In recent years, Guilford County government has greatly expanded its efforts to offer more service contracts to, and purchase more goods from, minority and women owned businesses – especially those that are minority-owned.
Those efforts used to be handled by one staffer in the Guilford County Purchasing Department; however, now the county has a full-fledged MWBE Department that has a budget of $1.3 million dollars a year and a half dozen or so positions with the very serious-minded Shaunne Thomas as the department’s director.
So, now, Guilford County can do a lot more in this regard than it could a decade ago.
That’s one reason that, from Sunday, Oct. 20 to Thursday, Oct. 24, The Guilford County Minority/Women Business Enterprise (MWBE) Department will host “Piedmont Triad Minority/Women Enterprise Development Week.”
Guilford County’s event is part of National Minority Enterprise Development Week – which is meant to pay tribute to the achievements of minority-owned businesses and also expose some of the unique challenges they face.
In addition, the event provides a platform for minority entrepreneurs to gain visibility, connect with potential partners, and find resources that support the growth of their businesses.
The event will be hosted at multiple venues in Greensboro and will provide “invaluable resources, networking opportunities, and support to local entrepreneurs.”
It’s being described by Guilford County officials as “a week-long celebration dedicated to empowering minority-owned businesses and fostering a more inclusive and resilient business community.”
This year’s theme is “Building Resilience and Fostering Innovation,” and it’s meant to emphasize the importance of equipping minority and women-owned businesses with the tools they need to thrive and grow in a challenging economic environment as well as to help them find the best ways to expand their businesses.
Building resilience focuses on helping entrepreneurs develop sustainable business practices and adapt to shifting markets, while the fostering innovation portion encourages the adoption of new technologies and creative problem-solving. This theme is meant to help attendees by offering them insights into risk management, exposing them to new ideas and establishing connections with industry experts – ultimately helping them build stronger, businesses capable of thriving in a class of economy.
Thomas said this week that this will be a wonderful resource for MWBE businesses in the area.
“As we celebrate Piedmont Triad MED Week 2024, our theme,’ Building Resilience and Fostering Innovation,’ reflects the unwavering spirit and creativity of our minority business community in Guilford County and throughout the Piedmont Triad.
Thomas, the chair of MED Week as well as being the director of Guilford County MWBE Department added, “This year’s event is designed to equip entrepreneurs with the resources and knowledge to not only overcome challenges but to lead with innovation. We are committed to empowering businesses with the tools they need to thrive in today’s evolving economy, and MED Week is the perfect platform to inspire, connect, and drive meaningful change in our region.”
Here’s the Piedmont Triad MED Week Event Schedule:
Kickoff and Networking Reception
Date: Sunday, Oct. 20 | Time: 4 to 7 p.m.
Location: Cille & Scoe Restaurant
Koury Corporation Presents: The Inaugural Melvin “Skip” Alston Golf Classic Supporting Homeless Initiatives
Date: Monday, Oct. 21 | Time: 7:15 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Location: Grandover Resort West Course
Summit: Building Resilience and Fostering Innovation
Date: Tuesday, Oct. 22 | Time: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Location: The Colonnade at Revolution Mill
Community Engagement
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 23 | Time: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Location: Welfare Reform Liaison Project, The Salvation Army and YWCA
Awards Luncheon and Business Expo
Date: Thursday, Oct. 24 | Time: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Location: Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center
You can find out more information at piedmonttriadmedweek.org to register for an event or help sponsor one. The site also provides detailed schedules.
Remember that the events are ticketed and do require registration.
Fraud waste and abuse of my tax dollars
Na, they aren’t using yours, just mine and people like me. Yours are used for the new toilet brushes at the courthouse basement.
That’s funny!
Good one, Chrissy.
Chris, At least the toilet brushes can do the job they were intended to do! You’ll throw your money at anything you think will relieve your guilt. Try Praying…
Can’t think of a better way to spend my increased taxes dollars but totally expected as this is Greensboro.
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MWBE programs are an example of insitutionalized racism, along with Affirmative Action.
If discriminating between people on the basis of their race is wrong, our government shouldn’t be doing it.
Again, you have saved me the blurb trouble.
Amen & amen. Just hire or contract with whomever is the best compromise between quality & long term cost. Spend our money wisely once, rather than over & over again because the job wasn’t done efficiently and/or properly the first time!
Why throw away money to beg people to apply or bid for any job? If they want it, they should show initiative and go after it themselves. No handouts. No fox. No quarter.
Austin, you are absolutely correct! White men should file a class action lawsuit against the federal government along with racist Skip, White guilt ridden Nancy Vaughn, the city of Greensboro and Guilford County! But most certainly hold Skip and Nancy personally financially responsible. Get by on ability, hard work and a good history of doing quality work or get out of the way! If you want a handout try the taxpayer funded bum shelter across from the depot!
I just realized that the county MWBE annual budget is nearly equal to the amount Homeland Security director Myorkas said was being spent on immediate relief for hurricane Helene victims.
…. and I know I’m a “right wing extremist”, but I feel that the assistance to the hurricane victims was money better spent than black bureaucrats discriminating against white men.
FEMA disaster relief budget is in the billions of dollars a year. NC is in line to received far more than a million dollars before this is over. That is, if the consverstive extremists in congress don’t continue to try and block FEMA funding.
I’m taking my info from an interview very recently broadcast with Myorkas. As I understand it the interview was conducted by a rather left leaning news source. I am taking the info on the MWBE program from the accompanying article. The entire FEMA budget is indeed in the billion range but on that same interview Myorkas indicated they didn’t have funds to make it thru the hurricane season due to the migrant crisis. Not much wiggle room there Chris.
Chris, it appears that you really do not know what you are talking about.
Reverse racism at its finest…these people want to make white people pay for the sins of their fathers, even if they aren’t related to plantation owners. I grew up in the Sixties and witness how truly horrible blacks were treated during the transition from Jim Crow to Civil Rights.
I still support Civil Rights…but this ain’t that. This is payback. A vendetta against the white community designed by black administrators to systematically create a corrupt framework of payolla and feather nesting for African Americans.
My great great grandfather fought in the Civil War for the Grand Army of the Republic. My cousins marched for Civil Rights. But this, this is nothing more than brazen corruption.
Chris, you once again have shown your true colors. Marxist commie! If you could pull your head from your ass for 24 hours you would definitely hear YOUR DHHS secretary Hahawhoredope Mydorkis say “ we (FEMA) don’t have enough money to respond through the rest of the hurricane season” . Why? Because this dope has spent 1.4 billion dollars on a bunch of bums that DO NOT BELONG HERE! That’s why they are called illegal immigrants. They are here ILLEGALLY! Now our people ((trigger word) are suffering and you and all of your dumbacrat dingbats Biden/Harris and fellow Marxist commies are to blame! YOU! You and the bazaaro world socialist Marxist idiots like yourself should be dragged kicking and screaming to Western N.C. And your lazy asses forced to make the situation you all CREATED right. Our people, LEGAL, TAXPAYING CITIZENS should not suffer so that your communist party can flood OUR country with future voters for the DEMONCRATS ! But they are suffering thanks to YOUR BORDER CZAR…
Kacklin Kommunist Kamala Harris
TRUMP 2024 MASS DEPORTATIONS 2025
Let’s make crossing our border illegally a felony rather a misdemeanor, which is defined as a less serious crime. What is more serious than entering our country without permission?
Why doesn’t the state sue Guilford County and the city of Greensboro for discriminatory practices? MWBE is discrimination. Oh, that’s right, the state endorses MWBE by having an entire department dedicated to MWBE discrimination. I opine that if Joshua Stein went on record, he endorses MWBE. Why would a voter vote for someone who endorses discrimination? Vote for Mark Robinson, a real human with human shortcomings, not a weak career politician.