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Register Today For The 28th Annual Conference!


Pier 60 Chelsea Piers, New York, NY
October 31, 2022, 8AM - 3PM EST


Event Program


8:00 am

8:00 am - 9:00 am

Registration & Breakfast

Location: Majestic


Opening Remarks

Reverend Jacques Degraff

Marlene CintronAdministrator, Small Business Administration

9:00 am

9:00 am - 10:00 am

Plenary Discussion: “Back to Business 2.0”

Location: Majestic

Moderator:

Zenaida Rodriguez, CEC Chair, Executive Director
The Regional Alliance for Small Contractors

Panelists:

Suzanne Veira, Vice President, Chief, NYC School Construction Authority

Michael J. Garner, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Metropolitan Transportation Authority

Kevin Kim, Commissioner, Small Business Services

Karine Apollon, Chief Diversity Officer, DDO, Department of Education

Suzette Bather-Taylor, Program Director, Business Diversity, Aviation Department, Port Authority of New York & New Jersey

10:15 am

10:15 am - 11:15 am

Special Presentation | “Getting Ready to Access Capital” Programs for Business Growth

Location: Aquitannia East

Moderator:

Justin McLaughlin, Diversity Director, Battery Park City Authority

Panelists:

Madeline Marquez, EVP Chief External Affairs, Ponce Bank

Michael Clay, Director of Opportunity Programs, Dormitory Authority of the State of New York

David Cayemitte, Chief Executive Officer, Embrace Partners

Ray Salaberrios, Senior VP, Empire State Development


Access to Procurement Opportunities | Major Contract Opportunities In Tri-State Area

Location: Aquitannia West

Moderator:

Melissa Jones, Director, Construction Diversity Programs & Contract Compliance Management, Metropolitan Transportation Authority

Panelists:

Kimberly Hardy, Diversity Manager, The New Terminal One

Eric Alemany, Senior Director Supplier Relationship Management, New York Power Authority

Tony Alvarado, Regional Contract Manager, ABM

Heather Baumann, Contracts Manager, New York State Insurance Fund


The New Office & Back-office Support Paradigm | Technology in Your Office Space

Location: Oceanic

Moderator:

Andrea Giraldo, Owner/Business Consultant, A&G Trading & Giraldo Farms

Panelists:

Veronica Flanders, Assistant Vice President/Director, New York State Homes and Community Renewals

Abner Larrieaux, Founder, A.L. Consulting Group

Jacqueline Capriles, President, Leading Factor

Robin Wilcox, Director/Corporate Development, Haydan Consultants, Inc.

11:15 am

11:15 am - 12:15 pm

NYS/NYC Discretionary Opportunities & Guidelines

Take advantage of discretionary funding available for your business at all levels of government. Up-to-date information and guidance on how to take advantage of those small purchases.

Moderator:

Quenia Abreu, President and CEO, New York Women’s Chamber of Commerce

Panelists:

Anthony Peterson, Executive Director, Crescent Consulting

William Choi, Directory of Supplier Diversity, City University of New York

Christine Norman, Assistant Deputy Chief of Supplier Diversity for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority – Headquarters Procurement

Eric Alemany, Senior Director Supplier Relationship Management, New York Power Authority

Glenessa Gordon, Assistant Director Business Diversity and Outreach Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

12:30 pm

12:30 pm - 2:00 pm

Awards Luncheon

Speakers:

Catherine Trigg-Jones,
iWomanTV

Michael Max Knobbe,
BronxNet

Ruth Hassel-Thompson,
Special Advisor, New York State Homes and Community Renewal

Julissa Gutierrez,
Chief Diversity Officer, Office of New York State Governor Hochul

11:00 am

11:00 am - 2:30 pm

Marketplace Open

Network Opportunities

2:30 pm

2:30 pm - 3:30 am

Health & Wellness Opportunities: Cannabis - A Growing Market

Moderator:

Dasheeda Dawson, Founding Director, Cannabis, NYC

Panelists:

Dr. Duclas Charles, PharmD

Solonje Burnett, Co-Founder and CEO, Humble Bloom, Co-founder and Chief Culture & Community Officer, Honeypottt