The Mississippi Link Newswire
The Mississippi Minority Business Alliance, Inc.’s Power Luncheon held Thursday, Sept. 3, 2015, made a strong impact toward getting minority businesses to see that the “way to grow your business is through global exports.”
Each speaker addressed the theme, “The Role of U.S. Minority Businesses in the 21st century Global Marketplace.”
Gov. Phil Bryant attended and spoke about his recent meeting with the ambassador of China and their discussion on assistance to minorities in growing their export businesses.
The governor thanked the luncheon keynote speaker, Antwaun Griffin, deputy assistant secretary for U.S. operations, U.S. Dept. of Commerce, International Trade, for coming.
Griffin was introduced by Thomas Strauss, the Southern Regional Director of the U.S. Commercial service department of the U.S. Dept of Commerce.
The luncheon also provided the platform for award presentations and tributes. Presentations were made by Betty A. Mallett, Esq, MMBA chairwoman, and Shellie Michael, MMBA CEO.
The Outstanding Minority Business Awardees were: Central Awardee – Dr. Marco Moran of Dewmar International BMC, Inc., Clinton, Miss.; Delta Awardee – Cynthia Blockett of Blockett Construction and Inspection Group, LLC, Cleveland, Miss.; East (at-large) Awardee – Camilla Boler of Jerry’s Spit Shine of Union, Miss.; North Awardee – Carlos E. Moore, esq., of Moore Law Group, PC, Grenada, Miss.; and South Awardee – Kathy Do of Millennium Construction of D’Iberville, Miss.
Joanne Hill, also traveled to Jackson representing the U.S. Department of Commerce Office of Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), to lead an early morning workshop on “MBDA: Grow Your Business, Build the Nation.”
Hill addressed a series of questions and observations: Are you ready to expand your business? … whether selling products or services across borders and making strategic partnerships or obtaining federal contracts, the MBDA of the U.S. Dept. of Commerce can help you.
Hill addressed how the MBDA programs and services can better equip minority-owned firms to create jobs, build scale and capacity, increase revenues and expand regionally, nationally and internationally.
According to the 2012 U.S. Census, there are eight million minority business enterprises operating in the U.S.