Breaking Barriers, Building a Hire Ground

February 2021 was Black History Month, a movement that is not and should not be confined to one month of the calendar year. Despite the best intentions of many companies to promise change in the workplace for the better, Black History Month’s message can easily get lost regardless of the many corporations pledging to make a positive change in their industries. In the last year, the Black Lives Matter movement has gained worldwide c...

The Supply Chain Advisory Board for the University of Georgia is the primary contact between industry and Supply Chain professors and students.

Marty Parker is a UGA alumnus and lecturer who helped launch the UGA Supply Chain Advisory Board and is currently an honor supply chain leader for UGA. He is a partner at TechCXO, providing companies with on-demand executives. Marty is a Strategy Expert in Supply...

Welcome to Hire Ground, where we delve into the strategies that cultivate an inclusive and thriving workplace. Today’s episode, featuring the insightful Vicky Brown, CEO of Idomeneo Enterprises, takes us on a journey through the intricacies of creating an empowering employee experience. With a wealth of knowledge in HR and employee training, Vicky’s approach to shaping a positive corporate culture and improving interdepartmental re...

Welcome to another enlightening episode of Hire Ground, where we explore the intersecting paths of supply chain inclusion, supplier diversity, and creating a more equitable economy. On today’s episode, we have the pleasure of hosting Takema Robinson, an inspiring leader and catalyst for social justice through corporate change.

Takema Robinson, founder and CEO of Converge, is not only at the forefront of advocating for diversity, eq...

In this week’s episode, we dive deep into the critical intersection of law, ESG, and racial equity with our guest, Johnjerica Hodge. As a partner at Katten and co-chair of their ESG risk and investigations practice, Johnjerica plays a vital role in guiding companies through the complexities of maintaining their ESG and DEI commitments while facing legal challenges. We discuss the importance of supply chain inclusion and supplier di...

In this episode of Breaking Barriers, Building a Higher Ground, we had the pleasure of speaking with Leslie Chang from Caelux a California-based startup at the forefront of solar technology innovation. Leslie, as the director of strategy and policy, shared her journey from studying economic history to consulting for global development organizations, and how her passion for sustainability and climate change led her to ...

In this special episode we focus on Hire Ground, the innovative minority-woman-led B2B software company that sponsors and produces this podcast. Hire Ground gives enterprise buyers the tools to confidently source and manage suppliers while helping diverse entrepreneurs access new business opportunities. Through tailored configuration, data-driven matchmaking, best-in-class management tools, and unparalleled thought pa...

Zuzy Martin-Aly is the host of the Girls in Tech podcast, a nonprofit organization with a mission to eliminate the gender gap in tech one episode at a time. She is an expert in brand strategizing and marketing and works with clients and agencies to promote their products or services in the most creative ways possible. Zuzy is also an award-winning filmmaker whose documentary film, Craving Cuba, was accepted to 13 film...

It goes without saying that 2021 fared leagues better than 2020 did. Many companies will start engaging with their consumers to celebrate the world’s grand reopening, especially now that we’re near the end of the year. However, what does it mean when your business only engages with the market when all is said and done? How do you engage with your diverse suppliers without it feeling artificial or forced?

Sarah Marske is the Founder and CEO of Saramar Group, a marketing consultancy firm specializing in connecting brands to the U.S. Hispanic market. Saramar Group integrates three core solutions for business growth with social impact: Hispanic Marketing Services, Social Impact Initiatives, and Consulting & Training. Sarah was previously the Multicultural Marketing Brand Manager for Coca-Cola. She led award-winning Hi...

Bruce Katz is the Founder of New Localism Associates, a firm that helps cities finance, deliver, and design innovative initiatives that focus on sustainable growth and inclusion. He received the Heinz Award in Public Policy for his contributions to city planning and influences on the community’s economy and livability. He authored the book The New Localism, which provides a roadmap for change that begins in the local ...

Everyone has an experience of being promised something and then discovering the promise cannot be kept. While it may be easier to accept someone’s information without intending to follow up, you never know when that decision could come back to haunt you.  It’s important whether you’re on the corporate side or the supplier side to remain transparent and be realistic about what you can actually provide in a partnership.

As the founder of four companies, Monique Mills is no stranger to blazing the trails of entrepreneurship in technology and digital transformation. She is passionate about helping companies overcome obstacles and innovate new roads to technological development and is intent on solving big problems within the modern world. As the founder and chief strategist of TPM Focus, Monique and her team offer a unique blend of cor...

Christine Rogers is the President and COO of Aspireship, a company helping tomorrow’s leaders by ensuring they perform at optimum level in their current roles with training, interview preparation, leadership development, and career development coaching. Aspireship looks to proactively match such leaders with fast-growing employers in need of talented and ambitious professionals. Christine has previous experience as a ...

Abraham Xiong is the President of Government Contractors Association, Inc., a national trade association of commercial contractors and government agencies. The organization’s goal is to help small or minority-led businesses get their fair share of opportunities in the government market. Abraham is also the co-founder of Blockchain Chamber of Commerce, a membership-based organization supporting emerging cryptocurrency ...

Amanda Hammett is the CEO of Core Elevation, a company dedicated to helping high-performance leaders achieve even greater results and working with Inc. 5,000 corporations to strategize attracting, retaining, and engaging top-level talent. She is also the host of the Next Generation Rockstars Podcast (aka Millennial Rockstars), where she proves her nickname as the ‘Millennial Translator’ by interviewing millennial busi...

It’s no question that having supplier diversity can elevate a company’s financial growth—especially if more companies actively pursue supplier diversity. In fact, CVS Health reported their supplier diversity program contributed an astounding $5.5 billion to the US economy in 2018. This shows supplier diversity isn’t just a trend or a fad businesses can ride until it loses its luster. Supplier diversity improves your c...

Joy White is a mindset and wellness coach, keynote speaker, and the founder and CEO of Flawed Masterpiece, a health and wellness business that wants Black women to adopt a lifestyle of self-care, healing, and inner peace. She has over 16 years of experience holding executive positions in non-profit boardrooms, international law firms, and small boutiques. Joy founded Flawed Masterpiece to help clients navigate profess...

Dr. Janelle Williams is the co-founder and CEO of Atlanta Wealth Building Initiative, a catalytic nonprofit that seeks to build Black wealth through community wealth-building strategies. Committed to advancing investments and policies that increase opportunities for disinvested communities, Janelle has led several strategies for the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and the Annie E. Casey Foundation to advance inclusive...