Your Initiative? © 2004. He theorizes that supplier diversity programs evolve in stages and that there are at least three stages that a company goes through and contrary to popular thinking, there are no standard attributes, such as beginning, advanced or world-class classifications, to get to and through any of the three stages. The paper and subsequent study was conducted in behalf of a client, and has been used by some corporations to evaluate their program’s level of development. There is an accompanying 64-point evaluation matrix.

“Best practices in supplier diversity are best recognized company by company and not industry versus industry at the least, because in today’s business environment firms thrive on different business models, even within industries.” In other words, what is best practiced in the automotive industry, may not be viewed the same in other  industries.

Finally, he has dedicated his recent activities to capacity building and feels it is the responsibility of the MWBE and the community from which it resides, not the corporate or government client, to develop sufficient capacity. Working with The Wheeler group, he has devised a comprehensive capacity blue print for MWBEs, Is Your Business in the Game? Washington feels that if the diverse business owner cannot develop the capacity to grow, then a corporation’s investment in supplier diversity may be a sunk cost. Working together, the corporations, the government and MWBEs will need to address capacity. Capacity is the single most threatening obstacle to supplier diversity success. His best practices approach begins, not ends with MWBE sourcing strategies. January 2005 Ron is an advocate for MWBE development, an avid speaker, researcher and writer on supplier diversity and other related topics. He has written supplier diversity strategic plans and facilitated supplier diversity related workshops and training sessions for some of the most recognized names in government and business as well as for nonprofit organizations throughout the country. He’s worked with numerous MWBEs in assisting them to develop capacity, strategic alliances and new business.

He has a Master of Science in Communication (MSC) degree from Northwestern

University in Evanston, Illinois, an undergraduate degree in business from Chicago State University, Chicago, IL and belongs to several commerce, communication, public relations and industry specific professional associations. He’s a US Marine Corps Vietnam veteran. For further information contact: ron@mwbenetwork.com - 702-240-4600