Last month, LeChase Director of DEI and Supplier Diversity Stephanie Pennington and Business Development Manager Travis L. Miller participated in the City of Rochester’s first Upstate NY MWBE Conference. The three-day event brought MWBE (minority and women-owned business enterprises) firms together from four major upstate regions: The Finger Lakes, Western NY, Central NY and The Southern Tier.
Each day of the conference focused on one of three main topics: community, growth and opportunity.
Miller facilitated an interactive seminar on the strategic planning and production of responses to an RFP, as part of the conference’s “training tracks” for construction and non-construction firms. Pennington also co-facilitated a session as part of the series. This straight-talk session with Luis Rodriguez – “The Business of Construction” – dove into the do’s and don’ts of running a small MWBE in construction.
Pennington also moderated a panel discussion and Q&A entitled “Leveling Up”, featuring many seasoned MWBE and SDVOB (service-disabled veteran-owned business) firms from the Upstate NY area discussing their personal paths to success.
The conference ended with an expo where MWBEs and SDVOBs met with agencies and primes for opportunities. Angela Wiesmore and Harriette Taylor staffed the LeChase table.
