Registration & Breakfast
Location: Majestic
Event Program
8:00 am
8:00 am - 9:00 am
Opening Remarks
Reverend Jacques Degraff
Marlene Cintron, Administrator, 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