Minority Business Pandemic Recovery Academy Launched

The Capital Region Minority Supplier Development Council (CRMSDC), in partnership with the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC), offers a curriculum to support firms operating in a pandemic environment. 

SILVER SPRING, Md., May 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to the crisis facing minority owned businesses due to COVID-19, the Capital Region Minority Supplier Development Council, operator of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), Virginia Business Center created an academy to address the challenges.

The Minority Business Pandemic Recovery Academy is a transformational six week executive education program in partnership with The University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC).  This Academy will assist minority business CEOs with techniques to use in fortifying and navigating their businesses in a post-pandemic economy.  

Each week participating minority-owned firms will experience one virtual 90-minute session facilitated by UMGC's School of Business Management beginning on Thursday, May 26. Each session will focus on targeted topics accompanied by a subject matter expert to provide practical, real-world experience as MBEs continue to deal with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants will explore sessions in Executive Leadership, Financial Management, Design Thinking for Business Acceleration, Cybersecurity for Leaders and Managers, Contemporary Issues in Human Resource Management, and COVID Business Practice Responses.

We are excited to offer this unique experience to participating minority-owned firms, shared Sharon R. Pinder, President, and CEO of CRMSDC. "The pandemic has only exacerbated the deepening challenges that many owners face like access to capital, cash flow gaps, and human capital issues. We look forward to providing this opportunity to help MBEs look at strategic ways to combat the many hardships they continue to deal with daily."

UMGC is honored to partner with CRMSDC in developing this timely offering Dr. Pam Carter, Vice President and Dean of the School of Business, notes, "These business owners will gain distinctive benefits from engagement with our faculty, most of whom are active Practitioners in their respective fields. Our faculty's contribution to this collaboration produced content of special relevance to MBEs."  

Upon completion, each minority-owned firm will receive a certificate of completion, obtain new knowledge ownership, and learn to leverage a briefcase of resources and tools to help advance and achieve ongoing business success.   

This Academy is made possible through the MBDA Coronavirus Response and Relief Center grant. For more information about the Virginia MBDA Business Center (www.mbda-virginia.com), contact Tommy Marks, Director of the Virginia MBDA Business Center and VP and COO of CRMSDC @ [email protected]  301.502.0799. 

The Capital Region Minority Supplier Development Council (CRMSDC) (www.crmsdc.org)   was established in 1972.  It is one of 23 regional affiliates of the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) and is the only nationally certifying authority. CRMSDC's mission is to certify, connect, develop and advocate for minority-owned business across the District of Columbia, Maryland and Northern Virginia. CRMSDC is the operator of the U.S. Department of Commerce Virginia MBDA Business Center.  

For the last three years, the Washington Business Journal has recognized The Capital Region Minority Supplier Development Council (ranked #11) as one of the Top 30 Largest Business Advocacy Groups in Greater Washington, DC region.  

The Virginia MBDA Business Center is located in Alexandria, Virginia with a satellite office in Richmond, Virginia. (In partnership with the Carolina-Virginia Minority Supplier Development Council). It is the first MBDA Center in the Commonwealth of Virginia and it offers the following services: Global Business Development; Access to Capital; Access to Contracts; Access to Markets and Strategic Business Consulting.  

Web Address:  www.mbda-virginia.com 
Web Address:  www.crmsdc.org 
Web Address: www.crmsdccares.com  

Contact:
Sonya Bigelow-Smith, Program Mgr 
Coronavirus Response and Relief Center
[email protected] 
410.707.2850

SOURCE The Capital Region Minority Supplier Development Council